Mae West: Plaster Pleasures

Like MAE WEST, Diane Arbus was a native New Yorker. A stage play, inspired by their Los Angeles meeting and photo session, was widely reviewed. To commemorate Arbus’s untimely death, age 48, in the month of July, let’s ponder some of those critiques.
• • Let’s hear from The N.Y. Times critic first. This is Part 7 of the 7 excerpts, the finale.
• • Theater Review — — “When Mae West Met Diane Arbus” • •
• • “You invented sex!” • •
• • Laura Cappelle wrote: When Arbus tells West, “You invented sex,” it is with some ambivalence, ostensibly because the actress’s brazenness is foreign to her. When she is asked by West whether she likes sex, there is a moment of silence. Later, West shows Arbus a cupboard full of plaster penises modeled after each of her lovers. According to Arthur Lubow’s biography of Arbus, the cupboard existed, and is narrative gold: Mr. Sewell could mine it even further.
• • Laura Cappelle wrote: It’s still too rare to see women’s stories treated with so much care. Mr. Sewell’s work has been presented in Britain, but Broadway appears to have ignored him so far: Perhaps a star vehicle like “Arbus and West” will convince producers to look twice.  [The End]
• • Source: N.Y. Times, stage review; published on Thursday, 21 March 2019.
• • On Friday, 10 July 1931 • •
• • During July 1931 Mae West entered into a complex discussion with the Shuberts about a stage version of "The Constant Sinner," based on her bi-racial novel set in Harlem and published by Macauley in hardcover [November 1930].
• • The mainstage contracts were signed by Mae West the playwright (on Friday, 10 July 1931) and Mae West the Broadway star (on 20 August 1931).
• • July 2004: Mae West Blog launches • •

• • What are we up to, writing about the Brooklyn-born bombshell for fifteen years now?
• • We’re here to keep Mae mavens up to date, correct errors, celebrate each revival of a play she wrote, post the latest Westian stage and book reviews. And answer our fan mail!
• • The light’s still on. Come up and see Mae every day.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West's wisecracks delighted the newspaper critics. She always had a bright new saying.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "My life hasn't been any bed of roses. I never felt anything like secure until just recently. I've never felt free to get married."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Overseas correspondent Janet Flanner mentioned Mae West.
• • “Janet Flanner's World” • •
• • About the American movie star, Janet Flanner wrote: actress Mae West “has elicited praise from Paris that would give her a liberal education if she traced it all down.”   . . .
• • Source: Janet Flanner’s memoir bits; published in various dispatches from France dated 1925 — 1939
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • • 
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — — 
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/

• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • •  

• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,200 blog posts. Wow!  

• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4253rd blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • with Donald Duck in 1934 • •
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