‘Florence of America: A Feminist in the Age of McCarthyism’
by Florence Bean James, with Jean Freeman
Published by University of Regina Press
Review by Keith Foster
$24.95 ISBN 9780889776470
Florence of America: A Feminist in the Age of McCarthyism is the autobiography of Florence Bean James and her passionate struggle against oppression to establish quality theatre in North America.
Part of The Regina Collection published by the University of Regina Press, Florence of America is a slightly condensed reprint of her earlier memoir, Fists Upon A Star. The new version has a more compact format – easy to carry in one's pocket and handy to pull out while sitting in waiting rooms.
Florence seemed to have a penchant for producing controversial plays that the authorities wanted to censor. She also had to defend herself against accusations by Senator Joseph McCarthy that she and her theatre group had communist leanings. A highlight of Florence's life was when she audaciously addressed the judge in her own defence at her trial. And wait till you read what the judge had to say!
After losing her theatre, Florence moved north of the border to take a position with the newly formed Saskatchewan Arts Board. There she helped organize numerous community theatre groups, including Regina's Globe Theatre, and the Dominion Drama Festival.
In Florence of America's two appendices, Florence shares her views on acting and directing. As an actor and director, she was intimately involved in both. As a bonus, journalist Rita Shelton Deverell wrote the epilogue, praising Florence for not being afraid to stand up to oppression. Standing up made her stronger, and the theatre world better.
