The Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey - by Carol Verburg (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The definitive, deluxe art book about Edward Gorey's theater work--from the iconic Broadway production of Dracula to the wildly creative productions to which he devoted the last decade of his life. Beloved for his intricate ink drawings and darkly humorous storybooks, Gorey also nurtured a lifelong passion for the performing arts. This volume is the first to showcase his extensive theatrical work, including his transition from designing major productions to crafting original community theater pieces on Cape Cod. Written by his friend and collaborator Carol Verburg, this deluxe hardcover edition is filled with annotated scripts, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and over 200 images, including archival photos and previously unpublished artwork. It unveils Gorey at work and play, drawing back the curtain on his enigmatic genius, which continues to inspire creatives and collectors today"--

Book Synopsis

Step behind the curtain into The Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey!

This stunning deluxe book is a long-awaited portal for Gorey fans, collectors, and curious explorers into the fantastical world of a unique artist.

Edward Gorey (1925-2000) emerged as a cult hero with unsettling graphic novelettes like The Gashlycrumb Tinies and The Doubtful Guest. He became a pop-culture icon for his stark, intricate designs for Dracula on Broadway and his animated credits for PBS's Mystery! But Gorey wasn't just a quirky, darkly humorous storyteller and illustrator. In The Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey, his close friend and collaborator Carol Verburg celebrates his lifelong passion for the stage. Her first-hand account follows Gorey's evolution as a playwright, designer, and director, from his radical experiments with Harvard's legendary Poets' Theatre to his Tony Award-winning designs for Dracula to his whimsical puppet pastiches of classics like Hamlet and Madame Butterfly.

Inside these velvet-bound covers is an intimate look into Edward Gorey's creative life. Thanks to the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, it's the first publication of numerous original scripts--some annotated by the author--and over 200 rare or previously unseen images from Gorey's archives: sketches, notebook doodles, finished artwork. Recollections and photos by Verburg and other members of Edward Gorey's theatrical troupe flesh out this deeply personal portrait of the man behind the eccentric genius.

Why You'll Love This Book:

• An Influential Legacy: Edward Gorey's distinctive style continues to inspire creative artists around the world: Tim Burton, Daniel Handler, Tom Gauld, Stephanie von Reiswitz, The Tiger Lillies, and many others.
• Exclusive Treasures: Dive into unpublished scripts, illustrations, and backstage stories--complete with Gorey's own notes.
• A Personal Touch: Carol Verburg's warm storytelling brings Gorey's world to life in heartfelt detail.
• A Gift to Treasure: Beautifully crafted and bound in red velvet, this hardcover edition is a showstopper for any coffee table or book collection.

Perfect for:

• Fans and collectors of Edward Gorey's books and illustrations
• Lovers of theater, theater history, and theatrical design and production
• Art students and collectors
• Readers of memoirs and biographies

The Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey isn't just a keepsake--it's an invitation to fall in love with Gorey's brilliant imagination all over again.

Review Quotes

"Theatrical Adventures is, as one senses Gorey's life was, organized chaos in the most delightful sense. The core that holds the book together is Carol Verburg's wry humor and tone... Marvelous and thoughtfully curated.... offers insights into Gorey's darkly humorous mind from as many angles as possible.... It is the intimate personal details Verburg shares that really bring Gorey's personality to life.... A fascinating read for any fan." --KQED

"A friend and collaborator, Verburg collects in this volume all manner of Gorey theatrical tidbits--including scripts, stories, and photos, many of which have never been seen before. An odd delight, much like Gorey himself." --The Boston Globe

"The Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey is spectacular.... A visual and intellectual treat: part biography, part meditation on the artistic process, and part 'mini art exhibit' of previously unpublished material.... Author Carol Verburg meticulously braids her first-person account and Gorey's archival photos with rare sketches, unpublished scripts, and anecdotes from friends and collaborators to create a comprehensive, visually vibrant book." --PopMatters

About the Author

Edward Gorey, known for his unsettling pen-and-ink drawings with a Victorian flair, wrote and illustrated such books as The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Evil Garden, and The Haunted Tea-Cosy, and animated sequences of his work have introduced the PBS series Mystery! since 1980. He was also a devoted dramatist. His work on the 1977 Broadway revival of Dracula won him a Tony Award for Best Costume Design and a nomination for Best Scenic Design, and he spent the last thirteen years of his life writing and staging community theater in Cape Cod.

Carol Verburg wrote her first novella at age eleven and won her first playwriting prize at thirteen. After staging her first rock musical in college, she worked as an academic editor, freelance author, boat builder, and the chief producer of her friend Edward Gorey's theatrical entertainments on Cape Cod. Their long collaboration is chronicled in The Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey: Rare Drawings, Scripts, and Stories. It also inspired her play Spin, or Twilight of the Bohemians, and her neo-Golden Age Edgar Rowdey Cape Cod mystery novels Croaked, Zapped, and Shafted.