No Intermissions: The Life Of Agnes De Mille

by Carol Easton

Pioneering a distinctly American style that combined modern dance and ballet with a traditional folk idiom, Agnes de Mille popularized what had been an elitist art and irrevocably changed the American musical theater. During a life that spanned most of the twentieth century, de Mille worked and played with a fabulous cast of characters, from her uncle (the legendary Cecil B. de Mille) to Charlie Chaplin, Martha Graham, Cole Porter, NoëCoward, Rebecca West, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Drawing on unpublished papers and extensive interviews with friends, colleagues, relatives, and de Mille herself, Carol Easton takes us behind the scenes of de Mille's extraordinary life: struggling to establish a reputation, surviving a series of disastrous love affairs, meeting the conflicting demands of ambition and motherhood, and dealing with a devastating illness. She unforgettably brings to life the combination of intelligence, artistry, and humor that was Agnes de Mille.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read the first part of this book because I could not enjoy the author's style of writing. She made Agnes' male ancestors look like bumbling idiots while the females were portrayed as saintly idols of perfection. Having researched the family history, I could not agree with her tone. Yes, the women were impressive, but the chip on the author's shoulder was so huge that it took away from the story. Maybe the book improved in later chapters, but after reading the first chapter I didn't care to read anymore. This is in no way meant to take away from the story of Agnes de Mille's amazing life.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and comprehensive story of the life of Agnes. Very well researched. A must-read for anyone who is very interested in the life of Agnes, who was remarkable. Note that this was authorized by Agnes and had her full cooperation (though she did NOT have approval rights).

[Marie Piper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really thorough and fascinating portrait of Ms. DeMille. It's a bit dry at times, but there's so much information presented that it'd be hard-pressed not to get dry once in a while. I'll be keeping this one on my shelf. Agnes DeMille was an astonishing artist of dance.