The film 'Honoring Eric Bentley - A Centennial Tribute Concert' is now available to educational institutions worldwide

Royal Road Productions proudly announces

the distribution of its acclaimed film

Honoring Eric Bentley: A Centennial Tribute Concert

to educational institutions worldwide, by Alexander Street, the world’s leading provider of academic streaming media.

With a successful, ongoing run of screenings in the US and Europe, this wonderful film is now available digitally to universities, colleges, and libraries everywhere.

For over a century, Eric Bentley (1916-2020) dedicated his life to theatre, culture, music, and poetry. He was one of the most revered theater critics, playwrights, editors, and translators of our time.

As the foremost English translator of Bertolt Brecht, Bentley introduced American audiences to the German poet/playwright’s ground-breaking work, making it accessible to millions. He also wrote numerous books on the theater, such as The Playwright as Thinker, and taught at Harvard and Columbia Universities. Of his many plays, Are You Now or Have You Ever Been is the most performed. In addition, he recorded several albums, including two covering the song repertoire of Bertolt Brecht and Hanns Eisler. In 1998, he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. 

In bringing Brecht’s work to the U.S., Bentley revolutionized American theater. As generations of students continue to study his plays, they learn how globally connected and vibrant the middle of the 20th-century was, building the foundation of boundless cultural interactions today. 

"In my opinion, and of course in the opinion of many, many others, no one has rendered greater service to the art of the theater than Eric Bentley."

– Tony Kushner, Pulitzer Prize winner and two-time Academy Award nominee 

As Bentley entered his 100th year, a galaxy of stars honored him at Broadway's Town Hall. The film, Honoring Eric Bentley, documents this historic evening with exciting tributes from noted artists and scholars, punctuated by theater music of Hanns Eisler and Darius Milhaud, performed by soprano Karyn Levitt, band, and orchestra.

The event, produced by Royal Road Productions, was emceed by Michael Riedel and featured tributes by Austin Pendleton, Roger Copeland, Phillip Lopate, Edward Mendelson, James Shapiro, Louise Kerz Hirschfeld, Michael Paller, and Tony Kushner.

Singer Karyn Levitt performed the world premiere of songs for Mother Courage by Darius Milhaud and Eric Bentley in the composer’s original, unpublished orchestrations for chamber orchestra, conducted by multi-Emmy Award winner Glen Roven.

Selections from Eric Bentley's Brecht-Eisler Song Book were also performed by Karyn Levitt and the Hanns Eisler Trio. 

Honoring Eric Bentley: A Centennial Tribute Concert is now available to include in your curriculum through Academic Video Online at Alexander Street.

 “Congratulations on a fascinating and unique film.”

—ALLAN MILLER, two-time Oscar winner, Emmy winner, documentary filmmaker

 “An eloquent tribute to an irreplaceable man.”

—IRVING WARDLE, (formerly) drama critic for the London Times; theatre critic for The Observer and The Independent on Sunday