John Peter Wearing (born c. 1945) is an Anglo-American theatre historian and professor, who has written about nineteenth and twentieth-century drama and theatre, includingThe Shakespeare Diaries: A Fictional Autobiography, published in 2007. He has also written and edited books onGeorge Bernard Shaw,Arthur Wing Pinero, reference series on the London theatre from 1890 to 1980, and theatrical biographies, among other subjects. As a professor of English literature, Wearing has specialised in Shakespeare and modern drama.
Wearing, who publishes under the nameJ. P. Wearing, was born inBirmingham and grew up inPelsall. AtCannock Grammar School, he becameHead Boy and sang in the church choir. He studied English literature at theUniversity of Wales (then called the University College ofSwansea), graduating in 1967 with a B.A. degree (magna cum laude). The next year he received an M.A. degree from theUniversity of Saskatchewan. He earned a PhD degree from the University of Wales in 1971.[1][2] He has a brother named Michael.[3]
In 1971, Wearing began teaching at theUniversity of Alberta, founding, together with L. W. Conolly, the journalNineteenth Century Theatre Research, which he edited until 1986. He was also a theatre critic onCKUA Radio in 1973–74. Wearing moved to the US and joined theUniversity of Arizona in 1974, teaching Shakespeare and modern drama until 1999. He has been honoured with aGuggenheim Fellowship (1978–79) and a four-year research grant for his extensive series on the London theatre from theNational Endowment for the Humanities (1987–91). Since 1999, he has held the post of Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Arizona.[1][2]
Wearing's research and writing have been praised. His volume of the collected letters of Arthur Wing Pinero was called "probably the most important material published on Pinero since his death.... Wearing has written an excellent introduction and valuable explanatory headnotes for each letter, a task that looks deceptively easy."[5] A review of Wearing's 16-volume series on the London Stage stated: "In his remarkable series, J. P. Wearing... has chosen to give us a chronological listing of works... presented in major London theatres since 1890, a series now covering seven decades. I know of no other venture on this scale making available the theatrical riches of a great modern city in this detailed way.... Here is a wonderful place to start research."[6] Other reviews call the London Stage volumes "invaluable" and "thoroughly accurate"[7] and state: "[T]here is a proverbial mine of useful information here, sensibly organized and, within [limits], well indexed. Scholarship on the theatre covered by these volumes will surely become a rich beneficiary of Wearing's industry and good judgment."[8]
A review of Wearing'sAmerican and British Theatrical Biography: A Directory concludes, "nowhere, aside from Wearing, can one find such a comprehensive listing of basic biographical information for America and Britain spanning the long history of theatrical activity in those countries and nicely digested in the pages of one volume. Like Wearing's previous scholarship, the present work addresses a demonstrable need, filling a notable gap in a practical, efficient, and serviceable way."[9]
In 2012, Wearing expanded his 1979 work asAmerican and British Theatrical Biographies: An Index.Booklist's review stated that the work "provides an excellent starting point for anyone taking on the task of research in the history of the American and British theater. ... film and television actors are excluded unless they have actually appeared onstage. Artists performing in other theatrical arenas, such as opera, dance, circus, music, and music halls, are included, as are critics and others in stage-related occupations."[10] In 2013 to 2014, Wearing updated and expanded his series onThe London Stage and added anAccumulated Indexes volume. American Reference Books Annual wrote: "These works are a must-have for theater departments, and really any library interested in play productions."[11]
^Ronning, Robert. Review ofThe Collected Letters of Sir Arthur Pinero by J. P. Wearing,Educational Theatre Journal, Vol. 26, No. 3 (October 1974), pp. 415–16, The Johns Hopkins University Press (available from JSTOR by subscription, accessed 20 March 2009)
^Dorris, George. "Dance and the London Stage, 1890–1959", a review of the 16-volumes in the seriesThe London Stage: A Calendar of Plays and Players,Dance Chronicle, Vol. 18, No. 3 (1995), pp. 505–10, Taylor & Francis, Ltd. (available online from JSTOR by subscription, accessed 20 March 2009)
^Ellis, James. "An Accurate Calendar of London Theatre", review ofThe London Stage 1900–1909: A Calendar of Plays and Players,Shakespeare Quarterly, Vol. 33, No. 2 (Summer, 1982), pp. 245–47, Folger Shakespeare Library in association with George Washington University (available online through JSTOR by subscription, accessed 20 March 2009)
^Donohue, Joseph. Review ofThe London Stage 1890–1899: A Calendar of Plays and Players,Educational Theatre Journal, Vol. 29, No. 2 (May 1977), pp. 268–71, The Johns Hopkins University Press (available online through JSTOR by subscription, accessed 20 March 2009)
^Donohue, Joseph. Review ofAmerican and British Theatrical Biography: A Directory,Theatre Journal, Vol. 32, No. 3 (October 1980), pp. 406–08, The Johns Hopkins University Press (available online through JSTOR by subscription, accessed 20 March 2009)
