Finalist for the 2014 George Freedley Memorial Award
The New Humor in the Progressive Era vividly illuminates a critical era in America's social and cultural history that might also shed light on our own. DesRochers writes in clear, accessible prose, and this book will be of interest to those interested in America's social and cultural history, as well as specialists in theatre history and popular entertainment. (Cheryl Black, The Journal of American Drama and Theatre, jadtjournal.org, Vol. 28 (2), June, 2016)
DesRochers's work in The New Humor in the Progressive Era excites conversation and inquiry, and it invites us to reconsider vaudeville as an important site for studies of American identity. ... In this smart and informed analysis, Rick DesRochers turns a spotlight on the vaudeville stage and invites us to listen to the rebellious voices of its clowns and comics and to trace its lasting legacy in American culture. (Ann M. Ryan, Studies in American Humor, Spring, 2016)