It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about a time of goal setting, resolution making, and making plans for the future. It is the time of year where I am reminded of just how many movies, actors and actresses I am currently unaware of, and what I have missed in popular culture over the past year. It’s time for the plethora of movie and film award shows.
As I read through the recent list of Golden Globe winners and anticipated Oscar snubs, I thought I would take a look in our collections for any women who worked in film and television. I was not disappointed by what I found.
Actress and theatre director Niki Flacks became interested in acting at a very young age. While growing up in Hollywood, Florida, she entered “most photogenic child” contests as early as age four and landed leading roles in her high school’s drama productions. She studied theatre and graduated from Northwestern University.
Her acting career led to a starring role on the television soap opera One Life to Live, film roles, and several appearances on Broadway. She also directed theatre productions in the U.S. and London and served as an assistant professor in theatre at Southern Methodist University.
In 1986, Ms. Flacks founded The Bergerac Company, a consulting firm that specializes in teaching effective communication skills to executives and professionals. Her method, which is based on her book Power Talk, incorporates theatre techniques to train individuals in public speaking and presentation.
In 2015 Bloomsbury Methuen Drama Publishing released Niki’s book, Acting with Passion, detailing her innovative approach to actor training.
The Niki Flacks scrapbooks and writings found in the Archives of Women of the Southwest consists of ten scrapbooks, which chronicle the career of Niki Louise Flacks. The ten volume set dates from 1943 to 1985. Ms. Flacks’ book Power Talk and a copy of her University of Texas Arlington Master’s thesis are also included.
Contact Samantha Dodd, curator of the Archives of Women of the Southwest for additional information or assistance with accessing the collections.
For access to these collections or to learn more about the adventurous women of the southwest, be sure to visit the DeGolyer Library and check out our books, manuscripts, pamphlets, and photographs.