David Mayer (historian)

David Mayer (born 1928) is Emeritus Professor of Drama and Honorary Research Professor at the University of Manchester. He was accidentally placed on a US terrorism blacklist due to a case of mistaken identity.

David Mayer
Born (1928-11-23) November 23, 1928
Chicago, United States
OccupationAcademic
Known forWriting about theatre history, being mistaken for a Chechen terrorist
RelativesCatherine Mayer (daughter), Lise Mayer (daughter)
Websitewww.professordavidmayer.com

In 2016, Mayer discovered that he had been placed on a US security list because a Chechen militant called Akhmed Chatayev, who was wanted by US authorities, had used the alias 'David Mayer'.[1] The case of mistaken identity meant Mayer could not travel to the US or receive mail from the US.[2][3][4][5]

As of November 2020, Mayer was still encountering bureaucratic problems as a result of his name being on a watchlist.[6]

As a theatre historian,[7] his work centres on the "drama of the long 19th century and with the late-Victorian stage’s many links with early [silent] film."[8][9] In 2012, he received the American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR) Distinguished Scholar Award.[10] In 2017, Mayer supported a campaign to save Harker's Studio, one of the last theatre scenery workshops in the UK.[11]

His publications include Stagestruck Filmmaker, about the film director D.W. Griffith and Harlequin in His Element: The English Pantomime, 1806–1836.[12][13]

Mayer is a US Army veteran and the father of the UK Women's Equality Party founder Catherine Mayer,[1] and writer and activist Lise Mayer, who co-created the sitcom The Young Ones.[14]

References
  1. "Strange case of theatre historian, 90, mistaken for one-armed terrorist". the Guardian. December 16, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  2. "Theatre historian, 90, can't get U.S. mail since ISIS fighter used his name as an alias". CBC. December 17, 2018.
  3. "A 90-year-old U.S. veteran who shares a name with a Chechen terrorist is having a hard time travelling and receiving packages". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  4. "U.S. Army Veteran Mistaken For ISIS Terrorist". Newsweek. December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  5. "A 90-Year-Old US Army Vet With Same Name As A Terrorist Can't Fly Or Get Packages". Task & Purpose. December 17, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  6. Mayer, Catherine (November 23, 2020). "Twitter post". Twitter. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  7. Sanderson, David. "Top actors fight to stop curtain falling on Harker's Studios theatre workshop". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  8. "Prof David Mayer | The University of Manchester". www.research.manchester.ac.uk. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  9. Hasted, Michael (March 28, 2016). "BANDITS! OR THE COLLAPSING BRIDGE by David Mayer with Bryony Dixon". StageTalk Magazine. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  10. "Theatre historian receives award for outstanding achievement in scholarship | StaffNet | The University of Manchester". www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  11. Sanderson, David. "Top actors fight to stop curtain falling on Harker's Studios theatre workshop". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  12. Mayer, David; Mayer, Emeritus Professor of Drama David (1969). Harlequin in His Element: The English Pantomime, 1806–1836. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-37275-7.
  13. "David Mayer | University of Iowa Press - The University of Iowa". uipress.uiowa.edu. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  14. "Lise Mayer". HuffPost UK. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.