1. English-Language Theatre in the Early 20th Century (Theatre and Drama in the U.S. 1917-1941)
The U.S. began to be aware of artistic innovations from European theatre just prior to WWI, mostly thanks to non-professional groups.
Around 1912, several “little theatres” were established that emulated the independent theatres of Europe.
By 1917 there were at least 50 of these groups.
Among the most important were the Toy Theatre in Boston; the Chicago Little Theatre; the Provincetown Players in Massachusetts; the Detroit Arts and Crafts Theatre; and the Neighborhood Playhouse and Washington Square Players in New York.
They generally had full-time directors but used amateur actors, designers, and staff.
A group of the Washington Square Players ca The group disbanded that same year.
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2. English-Language Theatre in the Early 20th Century (Theatre and Drama in the U.S. 1917-1941)
Using amateur actors, designers, and staff was both an economic and esthetic choice:
Because these little theatres were building new audiences they could not afford professional actors.
Many also believed that professional actors were too dependent on melodramatic tricks learned in commercial theatre.
They argued that amateurs were more open to new approaches.
After 1920, the little theatres became indistinguishable from community theatres.
The latter had started around 1905 in an attempt to revive the spirit of ancient Greece.
Local theatres like The Princess (San Francisco) were part of the Little Theatre and community theatre movements. (This image is from !)
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3. English-Language Theatre in the Early 20th Century (Theatre and Drama in the U.S. 1917-1941)
The primary competition for community/little theatres came from traveling tent theatres.
This movement was first introduced in Illinois in , and reached its peak in the 1920s.
During the 20s, over 400 companies were on tour in over 16k cities!
These companies produced more shows and greater audience attendance than all the legitimate theatres in the country COMBINED!
Though the repertory of tent theatres was basically the same as community theatres, they employed many professional theatre artists.
Few companies survived after The Great Depression/WWII.
A modern tent theatre production at Missouri State University.
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4. English-Language Theatre in the Early 20th Century (Theatre and Drama in the U.S. 1917-1941)
During this period, drama programs also began to be introduced in colleges and universities.
Plays had been produced by students since the 17th century.
Brander Matthews became the first professor of drama at Columbia University in New York in 1899, but courses weren’t offered until 1900.
A course in playwrighting began at Radcliff College in 1903.
It was opened to Harvard University students later.
In 1913 it was expanded to include a workshop to produce the plays.
Brander Matthews, the first professor of drama!
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5. English-Language Theatre in the Early 20th Century (Theatre and Drama in the U.S. 1917-1941)
The playwrighting program attracted several later- famous theatre artists:
Eugene O’Neill
S. N. Behrman
Hallie Flanagan
Robert Edmond Jones
In 1925 Yale University established a drama school to provide professional training.
There, the first courses in stage lighting design were offered and taught by Stanley McCandless.
In 1914, the Carnegie Institute of Technology established the first degree-granting program in theatre.
By 1940, theatre education was an accepted part of many U.S. universities!
The coat of arms of the Yale School of Drama.
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