1. Bringing Together Two Communities 1934 By: Tori Zimmer

2. Two separate dramatics groups! The first group was William Smith’s Hill Masquers! Found from E.E. Griffith’s papers on the Little Theatre Movement in the Archives. Mummers and Masquers were similar but different in that the Masquers only had a Dramatic Council. The 1934 Herald Newspaper clipping E.E. Griffith was a professor and leader of the Hobart Little Theatre in the late 30’s to early 40’s.

3. The second were Hobart’s Medbury Mummers! “The year is 1926, and an elite group of Hobart students are meeting at the President’s House, under the leadership of the President’s wife, Mrs. Blanchard Bartlett, to discuss plans for the upcoming theatre movement on campus, and so the Medbury Mummers were born.” Picture from 1933 Hobart yearbook History found from E.E. Griffith’s papers on the Little Theatre movement in the Archives.

4. First Cooperative play caused the two dramatic groups to merge Information found from the E.E. Griffith papers in the Herald newspaper. “ Hobart produced its first cooperative play, “A Murder Has been Arranged.” The play combined men and women. After the play’s success, the Hobart men felt ready to tackle the show with William Smith women.”

5. The Creation of the Little Theatre E.E. Griffith papers in the Herald Newspaper “The dramatics societies of each dramatics group merged uncontrollably in 1934. In June, the Mummers and Masquers sponsored a dance to socially unite the two groups. By 1937 the two groups had completely merged under the same title of the Hobart Little Theatre. They were now able to stage three major productions a year, as opposed to one act endeavors.”

6. The Little Theatre brought two communites together From an article, Off the Fourth Wall, by Stephen Wirmusky (Found in the Herald newspaper) These clippings of the articles speak of how the Little Theatre improved the college- community relations when Geneva is known to not be a “college-town.” Many Geneva residents came and saw the plays in large numbers.

7. Why is the colleges relationship with Geneva so important today? And how are the colleges still working on that relationship?. This shows that the two communities are working together today and that our new theatre building won’t take attention away from the local Smith Theatre. Picture from Performing Arts Center’s website via the HWS website

8. Construction of New Performance center

9. Works Cited Stewart, E.E. photograph of The Wind and The Rain. Nov, 1935. Box 1, Folder 2. SC 22. Elizabeth Wilcox Thomson Papers. Hobart and William Smith Archives and Special Collections. Hobart and William Smith. Geneva, NY. 29 Oct. 2014. Stewart, E.E. Photograph of Accent on Youth. Oct. 1935. Box 1, Folder 2. SC 22. Elizabeth Wilcox Thomson Papers. Hobart and William Smith Archives and Special Collections. Hobart and William Smith. Geneva, NY. 29 Oct. 2014. Board of Editors. 1934 Yearbook. Echo of the Seneca. Medbury Mummers photograph. The Junior Class of Hobart College. 1858. Print. 30, Oct. 2014. Griffith, E.E. History of the Little Theatre. Pg. 106. 2, Apr. 1934. Box 2, Folder 7. Index for E.E. Griffith and the Little Theatre. Hobart and William Smith Archives and Special Collections. Hobart and William Smith. Geneva, NY. 28, Oct. 2014. Griffith, E.E. Theatre Efforts Highlight Year’s End. Pg. 107. 1934. Box 2, Folder 7. Index for E.E. Griffith and the Little Theatre. Hobart and William Smith Archives and Special Collections. Hobart and William Smith. Geneva, NY. 28, Oct. 2014. Griffith, E.E. The Little Theatre. The Herald Newspaper. 1934. Box 2, Folder 8. Index for E.E. Griffith and the Little Theatre. Hobart and William Smith Archives and Special Collections. Hobart and William Smith. Geneva, NY. 28, Oct. 2014. Griffith, E.E. The Little Theatre. 1934. Box 2, Folder 8. Index for E.E. Griffith and the Little Theatre. Hobart and William Smith Archives and Special Collections. Hobart and William Smith. Geneva, NY. 28, Oct. 2014. Griffith, E.E. The Little Theatre. Pg.108. 1934. Box 2, Folder 8. Index for E.E. Griffith and the Little Theatre. Hobart and William Smith Archives and Special Collections. Hobart and William Smith. Geneva, NY. 28, Oct. 2014. Wirmusky, Stephen. The Little Theatre. Box 2, Folder 9. Index for E.E. Griffith and the Little Theatre. Hobart and William Smith Archives and Special Collections. Hobart and William Smith. Geneva, NY. 28, Oct. 2014.

10. Works Cited continued… Button, Christoper. "About the Performing Arts Center." Hobart and William Smith, 7 July 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <http://www.hwsperformingarts.org/about. Print. Button, Christopher. "Construction Photos." N.p., 28 Oct. 2014. Web. 14 Nov. 2014..