History Little Theatre Movement

1 history

1.1 conventional theater in 19th-century america
1.2 little theatres of chicago
1.3 pasadena community playhouse
1.4 little theaters in 1920s , 1930s
1.5 contemporary effect of little theatre movement

history
conventional theater in 19th-century america

sensational melodramas had entertained theatre audiences since mid-19th century, drawing larger , larger audiences. these types of formulaic works produced on , on again in splendid halls in big cities , touring companies in smaller ones. during last decades of century, producers , playwrights began create narratives dealing social problems, albeit on sensational level. while not yet totally free of melodramatic elements, plays reflecting style more associated realism gradually emerged. during secret meeting in 1895, owners of of theatres across america organized theatrical syndicate control competition , prices. group, included major producers, stifled dramatic experimentation many years in search of greater profits. nevertheless, second decade of 20th century, pure melodrama, typed characters , exaggerated plots, had become province of motion pictures.

little theatres of chicago

chicago philanthropists , arts patrons arthur t. aldis , mary aldis established artists colony called compound in lake forest, illinois, , in 1910, mary founded there aldis playhouse, predecessor little theater movement. hull house settlement theatre group, founded jane addams , ellen gates starr, first perform several plays galsworthy, ibsen, , shaw in chicago. maurice browne, director , co-founder of chicago little theatre ellen van volkenburg, responding having been called founder of little theatre movement, instead credited hull house director laura dainty pelham being true founder of american little theatre movement . nevertheless, browne , van volkenburg s company had, first little theatre use term, provided movement name , inspired creation in 1914 of margaret anderson s influential chicago periodical little review.

alice gerstenberg, original member of chicago little theatre, expanded movement include children, founding chicago junior league theatre children in 1921. gerstenberg producer , president of playwrights theatre of chicago, 1922–1945. active in alice gerstenberg experimental theatre workshop in 1950s , alice gerstenberg theatre in 1960s, helped cultivate legacy of little theatre movement of 20th century.

in 1912, 2 theatre groups formed, toy theatre in boston , chicago little theatre, these events being cited official start of little theatre movement in united states. continuing react against commercialism, amateur companies began write , produce own works new plays europe had been ignored syndicates. wide variety of experimental groups, clubs, , settlement houses undertook reform theater, bringing more inwardly directed plays wider public audience. new forms of drama, influenced or parodying new science of psychoanalysis, began presented in smaller venues, many converted other uses makeshift theatres. new groups began experiment new forms of storytelling, acting styles, dialogue , mise-en-scene. experimentation, influenced european models, ranged ultra-detailed naturalism to, 1920s, wildly provocative expressionism, part of new stagecraft. women pervasive throughout these companies, although efforts belittled, dismissed, or undervalued.

pasadena community playhouse

the movement achieved high-water marks in artistic significance, community involvement, , international recognition pasadena community playhouse. community theatre, playhouse boasted @ peak capacity 6 stages, each featuring new production every 2 weeks, making it, of 20th century, world s prolific theatrical production organization. palatial venue was, @ time of construction in 1925, largest theatre complex west of chicago. organization able complete many projects beyond scope of professional companies, volunteer labor, widespread community support , directorship of martha allan. notable undertakings of pasadena playhouse include staging of entire canon of shakespeare first time on single stage , midsummer drama festival showcasing work of local writers. in 1928, playhouse produced massive theo-philosophical epic lazarus laughed eugene o neill. first realized production of play, cast included 250 local amateur actors, doubling in roles required on 3 hundred masks , costumes.

little theaters in 1920s , 1930s

the little theatre movement began in 20th century , result of young theatre practitioners, dramaturges, stage technicians, stage designers, , actors, influenced european theatre. more specifically, interested in ideas of max reinhardt, german director, designing techniques of adolphe appie , gordon craig, , staging methods @ théâtre-libre in paris, freie bühne in berlin, , moscow art theatre.

seeking larger audiences , more complicated production ambitions, 1920s, several leading companies of movement had turned professional. provincetown players, produced o neill s first one-acts, moved new york in 1916; members of former washington square players formed theatre guild in 1919; in heyday, dozens of little theatre groups presented alternatives mainstream commercial theatre. numerous small companies had flourished, creating environments diverse voices , viewpoints, in turn leading rise of giants o neill.

the provincetown players brought first important playwright, o neill, fruition. provincetown players founded in 1915, 3 people: neith boyce, george cram cook, , susan glaspell, undertook realism, eccentric form of theatre @ time. o neill joined provincetown players in 1916. summer, bound east cardiff, o neill s first play, performed. summer season prosperous company decided move new york. provincetown playhouse in new york city continues feature up-and-coming playwrights , independently-produced pieces.

other new little theaters started community theater groups , university drama programs in united states , canada. theatre arts monthly magazine dedicated july issue 1924 through 1930s , beyond tributary theatres , name little theater programs acted tributaries or wellsprings of broadway, london s west end , other centers of professional theater,. in 1932, burns mantle of chicago tribune listed following non-professional , semi-professional theater companies interested in staging new , untried plays: gilmour brown s pasadena playhouse, garrett leverton s northwestern university group, syracuse university, little theatre of st. louis, frederic mcconnell s playhouse in cleveland, western reserve university, duluth little theater, dartmouth college, university of iowa (under direction of prof. e. c. mabie), university of minnesota, little theater of birmingham, university of denver (under direction of walter sinclair), little theater of akron, ohio, little theater of el paso, university of nebraska, jasper deeter s hedgerow theater @ moylan rose valley, pennsylvania, parrish players of stony creek, connecticut, , little theater of dallas, texas.

the july 1939 issue of theatre arts monthly listed following companies in national little theatre directory :

contemporary effect of little theatre movement

little theatre can seen precursor off-broadway movement of 1950s other smaller, non-commercial ventures thereafter. today s community theater may seen outgrowth of little theatre movement.