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The Workers Theater Movement or "Workers' Theatre" Begins
The Workers Theater Movement was a movement in which agitprop (agitation-propoganda) plays became popular. The movement started during the Great Depression as a way to be heard politically and form a connection with the working class. According to an issue of Red Stage, “The organizers, players, writers, and directors of workers' theatres are workers, the audiences are workers” (Workers Theatre Movement). This movement aimed to connect to the working class by speaking out on political issues. -
Eugene O’Neill’s “Beyond the Horizon” goes to Broadway
Eugene O’Neill was a famous dramatist who wrote many plays, including his first play, Beyond the Horizon. His early life was troubled and hard, but he turned all that around when he began writing plays. According to the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, “O’Neill experimented with new dramatic techniques and dared tackle such controversial issues as interracial marriage, the equality of the sexes” (Eugene Gladstone O’Neill). O’Neill changed the course of theatre and was very influential in his time. -
The Dramatists’ Guild Theatre Union is Formed
The Dramatists’ Guild was formed as one of many unions as a way of protecting playwrights from producers who subjected them to very poor conditions. Among the founders was famous playwright Eugene O'Neill. This guild is still active today. According to their website, “They believed that every author should maintain the legal rights to their own work” (Dramatists Guild). This union was created during a time of need for dramatists and has persisted over time to help them still today. -
Rachel Crothers Wins Pulitzer Prize
Rachel Crothers wrote many plays, including the famous Miss Lulu Bett. Crothers became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for this play. She was not only an author, she was also skilled in training actors and designing the sets of shows. According to History Matters, "Her efforts helped transform the fledgling American theatre into a mature art form" (Rachel Crothers). Crothers left behind a legacy that was solidified by her Pulitzer Prize and her production of nearly 30 plays. -
The Group Theatre Begins
The Group Theatre was one of the most influential theaters in the United States for 10 years. The theatre was modeled after Stanislavsky’s acting methods. The textbook states, “...the Group Theatre presented many of the most critically acclaimed productions on Broadway” (Brockett 182). Most of these plays were about the economic and social issues of the Great Depression. The theatre focused on the cast as a whole, not individuals. This technique was eventually called method acting. -
Anything Goes Premiers on Broadway
Lyricist Cole Porter wrote the musical Anything Goes at the beginning of the Great Depression. Its upbeat songs and love story made it popular with audiences, becoming Porter’s most popular project. The musical was heavily edited and revised even before its premiere on Broadway. The textbook states, “There are four different versions of the libretto…” (Brockett 276). Despite this, the story remains the same. It follows Billy Crocker and Hope Harcourt as they navigate love aboard an ocean liner. -
The Theatre of Cruelty Theory is Formed
The Theatre of Cruelty is a theatrical concept created by Antonin Artaund. Artaund challenged the traditional theatre methods by overstimulating the audience’s senses in order to force them to consciously pay attention. This is why he called the form “theatre of cruelty”. As written on Backstage, “Confronting the grotesque could liberate a person from the clutches of the strict influence of the civilized” (Lim). Artaund believed that asking the audience to think critically would fail. -
Composer George Gershwin and Lyricist Ira Gershwin premier Porgy and Bess on Broadway
George and Ira Gershwin wrote the score and lyrics for Porgy and Bess based on the novel Porgy by DuBose Heyward. The brothers spent a summer in the culture of an African American community before writing it. According to WRTI, “Although the story about an African-American community was created by white collaborators, Gershwin insisted that all performances be by black casts” (Lewis). Despite this, it was criticized as an inappropriate representation. Still, the love story remained popular. -
The Federal Theatre Project Begins
The Federal Theatre Project was created to support theaters financially during the Great Depression. According to the textbook, "Its primary task was to provide 'free, adult, uncensored theatre'" (Brockett 181). The Federal Theatre Project, in addition to financially supporting theaters, created the "Living Newspaper", which was a theatre form that attempted to make theatre like a live newspaper. The project ended in 1939 when the government called the theatre a form of propaganda. -
Thornton Wilder Writes "Our Town"
Thornton Wilder’s Our Town uses an untraditional format that was not common at the time. Jed Harris helped Wilder to put the play onto a stage. The two men fought much during the process, but produced a play that changed how people viewed theatre. The Pulitzer Prizes states, ““Over the next twenty months,” writes Penelope Fitzgerald, “'Our Town’ was produced in at least 658 communities…"” (Kliment). Wilder’s play became a classic in American theatre due to its humanity and emotion.