In honor of our theatrical production this week I'd like to turn your attention to the topic of culture and arts. While eating lunch at a restaurant today, I was struck by the complete silliness of it all: a crowd of people paying for food and service…and something else – the pleasure of eating tasty food. If we were strictly governed by logic we would choose our meals based on nutritional value and cost effectiveness. Mealtime would be similar to recharging a cell phone – plug in, fill up, and go on. But that’s not what we do because, while our needs would be met, another need – the need for enjoyment – would go unfulfilled. So we are motivated much more than we are usually ready to admit by the joy of creative art. One could apply the same standard to the clothes we wear, houses we live in, and many other things we do.
Society is usually defined by culture. When you think of the ancient Egyptians you probably think of their art and architecture (flat people and pyramids). When we talk about the past decades (think 1980s day) we picture the clothes people wore and the music they made. It seems that we are defined by a completely superfluous segment of our lives. (When I first arrived in Britain the TV shows Melrose Place and 90210 were big hits; I was asked several times if those shows were realistic portrayals of life in the US. Because Forrest Gump was in theaters, everyone wanted me to tell them the words to “Sweet Home Alabama”). Look around you…isn’t that just a little unsettling?
For millennia the stage has been a prominent part of human culture. It’s another illogical way that we find enjoyment - and accomplish complex tasks through storytelling. In America the heart of the stage can be found on a New York City street that dates back to the days of New Amsterdam; that street is, of course, Broadway. Every year millions of tickets are sold to the numerous theaters as crowds from around the world travel to see the very best in show business. This week our homework assignment will focus on the history of Broadway since 1900.
Follow the link http://www.talkinbroadway.com/bway101/ and choose an e
ssay about a decade of your choice (1900-1950) and report on your findings. Also comment on your favorite stage production (if you have one). The parameters of this assignment are exactly as every other assignment that has preceded it. Hope you enjoy it!
I chose The American theater from 1920-1930. This was a beginning of a new decade and of course, a lot of changes in theater took place in the Civic Repertory Theater. Since World War 1 had just happened, it broadened peoples’ worldview and also colored the way they did theater. This time period was when they first started putting African Americans as stars in plays, and it was also when morals in acting were questioned. There was much debate and arguing over what was true “art” and what wasn’t-which apparently that case still hasn’t been resolved today. This time period was also when the Crash of 1929 occurred- which was why everything seemed to be disastrous for a while in this decade. Fortunately, LeGallienne was given funds and donations so that the show could go on. One thing that stuck out to me the most out of this decade was the famous musical, Showboat. I absolutely love the music in this production, and due to what I researched, Showboat was a turning point for musical theatre which broke the normal kinds of comedies previously done. It included the intensiveness of racism, dysfunctional marriage, and miscegenation. This production, apparently, threw the door wide open for musicals to come such as Sweeney Todd, Carousel, South Pacific, and Cabaret.
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy to think about how much theater really does contribute to culture, not just pure entertainment. You can also learn quite a bit of history through studying characters in plays from all kinds of different time periods and backgrounds. Though plays are fictional, the way they dressed, spoke, and acted were valid. I couldn’t pick a favorite stage production save my life, so I decided to just discuss that instead. By the way, I really liked this assignment.
i chose the 1940-1950 for one reason, WWII. i was interested to descover what role the theatre played in American culture during this period of American pride and economic change. during the thirties most people stricktly think of the great depression; however, the theatre played a major role in the great depression by allowing people to escape from reality and venture into a land far away and see characters who where exciting. so i wondered how this boom in theatre would transfer from the great depression to WWII. it seems based on the website that theatre still acted as an escape but the "canvis" by which the directors had been painting had been greatly altered. if you want to learn about specific plays you can go read about them but i mainly want to focus on how theatre effected our culture as a whole. theatre was evolving throughout this time period, many people visited the movies as apposed to live performances; nevertheless, the theatre played a large role in rallying american patriotism and projecting a view of American pride that had seemed to fade in the 30's. one major thing i found while reading that suprised me was the economic effect the theatre had, it was realitivly inexpensive to attend; which made it easy for many people to attend on a somewhat regular basis. over all i have found that the theatres presence in the 40's was felt by many americans and served as a very good tool to spread American patriotism.
ReplyDeleteOK, guys, change in the game plan. Although I increased the security on the blog for this assignment, another spam comment has been added. Do not access this link - it will likely do damage to your computer (I know you already know this, but some of you might be curoius). While this wasn't a problem early in the year, these unwanted messages have been happening more often recently.
ReplyDeleteObviously Google has some problems going on with blogspot because I haven't been able to access my tools to manage the account the last couple of times this has occurred. As a result, this will be your last homework assignment of the year. Thanks for doing such an amazing job throughout the year.
Yes, I know how to spell curious. Thanks anyway.
ReplyDeleteI chose the 1940-1950 era.
ReplyDeleteThe article was titled " A Bright Golden Haze" and rightfully so from what I read.
There are many reasons for this nickname. Mostly would be the social and artistic upturn from the Great Depression. As much as we hate to admit it (and to Mr. Akers feverent disagreement, lol) social occasions and events are a luxury. When people are not able to afford cars or housing, the fun aspects of society are going to basically go away. There is no better example of this than the Great Depression. The era of the arts that I chose to write about was basically the restart from a ground zero of Broadway.
In addition to the entire restart of acting, the 40-50s era was a time of greater social equality. For the first time, blacks were included in theatre. It might not sound significant, but to include a minority in our past time is HUGE for Americans.
That's about all I have to say about that.
And a note to Mr. Akers, I have LOVED doing these assignments. Having an infinite knowladge base at my fingertips while writing an essay has been incredible and has made myself sound somewhat intelectual. I am glad to have a decrease in my workload, but sad to see an excellent idea die because of an ignorant Asian with some sand up his shorts.
/Jake Anderson
Anna,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your essay. Obviously because there was only two to choose from, but I also liked what you said, lol. It seems from your essay that Broadway was making progress before the crash in '29. It went all the way through the depression with virtually no progress socially, then it picked back up in the era I chose. We really don't think about it, but our entertainment industry has a huge impact on what we think. When Broadway began to accept blacks, America as a culture began to accept them aswell. Unfortunately, Hollywood has used this negatively today.
Michael,
Your essay was my secound choice (lol), I think it's awesome that you included WWII in your essay. It totally slipped my mind. I know the Arts was used to change Americas view of what was happening overseas, but it was not always accurate and made it even harder on American GIs. That's all I really know.
I chose the decade of 1930-1940.
ReplyDeleteThe article was "The Great Depression". It talked about how all of the stock market crashes and basically the utter downfall of the economy caused Broadway to almost come to a complete stand still. People stopped going to the Broadway plays because they couldn't afford it. There were 1500 theaters in 1925, and then it drastically dropped to 300 theaters in 1930. This example shows how big of an effect the Great Depression really had on Broadway. The year 1930 was also a bad year for Broadway because its creators A.L. Erlanger, E.F. Albee, and Fredrick Proctor died that year, and there was no one to take their places in the theater.
One important movement that occurred during the Great Depression was the Group Theater. It was made up of a group of Guild talent which worked together to make a theater that had a closer relationship to art. The Group Theater produced many plays such as The House of Connelly and Men in White. They fell apart in 1940 because some faults and restructures corrupted their original concept.
The only way Broadway survived the Great Depression was because of its unique and creative productions along with the great actors kept the people coming to the theater. As we can see today it has still survived all these years and is still known world wide.
I chose the section 1930-1940 The Great Depression.
ReplyDeleteThe Great Depression had a huge effect on Broadway. The number of Broadway people affected by the stock market crash was uncountable. Everyone from producers, to ushers, who used during this time, would lose their jobs or be affected in some other way. The 1929-1930 season produced around 233 productions. The 1930-1931 season was reduced to about 187 productions. This fall in new shows would become the trend and in 1939 there were only 98 shows produced. In some theaters, prices were dropped to a 25-cent minimum, with a $1.00 top price. Actors and producers experimented with repertory productions, to keep as many working as often as possible, and to keep as many productions as possible active. Though Broadway was deeply wounded by the economic situation that swept the world in the Thirties, some productions did draw a large crowd such as; The Third Little Show, Design for Living, and Tonight at Eight-thirty. By 1939 Broadway was starting to gain back some of thier fans and by 1940 emerged stronger.
Jake Anderson, you had a really good essay. You included a lot of good info that helped you sense what Broadway was really like during the decade 1940-1950, and how the Great Depression caused Broadway to basically have to start all over again. The Great Depression caused Broadway to lose a lot of its talent. One good thing about this decade is the fact that everyone was slowly becoming socially equal because black were included in the theatre. I think that this decade was a good decade for Broadway because in a way it has brought Broadway to where it is now. Good essay, Jake.
ReplyDeletePope, I really liked your essay. You included a lot of good information just like Jake. You included the reason why many people attended the Broadway productions. It gave them somewhat of an escape from what was really going on in the world during and after the Great Depression. Good essay, Pope.
ReplyDeleteCharles Frohman was one of the early Jewish American theatrical producers. Charles was the youngest of three brothers. All the brothers entered show business. Daniel the oldest started out working as a clerk in the New York Tribune. He with his two brothers he helped to develop a system of road companies that would tour the nation while the show played in New York City.
ReplyDeleteGustave the middle brother saw his greatest success in the "blackface minstrelsey". He and his brothers were able to provide an avenue for African Americans to display their talents.
Charles was born in Sandusky, Ohio but the family moved to New York City. Charles and Daniel both worked for a newspaper. It was in New York that Charles fell in love with the theater.
Frohman was known for his ability to develop talent. He had a gift to see a talent and then provide an avenue to develop that talent by producing certain plays. The brothers established an organization that systematized booking networks throughout the United States and created a monopoly that controlled every aspects of contracts and bookings until the late 1910's.
Charles would travel back and forth from Europe to the United States introducing plays. As a producer one of his most famous success was Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up.
When pioneering an industry, it requires people that are dedicated with a love and passion for that particular area of work. Charles Frohman died in 1915 in the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. Several famous people were to travel with him on that ship but were unable to. Frohman was reported to declining a seat on a life boat, saying, "Why fear death? It is the greatest adventure in life."
source wikipedia.com
1930-1940
ReplyDeleteThe Great Depression
The stock market crash harmed Broadway enormously. The number of Broadway people affected was countless. Producers who had to cancel productions were affected, as well as ushers of theaters. Show business plummeted right at the turn of the decade. In 1930-31, there were 46 less new productions than the year before. That’s pretty bad. This yearly decline in theater productions would continue until the number dropped below 100 in ’39 for the first time in about 40 years.
In the early 30’s, several Broadway royalty died, creating the need for new talent to step up to the plate. I wish this information was in chronological order. When it mentions these random people, the dates jump back and forth (anyway, to list some of these famous drama people: Jessica Tandy, Eugene O’Neill, Maxwell Anderson (Blake Jake), Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, and last but definitely not least Ethel Merman).
Well, I never really knew that the Great Depression affected Broadway so much. The stock market crash brought show biz down in flames with it. It’s good that show biz eventually got back on its feet. I’m not big on watching stage productions, but I’ve always thought Phantom of the Opera is cool.
I chose "A Bright Golden Haze" the 1940 - 1950 era. This was only a few years after the Great Depression, but many countries, including many US citizens, were still feeling the effects of it. This also, of course, was during the midst of WWII. For many Broadway was an escape from reality; a place were they could get away from all the negativity of society and really enjoy themselves.
ReplyDeleteThere were actually some black performers who played roles other than the typical maid or servant. Some examples like Porgy and Bess and Mamba's Daughters and Welles' all Black "Macbeth". This was interesting considering this was still during a time in which blacks were still look down upon in society, so giving them important roles was probably a risky move in the theatrical business. Theatre also supported certain political figures as well as new inventions which was weird to me as I don't really imagine seeing a musical or play promoting anything or anyone.
Unlike the thirties, comedies and musical stages were much more popular. People began wanting to go see these different types of stages and wanted to escape the down side of life and just have a good laugh. Theatre was becoming a positive influence on American society.
Because these different plays were during the WWII era, many plays were made about it. Many portraying Germany's invasion of Poland and Russia's invasion of Finland. Of course there were many plays about the United States involvement as well. “This is the Army”, produced by Irving Berlin, was a very popular and successful play during 1943 and had 288 performances.
I chose 1930-1940 "the great depression"
ReplyDeleteThe great depression had a terrible impact on all theatre productions. many jobs (not just theatre)were lost including usher, actors and even producers lost their jobs. there was a massive drop in the number of shows that were produced in the 1930-1940 period,it went from prducing a few hundred showes per season to just over one hundred to not even breakind one hundred shows. the number of theaters droped dramatically aswell, from 1500 theatres in 1925 to 300 in 1930.some of the shows tickets dropped as low as 25 cents just so they could draw in some kind of a crowed. broadway also suffered a hit when in 1930 the creators of broadway A.L erlanger,Fredrick practor and E.F Albee died an there was no-one to replace them. although the 1930's was a rough time in broadway there were a few unique proformances that kept it alive and in 1940's it seemed that broadway had made its comeback.
I chose to write about the time period of 1910-1920.
ReplyDeleteTheater has always been about the ability to express yourself or become another on stage. In 1911, George Cohan was doing this. We see through his life, the love he had for the stage. 1910-1920 were the two extremes of his writing career. He made the fast-paced and strongly put together plays popular along with the light music throughout comedies. We see during this time period the development of Broadway. World War 1 had ended and America was moving on. They took the stage and more fully developed the acting styles and music that was presented. We see the discovery of individuals such as Eugene O’Neill and the popular Irvine Berlin during this decade. Because World War 1 had ended, we can see the incorporation of the happenings of this time. Going back to Cohan, he wrote a small, very basic piece of music that was not even written for the stage. It was called “Over There”, and though it was a small piece of music, it’s most likely one we can all recognize. It was catchy and represented what he felt about the war at that time. We see how Broadway developed during this decade.
I chose the section 1930-1940 The Great Depression. The great depression and stock market crash did greatly affect Broadway. Money was scarce, and extra money to go see a Broadway production was very rare. Many of the actors and producers themselves lost jobs and the theater cut back on the number of productions because of low demand. There were 233 productions in the 1928 season, and only 98 in 1939. In the early 30’s, star actors A. L. Erlanger and E. F. Albee died. This made need for some new actors and new talent, and several were found such as Jessica Tandy, Eugene O’Neill, and Maxwell Anderson. Centrally located at Broadway and 27th Street, the Broadway Plaza Hotel will surprise you with its incredible guest room prices, modern and spacious accommodations, complete roster of amenities, and their friendly, welcoming staff. Located in the heart of Chelsea near the fashionable Flatiron district, you are just minutes away from New York's most exciting attractions: Times Square, the Broadway Theater District, Soho, Greenwich Village, The Empire State Building, Macy's and Herald Square, and all the fabulous shopping of Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The Great Depression seemed to affect every area of society, even Broadway.
ReplyDelete1920-1930
ReplyDeleteThe American Theater
This was the start of a new era of american history, and a new era of american theater. Our country had just come through world war ll, and there were some huge changes in the way people did and thought about things. Some of the changes in the theater were black people getting major roles in plays, instead of just being secondary entertainment. I guess that people finally just reolized that black people could act. Also people began to question weither things where really "art" or not. It suprised me that it took so long for people to question something like that. The rest of the article I couldn't understand, but I do find it interesting how much the theater helped create the american culture. We do so many things based of movies and plays that we see. Kind of off subject, but our culture today is based VERY much on TV. I personally am SO glad that we don't have a TV. It scares how people can be so minipulated by things they see in TV. For example, relationships on TV are fast, fun, and if you don't like some one, you just dump them and find someone else. That really isn't the way things are suppost to be, and NOT the way God wanted them to be. Then kids try to copy the things they see on TV, and mess their lives up. Also, when you really think about it, it shouldn't be normal to spend 3 hours a day sitting in front of a glowing piece of plastic. That really dosn't seem healthy!
Sorry if I got too off track, akers.
Xålø
I chose the 1930-1940 era..
ReplyDeleteThe article was titled, The Great Depression.
It talked about about Broadway, and how the Great Depression affected everyone in Broadway from producers, to usher, all the way down to actors themselves. The Great Depression was obviously not part of Broadways glory days. Productions in the year 1938 dipped down to a staggering 98 performed shows, Which was a feat that had not been reached since the turn of the century. However even worse off were the vaudeville circuits, the article says in 1925 there were approximately 1500 theaters in the vaudeville circuits, and by 1930 only about 300 were left. That was pretty mind blowing to me that, that many of these theaters could disappear that quickly. It would been very difficult to be apart of this community in this time frame.
The arts-reading, writing, theatre, dance-have been ways for people to escape from reality all the way back to the beginning of time. When you are writing a story, or acting in a play, you forget just for a moment who you are and what is going on in your life.
ReplyDeleteIn 1930 the worst stock market crash, ever, hit America. Everyone was affected, from the poor to the filthy rich. Even Broadway. The actors, actresses, directors, playwrights, almost all lost their homes, jobs, food, and loved ones. The number of productions declined dramatically.
Even still we find a paradox of the Great Depression and the arts. While there were a number of men and women who lost everything, there were some who banded together to ensure that the spirit of Broadway, the arts, the theatre, etc. were not forgotten. Eugene ONeill, George Kaufman, and Marc Connelly organized themselves into the Playwrights Company; they wrote plays that related mostly to the economic affairs of America. It has been said that the Great Depression inspired and fueled people to write and compose and draw and act.
However, there is a slight downside to this spur of "the arts." Many Broadway actors and actresses, after seeing and living in the horrendous economic depression, joined the Communist party. It was incorporated into movies, stories, and plays. It was promoted as the party that would save the country by ensuring that no one was left out.
The depression was bad, it was awful. It hurt the nation terribly, in more than one way. Even the people on Broadway felt it. And while many bad things came out of it, we must remember there was good as well. The books, poems, plays, drawings, Hollywood, and Broadway were all "escapisms" for the people who didn't think life could get any better. They inspired people to hold on and look past the difficulties around them. They allowed tidbits of laughter and light-hearted fun.
I chose 1920-1930 this is when they wanted change I think. They let blacks have main roles in plays and things the start to many things. I think it was a great way to get black people involved in what everyone went to do back then which was watch plays. It was amazing to read that they decided to make a traveling show that everyone could afford .50-1.50$. I thought that was amazing that would be like going to the movies for 2 bucks or something. I think a cool play to see acted out would have been Alice in Wonderland. This was the time where the plays were either flops or everyone loved them. If they didn't make it they disappeared if they did they became massive. Sometimes getting to more than 500 showings. The theatres were just like going to the movies for people some people went once a month others went every week and some just didn't go at all. I would think this would be kind of like going to the movies with friends and hanging out you would go and see a play. I didn't live back then though so I don't really know but that is my opinion. YAY! No more history homework (lol)
ReplyDeleteThe year is 1940. America in general is in a little bit of low spirits. The depression is over for the most part. As a nation we need something: a laugh. Lots of them. That’s where theatrics comes in. Broadway became really active again after the 30s, and in 39 when the second world war was seeing its origins, Broadway didn’t slow down. It continued to develop. ~While hours of acting, singing, and dancing were taking place on Broadway stages, the other “dancing” was being carried out thousands of miles away on European battlefields. ~
ReplyDeleteArsenic and Old Lace opened in 1940. I’d heard of that one. Also Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit. The major plays of this era were quite fittingly about war. There Shall Be No Night (a Pulitzer winner), This Is the Army, etc. Then later in the decade came the famous Oklahoma!, Rodeo, and Showboat. Some of the most classic Broadway musicals and theatrical pieces came from this very era. In the midst of great hardship, American theatre thrived.
However, not all Broadway news from the 40s in positive. Your familiar with the McCarthy witch trials; Broadway was no exception. The musicals were accused of Communist propaganda and faced a lot of criticism. In the end, they pulled through.
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ReplyDeleteI chose to do 1910-1920, "Over There"
ReplyDeleteThis Era of American History is best described as when America grew up. WWI had made America go away from their beliefs of isolationism and had to become involved in the war. Three Authors: Ibsen, Chekov, and Shaw completely changed the way America looked at the musical theater and Broadway.
During the summer, these 3 Playwrites would meet in Cape Cod and write new plays. They would write during the day, and perform them with actors at night. They converted a small fishing shack in Provincetown to a theater, and their plays became very popular.
These were the years that saw the highs and lows of the theater. Sometimes people would like the plays, sometimes they would not. Comedy became very popular, and it would start a trend of comedies for years to come.
But this is only the beginning. As the writers moved to New York, they published more and more plays. They became more well-known, and Broadway was born!! This would continue for MANY years. It is what has made Broadway what it is today.
I chose the 1920-1930 era because I know little about this time anyways. Well anyway time to get started on the essay!! Woot!!
ReplyDeleteThe twenties were roarin' folks!! The theatre movement was created in an interest to create a national theatre for the american people and to advance the arts! Unfortunately the folks that put so much money into it wasted it! The first major theatre built had the worst acoustics of any place in all of New York! talk about a waste of money! The 20's reintroduced the Theater guild to putting up quality material and produced fantastic actors like Eleonora Duse and many others!
Many actors wanted to get the poorer people involved in theater as well so they had $.50 shows! After the crash of 1929 the wealthy stopped attending as many shows ,but the poor folks could still afford to attend and so the cheaper theaters stayed in business. Woot woot
I was going to do 1900-1910 but they started that article telling you that time was boring, so, that’s no good. Instead I’ve chosen 1920-1930. This is the time when a “morality police” were first being asked for in theatre. “Morality police” would be in place to determine literally the morals of art; things like where the line between what artsy nude is and what trashy nudity is, after all, this was the decade of flappers and burlesque. It’s apparent that this line has never been established. Artists like Duchamp and Warhol have pushed limits on a definition of what art is literally and morally, and currently debates over legitimacy of photomanipulators and digital artists arise as well as the morality of the common subject matter. One great feat of the 20’s was the establishment and growth of the Repertory Theatre. The theatre was founded by LeGallienne and she performed many plays and musicals at a cheap price. LeGallienne even found a fan base in the large immigrant demographic in New York. When the stock market crashed in 1929 many places went bankrupt and ended, but LeGallienne’s theatre stayed open through the help of clubs, groups and individuals doing their best to keep drama alive. This is also the first time black life was presented by black actors. Black performers had always been on Broadway, but never in such major roles and theaters as they did in the 1920’s. Now, when it comes to theatre I love classics like Phantom of the Opera and West Side Story, but right now I really want to see Wicked. Last year, from what I’ve heard, it did well. My favorite work of musical theatre, though, is Les Miserables(which is a classic as well) .
ReplyDeleteHenry Austin Dobson, an English poet, once said, “Time goes, you say? Ah no!
ReplyDeleteAlas, Time stays, we go.” It would seem that whichever way it is, something was happening during the 1930’s on Broadway. The Great Depression had begun and no one thought the same anymore, especially not about entertainment or other things that demanded financial compensation.
The number of Broadway productions dropped in the 1930-1931 season to 187, which is in contrast to the 233 of the previous season. More dramatic was the amount of shows lost on the Vaudeville circuit.
Interestingly enough, as time has past, researchers have looked back and found that Hollywood and the movie industry gained 75% of the talent that Broadway lost during this time period. Ouch! Adds insult to injury, huh? To add to all of that, several of the “creators of Broadway as it existed” passed away within a year of one another, some within in days.
However, this created opportunity for new, up and coming people to make their own name and own impression upon the industry of Broadway. New paths would be taken. Sadly, this would be a time of moral reconsideration, filled with cries of obscenity and politics took on the all too familiar battle between indecency and free speech.
A judge broke his gavel trying to calm the crowd in a case involving men dressed in drag during a Broadway production. As if it was not obvious, the site informed me that the “on-going war of the writers vs. the righteous” never reached a conclusion. Something was started during this time of loss and confusion that has spilled over into all society and onto the largest stage of all, human life.
Shakespeare famously wrote, “All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances.” The question is, do we play a part worth remembering?
First of all, thank you, Mr. Akers for making this our last homework assignment. But, very no thank you for giving us sites that require SO much reading. Most of those topics were several pages long, and made for very excruciating reads, especially since I know almost nothing about this topic. I'm not really a big fan of the theater, (although, I like that style of operatic vocals).
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I chose the 1910-1920 decade: Give My Regards To Broadway! I chose this decade, because, it was, i think, the only article that was not several pages long. Apparently, this decade was kind of dull, but a big step in the transformation of the theater. Many new theaters and companies were created and developed. There were also several famous plays and operas developed. Among the most famous were 1901's The Wizard of Oz and Little Johnny Jones by George M. Cohan. The article mentioned many specifics about many people who built theaters and wrote plays and many things. I had never really heard any of these names or anything before. According to the site: "This first decade with its silly dramas and entertaining musicals and spectacle can be summed up in one word, Entertainment."
I chose to do my assignment on The American Theater 1920-1930. During this time period there was a new nation emerging and along with that change Broadway had to reflect the new society. This was also an era that the "morality police" and the argument of what is "art and what does not qualify as art" really showed their heads in Broadway.
ReplyDeleteI also found out that in 1909 some of " America's money barons" got together to build The New Theater on Central Park West at 62nd Street. It had all the best: a revolving stage , 32 dressing rooms, 4 chorus rooms, and a lead-shot counterweight sytem to contol the flies. But it had the worst acoustics in all of New York City. The "money barons" decided to start over instead of fixing the problems with the New Theater. The found another site to build on behind Hotel Astor, but soon lost interest and the Shubert's bought the lot and built a theater there . But it didn't last long and the alley way that led to it became known as Shubert Alley. The New Theater hobled along for twenty years, only to be reopened as an apartment complex.
In 1925 a well known actress, Eva LeGallienne, wanted to present an old idea on the American stage, Reperatory Theater. In doing this she had special performances of her plays with tickets for $.50-$1.50. This idea was well supported by the public and worked very well.
I also found out that the craze of musical theater really caught on when Showboat. And I thought that was awesome that one musical could set the world on fire...
For my essay I chose “1930-1940 The Great Depression.” It was during this time that the number of Broadway plays being shown dropped less than 100. This is the only time that this has happened. But where did all these plays go? They literally went to the movies. Most actors realized that they were going to make a lot more money in Hollywood than in Broadway. So they packed up their bags and moved from New York to California, leaving many of the theaters empty. Sad, isn’t. It seemed that the stage was being given up for a superior technology, the cameras. Vaudeville had 1500 theaters in 1925. Only 300 were left. Most theaters were converted to movie theaters. In 1930, three of Broadway’s greatest creators died. But even in this depressing time Broadway still produced hits and despite the shrinking numbers remained existing. Broadway recovered from the Great Depression and has became its former Glory. The theaters have been rebuilt and renovated and not only are an excellent source of entertainment but is a source of American culture and inspires American culture. Its plays still have a great impact on American Society today. It even now inspires the world’s culture through the great power of the entertainment business.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay, I have had a crazy week.
ReplyDeleteCaleben, I read your essay. It was very good, and informative. I almost did my essay on the Great Depression era but didn’t, so it was good to learn about it through your essay. I didn’t realize that the theater had been so abandoned during the Great Depression, but I suppose that would make sense due to the little money going around. What I really didn’t know before was that the actors/actresses switched to Hollywood and movies instead of broadway. I’m so gld that broadwy didn’t completely die out then, because like you said it is a great source of entertainment and it influences our culture.
ReplyDeleteSam, your essay was very interesting. I enjoyed reading about the era “Over There” because I wondered what that was about when I saw that title. The fact that three authors completely changed the way America viewed musical theatre is huge, and proof that the writers are really a big part behind genious productions.
Caleb, you had a very good essay... I know that the Depression was horrible, but I have to say that I was shocked when I read that the number of theaters in the United States of America had dropped from fifteen-hundred to three-hundred in five years { that means that 1200 theaters failed}. I also thought that it was really sad that the founders of the stage on Broadway died and there was no one to continue their legacy that they had started, but in the end everything worked out and it flourished in the 1940s; and I was happy to hear about that...
ReplyDeleteEmily, you had a good essay... I also chose to write aboiut this decade. I trhough thast it was very interesting and I thought that it was sad that the theater had just became a major part in society right before the Depression and that it nearly failed during it, causing many of the famous people from the 20s to struggle in the 30's {because they weren't paid the ridiculous wages that they are today}. I listened to "OVER THERE" on iTunes and I thought that it was a very good peice and very Patriotic and I believe that America was very patriotic so it reflected the society of the 1920s.
ReplyDeleteBen, your essay is very interesting. It’s hilarious how much of a negative take you put on drama and everything that has to do with it. I don’t like it that much either, but that is mostly because I can’t really do it. I don’t mind watching musicals and stuff every now and then. I love your last sentence. “It is still a bad essay about a bad business.” To be honest, I actually kind of like drama, but this is just hysterical.
ReplyDeleteAnna, your essay was very good. It is fascinating to see how large an impact theater has in our culture today. As we look through these different time periods, we see the all around culture being portrayed and preserved, in the long run. Especially in the 20’s and 30’s when major historical events were taking place. Pieces of these events are throughout the productions which allow us to see how the people lived and thought. The productions that are being put on today either remake history or incorporate the way of our lives today.
ReplyDeleteJarred, your essay was great. We see throughout history that theater was there to escape. Many have already mentioned this, but it is a good point. People were living their lives and many things, bad things, were happening or had already happened. They went to the theater as an outlet to laugh and forget their many worries for those few hours.
Jarred,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved your essay, and I agree with it completely. I enjoy politics and debate, but as we've all seen it can make a nation angry and bitter. During these tough economic times, America, like you said Jarred, needs laughs. They need to take a breath, take a break, and just enjoy life for a moment. You are right in saying the theatre does that. Very good job!
David, I enjoyed reading your essay. You introduced me to something that I thought Broadway never did or would have: a morality agent. In the 1920’s there apparently was a morality police. They were supposed to create a line of morality, and if they did ever come up with one, it must have not lasted long because by the time the 60’s came around we had shows like Oh, Calcutta which was basically an entirely nude play. Our modern Broadway plays aren’t all moral degradation though. We have shows like The Lion King, Wicked, Jersey Boys which are good theatre, but we also have our fair share of Avenue Q’s. I think the idea that art’s morality line was something meant to be crossed didn’t begin in Broadway though. It began on canvases and photographs and gradually made its way to the stage. After all, even now, it’s much easier to find art than it is a scheduled play.
ReplyDeleteSam,
ReplyDeleteI think it is really neat how something so big as Broadway was born from something as small as a group of guys who liked to write. It is a lesson all of us can take to heart. It does not matter what is going on in your life or what your situation is, if you have a dream go for it. Three guys converted a fishing shack into a theatre and later became Broadway. That is pretty insane if you ask me. Great job Sam. Liked your essay a lot.
Charlie, you had a pretty good essay. I think it’s cool how they started to let blacks have main roles in plays at this time. Like you said, it’s nice how the plays were cheap to go see. Nowadays, if you want to see a big time production, it costs a lot more. Well, good job.
ReplyDeleteI liked what Sam said. “This Era of American History is best described as when America grew up.” There is a lot you can infer from this. Sam said America grew up in the since that it become more involved in the World. But what must happen for a country to become more involved. The country has to grow. It has to overcome its own problems and help others. As a nation it had to build an economy and permanently assert its government. The nation has to be built up before it can build other nations up. WWI proved that America was ready to become a world superpower.
ReplyDeleteI liked what Pope said. I also am very interested in WWII. As the setting of our lives change so did the setting on the stage change. What I mean is plays were written to reflect on the environment such as politics, wars, culture, media, and everyday life.
ReplyDeleteAkers I think another Spam comment has been posted. You probable should scan your computer and change your password.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to end the year huh? - With a late homework assignment. Sorry Bald Man that it’s late but hopefully you will like the essay.
ReplyDeleteTonight I chose the decade of 1920-1930. During this time, many changes occurred at the Civic Repertory Theater. This period of time was the first that African Americans stared in plays for white audiences- let alone African American audiences. And also a debate that started generations ago, crept into Broadway. This debate (or argument) was on “True art”, but who’s to say what true art really is? When I read the assignment I first thought of the clothes the people wore in this time and how they acted. I just really liked it and knew this was the period I needed to share about, and maybe even learn a little more about. These people, who worked on Broadway, were artists. Using the stage as a canvas and there stature as the acrylics. As a world would come alive inside of them, they would release that world on the stage for all of us to see. And for me, I see the era of the 1920’s as a turning point for American theatre. As the crash came hard and devastating in 1929 Broadway stood strong with support of people who would give donations to keep it up and running. Acting itself may be an art form, but to be an actor is art itself.
Jarred, I had heard of, and studied, many of the plays you mentioned but I had never known that they all came from such a difficult time period in U.S. History. As people, I believe we all turn to entertainment to escape. During a time of trouble it’s so easy to get into a book or movie or, in this case, drama. Though, Communism wasn’t forgotten. Specifically the play There Shall Be No Night is about a family going through the Winter War between Russia, under Stalin, and Finland. (I do think it’s funny that in our escape we watched other countries stories of fighting what we were fighting currently.) Overall good essay; you put in a good amount of actual productions, not just facts about the time.
ReplyDeleteAnna, I loved when you talked about how Showboat really opened the door for more serious, sometimes gruesome and sensitive issues to be shown on stage. I did the same time frame so I also read about the morality police in this time, and I think there may have been a struggle over what content could be in plays. People realized that entertainment affected culture, (even before television! [which wasn’t invented until the end of the 1920’s]) and they were going to fight for what could be on stage.
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ReplyDeleteMadyson,
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you. You actually WROTE something! Haha. Your report has substance and information. Very nice. It’s very true that through it all, there were a good number of concerned, cultured citizens who refused to let the glory of creativity and imagination called acting die out during the Great Depression. They knew that it was a vital part of what made their society so great that they did not want to lose it. The Arts are the heart of a people, exhibiting their hopes and fears for themselves and their nation. Amazing essay. Thanks!
David,
Very good essay with some actual information and thought! Seems like a lot of people kind of slacked off due to the knowledge that this was the last one we’re doing for the year. Anyway, it was very intriguing to read about the morality police. They were definitely an interesting little group, eh? Kind of an idea that could go either way, to scarily authoritarian or very useful. Also, good note on black performers. This was a time in American history when many things began to change, not just Broadway. Good essay!!!
ZiaBeth, I read your essay on the 1920 - 1930 decade. I thought it was interesting and informative. I know very little about Broadway, so I learned from your essay. It talked about the New Theater and Eva LeGallienne. And also about some of the issues of that decade, such as Broadway reflecting the new society, and the qualifications of something to be considered "art." I think it was a great essay.
ReplyDeleteChuck, I read your post about Broadway during the 20 - 30 decade. I thought it was good. I think it was great to let black people have lead roles in plays back then, probably helping with the move toward racial equality. And $.50 - $1.50 for a play! That is very cheap by today's money, though I do not know about back then. I liked your comment about plays either becoming huge or forgotten. If something was great back then, it is still remembered today as famous. But if one was only ok, it might have been known then, but faded away. Very good post, Charlie.
ReplyDeleteI chose the 1940-1950 era.
ReplyDeleteThe article was titled “A Bright Golden Haze" and rightfully so from what I read.
There are many reasons for this nickname. Mostly would be the social and artistic upturn from the Great Depression. As much as we hate to admit it social occasions and events are a luxury. When people are not able to afford cars or housing, the luxuries of life are not a necessity but not only do they bring happiness but are important, imagine life now without cars...that was what The Great Depression brought but “A Bright Golden Haze" the 1940-1950 era brought us out of that. The era of the arts that I chose to write about was basically the restart from a ground zero.
In addition to the entire restart of the economy, the 40-50s era was a time of greater social equality. In the acting industry many things had changed for the first time ever blacks were included in plays, which may not seem like a big deal now but then after everything that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did eventually leading to his death and the boldness of Rosa Parks led to allowing a minority into the theater business, which was huge during this era.
Pope
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your essay. I also am interested in World War II. As our life’s changed so did the media industry many of plays were differently written, now they were wrote to incorporate more of the things of everyday life including war and lifestyles that were predominate of that era.
Anna Katherine
Your essay was also very good. Similar to Popes your essay resembled that of Popes I also liked how you included that the war changed the view of Broadway for American people and also mentioning that African Americans were allowed in the plays which was also a big breakthrough for America. And I had no idea that Broadway failed during this era, I couldn't imagine what life would be like with no drama plays, what in the world would Mr. Akers do...probably still have all his hair.
(1940-1950)
ReplyDeleteI chose this era because, well quite frankly Mr Akers thinks I'm a racist. This decade is mainly going to focus on black involvement in theatre and broadway. The one act play was also created during this period by Eugene O'Neill.
You can tell, wheen looking at the forties version of theatre, that comedy and music played a big role in what there was available to watch. It was probably because of the stress of war that people requested more fun and comedy. I think that is how theatre should be, it should be a place of escape from the real world so that you can enjoy one that doesnt really exist.
Becuase of the war, a negative light was very obviously placed on Germans on any play. They were almost always shown and racist and crazy. And, because families were apart due to war, family was given a very positive light. Husbands were shown as positive leadership figures and if not, they were shown as repentate and funny.
The Great Depression 1930-1940.
ReplyDeleteThe Great Depression caused, like most everything else, the theatre productions to slow down. Most productions of those years went from over a hundred being performed to less than a hundred being offered per year. Many theatres went under rapidly. One company went from 1500 theatres in 1925 to only three hundred by 1930. Many on the creators of Broadway were passing as well as producers. But new younger talent was stepping in to take their place
It seemed like this time of the Great Depression would be a great loss to the artistic theatre but it turned out to be a period of a lot of grown and transformation. The Great depression helped to modernize theatre in a way. The economy continued to worsen but theatre kept lowering prices and kept on going.
Another important movement of theatre from this time was the Group Theatre. It bonded to create a closer relationship to art than what the guild represented. A new kind of acting took off at this time. It was decided that acting was dramatic, artificial, and unrealistic. So in response drama become more real life and less artificial and over the
top acting.
Though the Great Depression was a slow time for theatre, and many theatres went under, and the number of production dropped drastically it was a good experience for Broadway. Broadway was able to grow, experiment, and mature during this time and the quality of production became increasingly better.
Before the turn of the century theater in New York City was concentrated in the area between Twenty-fourth Street and Union Square. One of the theaters in this area was the Madison Square Theater on Twenty-fourth Street. It was built by the Mallorys. They employed David Belasco, an actor-manager from San Francisco, and Charles and Daniel Frohman, brothers from the lower Eastside, to help manage the theater.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest changes started when Mr. Rudolf Aronson, a producer, decided to build his own theater. Land and building space in the district where theaters were usually built was scarce so he had to go all the way to Broadway to find land. There, with the financial support from the Goulds, Roosevelts, Vanderbilts, and Morgans, is where Rudolf Aronson built his theater. The Casino, opened in 1882, was considered an incredible example of Moorish Architecture. Unfortunately the Casino failed after Aronson changed the style of the performances. The theaters continued to head up town as the years progressed. In the nineties theater was still trying to get a good foundation and actors often traveled around to find new crowds.
Another big change that happened in this time was the people started to demand realism in the theaters. Two play writes at the head of this change where Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw. These are some of the things that started to change the theater for the good.
Michael Pope I agree with you. It would be really interesting to find out what effect the war had on the theater. You would think that the war would cause a big decline in the theater but by reading your essay it seems like the popularity did not change only the style of the shows. theater can be a great tool to use to communicate a point to people. I think that this is what was happening during this period of history. The play writes saw that the country was going through a time when great patriotism was needed and fed off of that. play writes are some really smart people.
ReplyDeleteMorgan your essay was really good. I had never thought about how the Great Depression had effected the Theater. It really shows just how strong the american theaters are to be able to make it through a time like that. Once again it was a really Good essay.
ReplyDelete