Theatre in the USA

Puritan prejudice prevented early flourishing of an American theatre.

First Colonial theatre opened at Williamsburg, Va., 1716.

Philadelphia, New York City and Charleston became theatrical centres mid-18th century.

George Washington lent prestige to legitimate theatre, 1790s.

Touring companies travelled throughout nation, 19th century.

Theatre reached popular peak in the 1890s.

High-quality native drama emerged, 20th century.

Decline of Broadway lamented, 1970s.

Recent years have seen rise of subscription, public and regional theatre owing partly to Federal financial grafts.

New York City first recorded theatrical performance was given in a large room in a commercial building in 1732. Philadelphia's waterfront was home to a theatre district from the mid-18th century, with plays performed in the too large spaces provided by sail lofts and warehouses. The first full British com­pany to come to America played in 1752, a new theatre that had been built at Williamsburg, and then moved on to New York and Philadelphia.

By the 1750s such well-known British thespians as the Shakespearean actor Thomas Kean had toured the Colonies' largest cities. In 1767 the first full-length play of literary distinction by an American playwright Thomas God­frey's, the Prince of Parthia, was produced in Philadelphia's handsome Southwark Theatre. That same year New York City saw the first performance in its new John Street Theatre, where President George Washington was later among those regularly in attendance.

By the mid-19th century most of the nations major Western cities had their own theatres, including New Orleans, St. Lovis, Chicago and San Fran­cisco. Thereafter the West was the scene of continuous theatrical activity as touring companies from Britain and the East regularly visited mining camps, cattle towns and virtually every population centres with more than a few hundred inhabitants. The Stagecoach and the growing network of railroads made it relatively easy for these travelling companies to reach audiences, with a fare varying from Shakespeare to low comedy.

Many of Great 19th century stars who held American audiences spell­bound were British or European imports — among the best known being William Macready. Sir Henry Irving, Ellen Terry and Sarah Bernhardt. But the 19th century also gave rise to a host of brilliant native-born actors, among them Charlotte Cushman, Laura Keene, Edwin Booth and Minnie Maddern Fiske. Later in the century, when vaudeville became popular, such glamor­ous singing stars as Lillian Russell attained international celebrity. For those unable to afford the more expensive playhouses there were "I0-20-30-cent" theatres, where the audience could enjoy hair-raising melodramas such as East Lynne and Uncle Tom's Cabin.

With the establishment of the Theatre Guild in New York in 1919, per­formance and production standards on Broadway were raised to a new level. It was during the first half of the 20th century, when an American dramatic literature of consistent high quality developed, that Novel Prize-winning dramatist Eugene O'Neill established himself as the nation's foremost seri­ous playwright. With the end of World War II the Broadway stage entered a new and more introspective period as audiences familiar with the revolutionary psychoanalytical theory flocked to see intensely personal examination of the human condition by such dramatists as Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller and, in the 1960s, Edward Albee.

At the same time, however, less costly "off-Broadway" productions flour­ished. Most significant, a trend appeared toward subscription and public the­atre at such institutions as New York City's throughout the country. By the mid-1970s many such theatres were receiving financial support from the Federal and state governments or private foundations, or were finding

measure of financial security through associations with universities and the practice of selling season subscriptions to assure audiences. Increasingly the newer generation of American playwrights was finding an outlet for its work in such theatres rather than in the commercial houses of Broadway.

(from "Family Encyclopedia of American History ")

I. Comprehension Check

53. For each sentence, place the letter of the best answer in the space provided:

1. In 1732 New York City recorded theatrical perform­ance ___.

a) in Southwark Theatre

b) in John Street Theatre

c) in a large room of a commercial building

2. The first full British company to come to America played in___.

a) the New York Theatre built at Williamsburg

b) the Bowery Theatre in New York

c) The Alley Theatre in Houston

3. In 1767 New York City saw the first performance in________.

a) the Lorraine Hausberry Theatre

b) New John Street Theatre

c) Provincetown Playhouse in New York

4. Travelling companies had an opportunity to reach American audience owing to___.

a) the fact that the USA native drama had been slow in development

b) the lack of talented native-born actors

c) the growing network of railroads

5. In the 19th century a lot of brilliant American actors and singers___.

a) attained international celebrity

b) captured the attention of audiences touring abroad

c) made their appearance on the British stage

6. The decade of 1980s saw the return to Broadway The­atre of the established playwrights and introduction of new writing talents such as___.

a) William Shakespeare and George Gordon Noel Byron

b) Mark Twain, Charles Dickens and Henry Mill­er

c) Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neil

7. Nobody would deny that Broadway Theatre___.

a) became a touring company

b) remains a powerful magnet for American fin­est performance

c) is the worst theatre one has ever visited.

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