THEATRE IN THE 1950S By Carmen Berkeley,Miranda Fayne, Catherine Kenny, and

Phoebe Vandusen 

Sit Back, Relax, and Enjoy the Show!In the 1950s, New York was a buzz with new theatrical talent and possibility. Many aspects and forms of theatre were coming to light; Children's Theatre, as well as College/University Theatre gave young people a chance to try it out and experience the thrill that is expressing yourself through acting.

Even Through Hard Times...

World War II and the Great Depression both ended in the 1940s, during which time there was a drop in the number of Broadway shows being produced, and the spirit of the Theatre was coming to an abrupt halt. Fortunately, a wealthy man named Lee Shubert bought a number of Broadway theatres, in order to save them from being demolished and to save Broadway from disappearing all together. The 1950s was all about the aftermath of this and recovering from the prejudices and poverty brought on in the past several decades.

Theatre's Impact on Society

Theatre played a significant role in the growth of society's acceptance of the low class and of the minorities. Off-Broadway productions, such as Leave it to Jane and Little Mary Sunshine became popular, along with Community Theatre, allowing for New Yorkers besides just the rich and well-connected to attend plays and musicals.

Continued...The Theatre was no longer just a place for the high class, and being an actor was not just the white man's job anymore;  more and more parts were being written for African-American characters, meaning more job opportunities for the black population and a better chance for integration.

Plays

There were many monumental theatrical works written and preformed in the 1950's such as Come Back Little Sheba , The Crucible, Summer and Smoke, The Bad Seed, and many more. These plays shaped American Theatre of today. A play, unlike an actor or director, is timeless. It can be interpreted in many different ways at any time -- That is the magic of the written word. 

Important Plays of the 1950S

Summer and Smoke 

Important Plays of the 1950s cont...

The Crucible 

Important Plays of the 1950s cont...

Come Back, Litte Sheba 

Play Wrights

Tennessee Williams

 

Arthur Miller

 

WilliamInge

Tony Award Winning Actors of the 50sSidney Blackmer (50.......Come Back, Little ShebaClaude Rains (51).........Darkness at NoonJose Ferrer (52).........The ShrikeTom Ewell (53)............The Seven Year ItchDavid Wayne (54)..........The Teahouse of the August MoonAlfred Lunt (55)..........Quadrille Paul Muni (56)............Inherit the WindFredric March (57)........Long Day’s Journey Into NightRalph Bellamy (58)........Sunrise at Campobello Jason Robards Jr. (59)....The Disenchanted  

Shirley Booth (50).........Come Back, Little ShebaUta Hagen (51).............The Country GirlJulie Harris (52)..........I am a Camera Shirley Booth (53).........Time of the Cuckoo Audrey Hepburn (54)........Ondine Nancy Kelly (55)...........The Bad SeedJulie Harris (56)..........The LarkMargaret Leighton (57).....Separate TablesHelen Hayes (58)...........Time RememberedGertrude Berg (59).........A Majority of One

Works ConsultedMiranda:

Dirks, Arthur L. "Postwar Change." American Theatre History.26 Feb. 2012 <http://webhost.bridgew.edu/adirks/ald/courses/hist/hist_Amer.htm> 

Kenrik, John. "Best of Times, Worst of Times." Theatre in New York: A Brief History. 26 Feb. 2012.<http://www.musicals101.com/bwaythhist4.htm>

Rusie, Robert. "A Bright Golden Haze." Talkin' Broadway. 28 Feb. 2012. <http://www.talkinbroadway.com/bway101/6.html>

Works Consulted Cont.Phoebe:  Note: Used some of Carmen's sources because working on the playwright's works 

DTASC Handbook September 2008  http://www.cetoweb.org/DTASC_Handbook_9_06/H_Appendices/H1_Lists_of_Plays_9_08.pdf

"Tennessee Williams Biography". Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/tennessee-williams-9532952>.

"William Ralph Inge Biography". Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/william-ralph-inge-9349297>.

"Come Back, Little Sheeba". Enotes.com. Web. Feb 28. 2012. <http://www.enotes.com/come-back>.

    

Works Consulted Cont.Carmen:

"Tennessee Williams Biography". Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/tennessee-williams-9532952>.

"Arthur Miller Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/arthur-miller-9408335?page=2>.

"William Ralph Inge Biography". Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/william-ralph-inge-9349297>.

"Picnic". Enotes.com. Enotes.com. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.enotes.com/picnic/author-biography>. 

Works Consulted Cont.Catherine:

Broadwayworld.com. 2012. Web. 27 Feb. 2012    <http://www2.broadwayworld.com/tonyawardsyear.cfm?year=1950>

"Alfred Lunt." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.     <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0526795/bio>."Quadrille (play)." Wikipedia.com. Wikipedia, 12 Feb. 2012. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.    <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrille_(play)>."Nancy Kelly." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.     <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0446715/bio>."Fredric March." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.     <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0545298/bio>."Long Day's Journey into Night." SparkNotes. SparkNotes. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.<http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/longdays/summary.html>.

Works Consulted Cont."Long Day's Journey into Night." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Feb. 2012. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.    <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Day's_Journey_into_Night>."Margaret Leighton Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.     <http://www.biography.com/people/margaret-leighton-9378333>."Separate Tables." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Feb. 2012. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.    <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separate_Tables>