1. Introduction to the 1950s -- 2. American Theatre in the 1950s . Introduction; Notable Playwrights of the Decade; O'Neill, Miller and Williams; New Playwrights; Ethnic Drama and Plays of Otherness; Key Theatre Practitioners beyond the Playwrights; Important Stage Directors; Important Stage Designers; Political Drama; African-American Theater; Musical Theatre; Television Drama; Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, Regional, and College Theater; Community and Children's Theater -- 3. William Inge: Come Back Little Sheba (1950), Picnic (1953), Bus Stop (1955), The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1957); Background; Inge's Theater: Come Back Little Sheba (1950), Picnic (1953); Bus Stop (1955); The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1957) -- 4. Stephen Sondheim: West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959) with collaborators Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents -- 5. Alice Childress: Florence (1949), Gold Through the Trees (1952) and Trouble in Mind (1955) -- 6. Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee: Inherit the Wind (1955), Auntie Mame (1956), The Gang's All Here (1959) -- Documents. Popular writings from the 1950s: From: "The Spirit of the Age" in Company Manners by Leo Kronenberger (1955), From: "Introduction" to The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale (1952), From: The Bride's Cookbook by Poppy Cannon (1954), From: The Crack in the Picture Window by John Keats (1956), From: The Vanishing Adolescent by Edgar Z. Friedenberg (1959), From: 100 Things You Should Know About Communism and Education (1951); Extracts from House Committee on Un-American Activities hearings 1952-1956: From the statement and affidavit of Elia Kazan to HUAC 9 April 1952, From the statement of Edward G Robinson to HUAC 30 April 1952, From the intended statement of Paul Robeson to HUAC 12 June 1956, From the testimony of Arthur Miller to HUAC 21 June 1956; Theater in the 1950s: From "West Side Story" in: The Theater In Spite of Itself by Walter Kerr (1963); From "For a Negro Theatre" by Alice Childress (Masses and Mainstream February 1951); From "Monkeying with the Scopes Trial" by Henry Hewes (Saturday Review 1955); Excerpts from "Foreword" to Four Plays by William Inge, From Summer Brave by William Inge.
Summary:
"The Decades of Modern American Drama series provides a comprehensive survey and study of the theatre produced in each decade from the 1930s to 2009 in eight volumes. Each volume equips readers with a detailed understanding of the context from which work emerged: an introduction considers life in the decade with a focus on domestic life and conditions, social changes, culture, media, technology, industry and political events; while a chapter on the theatre of the decade offers a wide-ranging and thorough survey of theatres, companies, dramatists, new movements and developments in response to the economic and political conditions of the day. The work of the four most prominent playwrights from the decade receives in-depth analysis and re-evaluation by a team of experts, together with commentary on their subsequent work and legacy. A final section brings together original documents such as interviews with the playwrights and with directors, drafts of play scenes, and other previously unpublished material. The major writers and their works to receive in-depth coverage in this volume include: * William Inge: Picnic (1953), Bus Stop (1955) and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1957); * Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents and Jerome Robbins: West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959); * Alice Childress: Just a Little Simple (1950), Gold Through the Trees (1952) and Trouble in Mind (1955); * Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee: Inherit the Wind (1955), Auntie Mame (1956) and The Gang's All Here (1959)"-- Provided by publisher.
Series:
Decades of modern American drama : playwriting from the 1930s to 2009
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.