Representing the largest expansion between editions, this updated volume of Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections is the standard location tool for full-length plays published in collections and anthologies in England and the United States throughout the 20th century and beyond. This new volume lists more than 3,500 new plays and 2,000 new authors, as well as birth and/or death information for hundreds of authors.
Covers plays produced in New York, awards, details of productions, prizes, people, and publications, as well as the editors' choices of the ten best plays
"Theater is the art by which human beings make or find human action worth watching." -- Paul Woodruff, The Necessity of Theater: The Art of Watching and Being Watched Before World War II, Hollywood dictated what films were released, debuting movies such as The Man I Married (1940), The Mortal Storm (1940), Escape (1940), and The Great Dictator (1940) that conveyed an unambiguously critical view of Nazi Germany and warned the public about the dangers of fascism and the threat of war. Meanwhile, the theater stages in New York broached and debated topics of fascism, interventionism, and the democratic state of the country with productions like Watch on the Rhine (1941), The Moon is Down (1942), Tomorrow the World (1943) , and A Bell for Adano (1944) . While the United States' government used media platforms such as posters, periodicals, and radio to convey a popular opinion on the war and Germany, theater was not as highly monitored, and writers, directors, actors, and even audiences were able to discuss and argue their viewpoints on topics that would have been considered taboo on a film set. The theater became the perfect medium to express home-front tensions and anxieties. In Broadway Goes to War: American Theater during World War II, authors Robert L. McLaughlin and Sally E. Parry explore numerous theater productions during the era of the Second World War, analyzing how the American stage grappled with significant issues ranging from neutrality and isolationism, to racism and genocide, to heroism and battle fatigue. Theater engaged in public discussion about war's impact on daily life, and McLaughlin and Parry suggest that these productions raised critical topics about the war well before other forms of popular media. Through the details of each production, the authors highlight challenges faced by ordinary people during the war alongside their attempts to overcome and create a better post-war community. American drama of the 1940s is frequently overlooked, especially in comparison with the plays of the surrounding decades. Taken together, the numerous plays performed during this eventful decade provide a picture of the rich and complex experience of living in the US during the war years. Furthermore, the theater provided an understanding of the complexities of popular culture and how it functioned alongside a world war. Filling a void in World War II scholarship, McLaughlin and Parry provide a unique perspective on theater activity during a time of division and social change. Broadway Goes to War will appeal to historians of wartime studies, film, and theater.
The debut of Oklahoma! in 1943 ushered in the modern era of Broadway musicals and was followed by a number of successes that have become beloved classics. Shows produced on Broadway during this decade include Annie Get Your Gun, Brigadoon, Carousel, Finian’s Rainbow, Pal Joey, On the Town, and South Pacific. Among the major performers of the decade were Alfred Drake, Gene Kelly, Mary Martin, and Ethel Merman, while other talents who contributed to shows include Irving Berlin, Gower Champion, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Agnes de Mille, Lorenz Hart, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Cole Porter, Jerome Robbins, Richard Rodgers, and Oscar Hammerstein II. In The Complete Book of 1940s Broadway Musicals, Dan Dietz examines every musical and revue that opened on Broadway during the 1940s. In addition to providing details on every hit and flop, this book includes revivals and one-man and one-woman shows. Each entry contains the following information: Opening and closing dates Plot summary Cast members Number of performances Names of all important personnel, including writers, composers, directors, choreographers, producers, and musical directors Musical numbers and the names of performers who introduced the songs Production data, including information about tryouts Source material Critical commentary Details about London and other foreign productions Besides separate entries for each production, the book offers numerous appendixes, such as a discography, film versions, published scripts, Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, and non-musical productions that utilized songs, dances, or background music. A treasure trove of information, The Complete Book of 1940s Broadway Musicals provides readers with a complete view of each show. This significant resource will be of use to scholars, historians, and casual fans of one of the greatest decades in musical theatre history.
During the years 1880 to 1945, American theatre grew up, moving from entertainment-driven motives and melodramatic formulas to serious confrontations with issues of its time and to an experimentation with forms that would allow those confrontations to be frank and earnest. Many of the playwrights of this time wrote works of lasting significance, while others have impacted the work of contemporary dramatists. This reference is a guide to American theatre during this formative period. The volume includes alphabetically arranged entries for 40 American playwrights active between 1880 and 1945. Included are the most frequently canonized figures, as well as previously neglected women and minority playwrights whose work is a vital part of American theatre history. Each entry includes a biographical overview, a summary of the critical reception of major productions and significant revivals, a critical assessment of the playwright's career, and a listing of archival, primary, and secondary bibliographic material.