A History of the Early Hartman Theatre: 1911-1921
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This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 69-22,120 DORRELL, Robert Eugene, 1922- A HISTORY OF THE EARLY HARTMAN THEATRE: 1911-1921. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1969 Theater University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan ©Copyright by Robert Eugene Dorrell 1970 A HISTORY OF THE EARLY HARTMAN THEATRE 1911-1921 DISSERTATION Presented In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy In the Graduate School of The Ohio State University by Robert Eugene Dorrell, B.F.A., M.A. ****** The Ohio State University 1969 Approved by V Advisor Division of Theatre ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To the many persons whose cooperation and assis tance made the study possible. To my wife, Betty, for her patience over the years and her help in proofreading and typing. To the Ohio State University Theatre Collec tion for making available the Kartman programs and Eernhard scrapbooks. To Johnny Jones through whose assistance the Eoda Journals v/ere made available. And to Nr. Reginald Gardner for my interview with him. Especially to Dr. John Morrow and Dr. Roy Bowen for help in the composition of the study and to Dr. George Crepeau, and Dr. George Lewis who were valuable members of my reading committee, I extend my sincere thanks. VITA June 13» 1922 Born - Des Moines, Iowa. 19^9 B.F.A., Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. 1950 K.A., Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 1951-195** Army Entertainment Director, Fifth-Army Area, Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois. 195^-195? Chairman, Department of Speech and Drama V/estmar College, LeKars, Iowa, 1957-19^ Assistant Professor of Speech and Director of Theatre, Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. I96U-1965 Graduate Assistant, Department of Speech, The Ohio State University, Columbus,Ohio. 1965-1967 Assistant Professor of Speech and Director of Theatre, Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. 1967- Assistant Professor of Theatre, Newark Branch, The Ohio State University, Newark, Ohio. FIELDS OF STUDY Theatre Production Dr. Roy Bowen Dr. Walter S. Dewey Theatre History Dr. John Morrow Theatre Design Dr. George Crepeau TABLE OP CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................ ti VITA ........................................ ill FIELDS OP STUDY........................................... Ill CHAPTER ' I. THE INTRODUCTION................................ 1 A justification of the study, an analysis of materials and verification of sources. II. THE THEATRE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PERIOD. 9 A survey of theatrical entertainment in America from 1910 to 1920, its Influence upon acting and stage production. III. THE LOCAL THEATRES AND MANAGEMENT.................. h6 A survey of theatrical entertainment in Columbus from 1910 to 1920, its influence upon the Hartman Theatre and management. IV. HIGHLIGHTS 0? THE HARTMAN THEATRE SEASONS. 6? 1911-191 2........................................ 69 1912-191 3 ........................................ 85 1913-191 ^ .......................... '............. 95 191^-1915....................................... 100 1915-191 6....................................... 108 1916-191 7.................................... m 1917-191 8 ....................................... 123 1918-191 9 ....................................... 129 1919-192 0 ..................................... 13^ 1920-192 1 ....................................... I39 V. CONCLUSION...................... ... ............ APPENDIX A ............................................... 16U ANALYSIS INDEX TO APPENDIX A ............... 165 A GUIDE TO CATEGORIES OF APPENDIX A ....................... 166 APPENDIX B ............................................... 2^9 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................. 285 CHAPTER ONE THE INTRODUCTION A. The Purpose and Scope of the Paper The history of the American theatre has been written, In the main, from the standpoint of the theatrical centers: New York, and, to a lesser extent, Chicago and San Francisco. The provinces, it is assumed, passively conformed to the trends established in the centers, quickly or slowly, with greater or lesser understanding. Now it is true, of course, that the road show which originated in the theatrical centers, gradually came to dom inate the provincial theatre in the early years of the twen tieth century. Yet for this very reason the character of the local facilities and audiences became important, not only for the touring companies, but for the very nature of the original presentation, which was profitable only if it could be success fully taken on the road.'*' For where would the touring company go? To theatres, if theatres exist, but if not then to barns, and convention centers, and auditoriums, and church halls Austin, "The American Stage A Generation Ago," The Theatre Magazine, Aug., 1911 > p.70. which, both In their physical aspects and In the tastes and policies of those who controlled them, influences the material which could be presented. And if theatres existed they existed only because they were economically profitable, and hence already had an audience with specific tastes and expectations. It seems worthwhile, then, to examine in detail the history of one such provincial theatre, the Hartman of Columbus, Ohio, during the early years of the twentieth century. By so doing we may gain an understanding of the mutual dependence of the local and national stage productions, and some insight into the nature of particular community conditions which caused provincial theatres to conform, or 2 diverge from, the national type. Except for a brief des- crlption in Theatre Arts a few years ago, the history of the Hartman has never been written.^ Yet the location and managerial policies of the Hartman make it particularly suitable for such a study. The precondition of the road show was an extensive and relatively inexpensive rail network, and 2 Thomas H. Dickinson, The Case of American Drama. (Boston': Houghton Co., 1919), p.109. ■'Ward Morehouse, "Famous American Theatres," Theatre Arts. Feb., 1958, pp.^2-65. h Charles Rogers, The Hartman Theatre. 1937-6^, (Columbus: OSU unpublished Doctorate Dissertation). cities that were situated at the mid-point of such a network had an economic advantage over those at the end points. Tn addition, the owners of the Hartman were themselves interested in theatre, and it was never to become, In this period, simply a showcase for the traveling show, but retained a strong local connection with the community, one which the management apparently attempted to foster at least in the earlier years of its operation. This study will proceed from the generic to the spec ific. Chapter Two will cover the general characteristics of the legitimate theatre of the period, particularly those of the road show and the practices and policies which followed from them. Chapter Three deals with the history of the Hart man1; its management, its relationship with other Columbus theatres, and Its physical characteristics. In Chapter Pour consideration will be given the highlights of the Hartman's seasons in the ten years following Its opening in 1911. In the theatre, as In American culture generally, these were years of transition, and hence are particularly suitable for the purpose of our study. Chapter Five concludes the study with a summary of the principles and characteristics of the American theatre as reflected or ignored by the Hartman Theatre. It might be objected, of course, that the Hartman was simply a cornraerlcal showcase, and that the proper his tory of provincial theatre is the history of theatrical groups, not the halls in which they performed. Now this is, to some extent, true. To write a history of a theatre company is to write the history of theatrical traditions: its styles, its continuity, its influences. But to write the history of an exhibition space is to study, primarily, popular taste and management practice, and only secondarily, and only Insofar as they are reflected in these, theatrical tradition. But it is precisely this commercial and popular character which made the Hartman representative. This period, at least in the provinces, was characterized by a separation between the performing company and the theatre owner. Even in the case of the companies that had a perma nent home it was the producer or the production company which owned the theatre, not the actors or director. Indeed, the consequent commericalization forms an important theme of this study. B. The Source Material As in most theatre history, the accuracy and con sistency of the available sources leave much to be desired. Current press coverage is invaluable in discovering the character of the presentations and the reaction of at least one member of the audience, but it is often hasty, inaccu rate, influenced by the patronage of advertisers and dis torted by local pride. In this period the distinction between the news story and the editorial was very loosely observed. The opinions so expressed ranged from the ludicrous to the Judicious. But if the press suffers from being too close to the event, biographies and memoirs tend to be too far re moved, distorted by nostalgia and enmities endemic to actors, though the picture of the background that emerges from a study of several of these sources is generally con sistent. And histories, both contemporary and secondary, vary of course with the character and intelligence of their authors. There remain the actual physical survivals: cos tumes and sketches, playbills and scripts, which are most useful