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STUDY GUIDE Inside McGuire Proscenium Stage / Jan 28 – Mar 19, 2017 by GEORGE S. KAUFMAN and EDNA FERBER directed by RACHEL CHAVKIN STUDY GUIDE Inside THE AUTHORS When Edna met George...and wrote some plays • 3 Selected Chronology on the Life and Times of George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber • 4 Comments by and about the Authors • 9 THE PLAY Synopsis, Characters and Setting • 13 Comments about the Play • 14 The Barrymores: The (Real) Royal Family of Broadway • 16 Myself as I Think Other See Me by Ethel Barrymore • 16 CULTURAL CONTEXT The Lingo of the Stage • 21 People and Things of the Period • 24 THE GUTHRIE PRODUCTION Notes from the Creative Team • 26 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION For Further Understanding • 28 Play guides are made possible by Guthrie Theater Study Guide Copyright 2016 DRAMATURG Carla Steen GRAPHIC DESIGNER Akemi Waldusky RESEARCH Stephanie Engel, Carla Steen All rights reserved. With the exception of classroom use by teachers and Guthrie Theater, 818 South 2nd Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415 individual personal use, no part of this Play Guide may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including ADMINISTRATION 612.225.6000 photocopying or recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Some materials BOX OFFICE 612.377.2224 or 1.877.44.STAGE TOLL-FREE published herein are written especially for our Guide. Others are reprinted guthrietheater.org • Joseph Haj, artistic director by permission of their publishers. Jo Holcomb: 612.225.6117 | Carla Steen: 612.225.6118 The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is an American center for theater performance, The Guthrie Theater receives support from the National Endowment production, education and professional training. By presenting both classical literature and for the Arts. This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State new work from diverse cultures, the Guthrie illuminates the common humanity connecting Legislature. The Minnesota State Arts Board received additional funds to support this activity from the National Endowment for the Arts. Minnesota to the peoples of the world. 2 \ GUTHRIE THEATER THE AUTHORS When Edna met George … and by Carla Steen wrote some plays Production Dramaturg In 1924, Edna Ferber was among the most successful writers in James Goldman America. She had published three novels, several collections of short stories, and had co-written a play featuring her popular character Emma McChesney, in which Ethel Barrymore starred. Her most recent novel, So Big, had just received the Pulitzer Prize. While she had only a passing acquaintance with playwright/critic George S. Kaufman, when he suggested they turn her short story “Old Man Minick” into a play, one of the great collaborations in American theater was launched. Both were disciplined writers, and famous Barrymore-Drew family, Eight and Stage Door. The Royal they moved quickly, completing but even Ferber admitted “we Family wasn’t done with Ferber, the adaptation within three weeks succeeded in convincing no one, however. In 1940, she realized her of starting. Winthrop Ames agreed including possibly ourselves.” childhood dream of being an actor, to produce, and the play, now The work wasn’t quite so swift when she performed the role of called Minick, opened to moderate this time, taking eight months to Fanny Cavendish in a week-long success in September 1924. write, which Ferber thought an run in Maplewood, N.J. Alas, she While the play itself may not be embarrassingly long time for “just discovered she did not enjoy acting remarkable or even remembered, it a comedy,” but they didn’t need as much as she thought she would, did lead to the musical Show Boat to do any rewrites, so polished finding herself bored with the (a passing comment by producer was the rehearsal draft. After repetition the craft required. Ames about the floating theaters some difficulty with casting – they caught Ferber’s attention) and to offered the lead role to Ethel Kaufman wrote more than 40 The Royal Family. Barrymore, who emphatically plays in total, and his best-known turned it down and held a grudge, collaborations may be those with Before work on the latter while other actresses didn’t want Moss Hart in the 1930s. Like Ferber, commenced, Ferber learned all to either cross or promote Miss Kaufman received the Pulitzer she could about river theatricals Barrymore by appearing in the Prize, twice in fact, for Of Thee I and two years later published play – The Royal Family opened on Sing and You Can’t Take It With her novel, Show Boat, which December 28, 1927. It was a busy You. He died in 1961 at age 71. composer Jerome Kern wanted to month for Ferber, as the musical turn into a musical play. Kaufman, Show Boat opened the day before. Ferber’s body of writing captured meanwhile, had a dalliance with the surprising variety of American the Marx Brothers and Irving Berlin The Royal Family played for 10 life – from the land rush in that resulted in the stage musical months, became a film and was Oklahoma to the gold rush in The Cocoanuts. staged in London in 1935 as Alaska – and explored challenging Theatre Royal (the British have topics and themes including single In 1926, Ferber and Kaufman their own royal family, after all), motherhood, miscegenation laws started on their second project, directed by Noël Coward. Over and struggling farms as well as about a theatrical family. They the next 20 years, Ferber and examining American values and claimed from the beginning that Kaufman collaborated on four the American Dream. Ferber died the play was not based on the more plays, including Dinner at at age 82 in 1968. GUTHRIE THEATER \ 3 THE AUTHORS Selected Chronology on the Life and Times of George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber YEAR GEORGE S. KAUFMAN EDNA FERBER WORLD EVENTS Ethel Barrymore (d. 1959) is born into a family of actors. In addition 1879 to her parents and grandparents her brothers Lionel and John were also actors. Edna Jessica Ferber is born Grover Cleveland inaugurated 1885 August 15 in Kalamazoo, Mich. as 22nd President of the United States. George Simon Kaufman is born Mark Twain publishes A 1889 November 16 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. The Ferber family moves to Julius “Groucho” Marx is born 1890 Ottumwa, Iowa, where Ferber October 2. endures anti-Semitism. The Ferber family moves to Queen Victoria celebrates her 1897 Appleton, Wis., where Ferber Diamond Jubilee. completes her formal schooling. For 18 months, Ferber works The United States gains control as a reporter for the Appleton of the project that will eventually Crescent at age 17. She later takes become the Panama Canal. 1902 a job with the Milwaukee Journal until 1905, when she returns to Appleton. She begins to write her first novel and short stories. Kaufman graduates from Robert Baden-Powell founds what Pittsburgh Central High School. would become the Boy Scouting Enrolls at Western University of and Girl Guiding movements in 1907 Pennsylvania to study law, but Dorset, England. withdraws within the first year due to illness. Kaufman moves to Passaic, N.J., Ferber moves to Chicago with Halley’s Comet passes near the where he works as a salesman. her mother and sisters after her earth. 1910 He takes classes at the Alveine father’s death. School of Drama in New York City. Dawn O’Hara, the Girl Who Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s 1911 Laughed, Ferber’s first novel, is Ragtime Band” becomes an published. international sensation. Kaufman works as a columnist for Buttered Side Down, a collection New Mexico and Arizona gain 1912 the Washington Times. of stories, is published. statehood. Kaufman becomes a reporter for Roast Beef, Medium: The Business Ford Motor Company sets up the The New York Times. Adventures of Emma McChesney, first moving assembly line. 1913 a collection of stories, is published. Writes a play The Lunatic with his Personality Plus: Some World War I begins in Europe. friend Herbert Seligman. It is not Experiences of Emma McChesney 1914 produced. and Her Son, a collection of stories, is published. 4 \ GUTHRIE THEATER THE AUTHORS YEAR GEORGE S. KAUFMAN EDNA FERBER WORLD EVENTS Emma McChesney & Co., a Albert Einstein first postulates his collection of stories, is published. general theory of relativity. In collaboration with George V. Booker T. Washington dies. Hobart, Ferber writes Our Mrs. D.W. Griffith’s filmBirth of a Nation 1915 McChesney for the stage, adapted is released. from a series of her short stories. Ethel Barrymore plays the lead role in the Broadway production. 1917 Kaufman marries Beatrice Sarah Bernhardt begins her final Bakrow, and works as critic and tour of the United States. 1917 later as drama page editor for The New York Times (-1930). Kaufman’s play Someone in the After World War I, Ferber moves Willa Cather publishes My Antonia. House opens in New York City. to the east coast, splitting her World War I ends. time between New York City and Connecticut. 1918 Cheerful, by Request, a collection of stories, is published. Kaufman collaborates with Ferber publishes the novel The Charlie Chaplin writes, directs and 1921 Marc Connelly to write Dulcy, to Girls. stars in the feature film The Kid. popular success. Kaufman and Connelly write a Gigolo, a collection of stories, is John Barrymore plays the title role 1922 satire on Hollywood, Merton of the published. in Hamlet in both New York and Movies. London, to great acclaim. Kaufman and Connelly write a The Teapot Dome scandal receives 1923 musical, Helen of Troy, New York.
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