The Lincoln Center Repertory Theatre, 1958-1965
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This dissertation has been microiilmed exactly as received 67-2524 ROBERTS, Kenneth Harris, 1930- THE LINCOLN CENTER REPERTORY THEATRE, 1958-1965. The Ohio State University, Ph.D„ 1966 Speech-Theater University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan THE nCNCOm CENTER REPERTORÏ THEATRE, 1958-1965 DISSEREATION Presented in Paarbial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Kenneth H a rris R o b erts, B .A ., M.A. ******* The Ohio State University 1966 Approved by A dviser Department of ^eech VITA. November l 6, 1930 Bom - Bedford., Virginia 1957 .. B.A., Denison University, Granville, Ohio 1957-1958 Instructor, Department of Speech Denison University, Granville, Ohio 1958 . M.A., The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1958-1961 Assistant Professor and Director of Theatre Kansas State College, Pittsburg, Kansas 1961-1963 Graduate A ssistant, Department of Speech The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1963-1964 Professional Actoi*, New York, New York 1964-1966 lecturer. Department of Speech and Theatre Hunter College, New York, New York PIEEBS OF STUDY Major Field: Theatre Studies in History of Theatre, Professor John McDowell Studies in Dramatic Literature, Professor Charles C. B itter Studies in Directing and Classical Criticism, Professor Boy H. Bowen Studies in Educational Theatre: Theoiy and Production, P ro fe sso r W alter 8 . Dewey Minor Fields: Badio-Television and Motion Picture Photography Studies in Badio and Television, Professor James E. lynch Studies in Motion Picture Photography, Professor Bobert W. Wagner ii CONTENTS VITA ................................................................................................................................ i i Chapter Page I . THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOÏMENT OF THE LINCOLN CENTER COMPLEX, 1 Five Developments That Made Lincoln Center Possible The Beginning The Constituents of Lincoln Center Acquiring the Laud and Relocation of Tenants Raising the Funds The Presidents of Lincoln Center Early Criticism of the Center I I . ORIGIN AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPERTORY THEATRE. 21 The Allen Gift An Advisory Council of Drama and a Theatre Consultant A New Constituent Is Added to Lincoln Center Financiz^ the Theatre's Beginning The Potential I I I . THE DIRECTORS............................................................................................ 42 Robert Whitehead E lia Khzan IV. PRE-SEASON...................................................................... 59 Developing a Theatre Plant G athering and T rain in g a Company Philosophies of Play Selection The Subscription Plan Deficit Budget Directors of the First Season V. THE FIRST SEASON.............................................................................. , 92 After the Fall Marco M illions But For Whom Charlie Reactions Toward the F irst Season The D eficit i i i Iv Chapter Page V I. TEE SECOHD SEASON........................................................................... 126 The Changeling Incident at Vichy T a rtu ffe Reactions Toward the Second Season S^scription and Budget V II. THE DISPUTE......................................................................................... 13k A History of the Dispute Criticisms of the Whitéhead-Kazan Leadership In Support of the Whitehead-Kazan Leadership Probable Causes of the Dispute The Effects of the Dispute VIII. THE FUTURE................. 186 Blau and Irving C onclusion BIBLEGGRAIEY . ............................................................................................. 193 CHflPTER I THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE LINCOLN CENTER COMPLEX On May I959> the President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, visited the City of New York for the express purpose of removing the first spadeihil of dirt from an eleven-acre construction site on Broadway between West Sixty-Second and West Sixty-Sixth Streets. This ground breaking ceremony, amid three blocks of con demned buildings awaiting demolition, was the beginning of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts "a unique development in America's cultural character . a centralized housing for the arts such as no other country shall be able to boast.This ceremony was not only the culmination, but also the beginning of years of dedicated and imaginative service by a group of men devoted to the betterment of America's cultural climate. Said Howard Tautman of the New York Times about the undertakings of these men: One cannot underestimate the daring and imagination that have gone into the conception of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Nor can one fail to applwd the tenacity and devotion that are transforming a bold dream into the reality of stone and electronic marvels.^ ^Jay Harrison, ”ls Artistic Policy Being Established,” New York Herald Tribune, Sept. 6, 1959. %oward Tautman, "A New Beginning,” New York Times* Nov. 26, 1961. Such an undertaking was considered "daring" because until this time the United States, a country young in the world of nations, was unendowed with an indigenous cultural heritage. It was the fervent hope and inspiration of these men that on this 376, j 62 square feet of land that heritage would have its beginnings. The leader of this group of men, John D. Rockefeller III, felts So much of America's prestige abroad is bsised on accomplishments in industry and sciences . • . but our cultural side is often less well understood than we mig^t wish. .—. It is certainly our hope and expecta tion that the center will have cm international cultural influence.3 In London Kenneth Tynan referred to the center as "an enduring h symbol of America's cultural maturity" and in New York Robert Whitehead, a Broadway producer slated to play an important part in this venture, stated: The emergence of a performing arts center at this time might be regarded as 'the evolution of a maturing nation.' . we have reached a point in our develop ment where we must find some expression that is our own, that has a stature, strength and style specifically our own.5 It was felt that the Lincoln Center would bring to New York and the United States "\diat the coming of the United Nations brought in the international field. An official of La Scala Opera in Milan, when visited by Rockefeller, made it quite clear what the center ^"Center Is Viewed as Arts Capital," New York Times, Dec. l4, 1 9 5 6. ^The Observer (London), March 1, 1959» Playbill, Feb. 29, I960. ^bid. would mean to New York and thus to the entire country: You don't realize »hat an exciting project you are talking about! Here at La Scala we think of there being two world capitals of music: Milan and New York. If you go through with your plans for Lincoln Center, there w ill be only one: New York.7 Physically, the center would mean "air conditioned halls with a combined capacity of more than 10,000, cqoerating every day of the year, presenting more, (sic) and more various perfoimances than is ft possible anywhere." These perfoimances would be in all areas of the perfozming arts, for the founders "early came to the conclusion that the center should include the dance and the drama as well as opera and symphony. Five Developments That Made Lincoln Center Possible In a statement filed early in the center's inception with the City Planning Commission of New York the committee on Lincoln Center said that they felt the center was "a unique product of our age. It could not have been built a hundred, fifty or even ten years ago. Only the coincidence of five develc^ents makes it possible today. The first of these developments was "America's growing audience of opera, music, drama and the dance." As examiples of this growth they cited the e i^ ty opera conqoanies, the nearly 1,000 synqphony 7 lb id . ®"Text of Statement by Lincoln Center for the Arts," New York Times, Sept. 12, 1957* 9n.Y. Times, loc. c it., Dec. l4, 1956. ^^N.Y. Times, loc. c it., Sept. 12, 1957» orchestras, and 5 ,0 0 0 conmtunity theatres with audiences that pay "about $5, 0 0 0 ,0 0 0 more ^ n admissions/ every year to attend . than to watch baseball." The second development was "the emergence Ik of brilliant American talent." Also they felt the new stature achieved by the American drama merited "the establishment of repertory theatre on a plane with opera and symphony." Thirdly, the committee recognized that today "the arts are important if not essential to the human mind and spirit" and that the performing arts "are becoming a community responsibility along with libraries, museums, hospitals and schools." The committee's fourth development involved the need of organizations such as the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philhaimonic for "facilities worthy of their leader ship." They further advised that "New York had never provided proper homes for ballet and r^ertory drama." The fifth, and in New York City the most acute development, was "the availability of an ideal site in the heart of Manhattan," the Lincoln Square Title I redevelop ment. These five issues dananded action in the establishment of a performing arts complex that would be "the most striking affirmation to date of our national belief in the value of the arts to the p e o p le. The Beginning A considerable history can be traced in the development of Lincoln Center preceding the ground breaking ceremony of May Ik, 1959. ^^Ibid. The. first indication of what would beccme the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts can be found in "The Ten-Year Flan for the Met" published in the Saturday Review of March 1952. There were two points in this plan which heralded the development of the center ccorplex; II. COT^pletion of fund-raising for the $1,200,000 needed to secure an option on the Columbus Circle site offered at favorable terms by the New York Port of Authority. III. Large-scale planning to raise the very considerable sum to build a modem and useable Music Center on the s i t e .^ ^ The "Ten-Year Plan" had been drawn up by an exploratory committee composed of members of the Metropolitan Opera Association.