A History of 'Theatre Arts' Magazine: 1916-1948. John Guy Handley Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1960 A History of 'Theatre Arts' Magazine: 1916-1948. John Guy Handley Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Handley, John Guy, "A History of 'Theatre Arts' Magazine: 1916-1948." (1960). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 622. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/622 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been microfilmed Mic 60-5912 exactly as received HANDLEY, John Guy. A HISTORY OF THEATRE ARTS MAGAZINE: 1916-1948. Louisiana State University, Ph.D., 1960 Speech - Theater University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan A HISTORY OF THEATRE ARTS MAGAZINE: 1916-1948 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and AgricuLturaL and MechanicaL College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Speech by John Guy Handley B. A. i Southwestern Louisiana Institute, 1949 M .A ., Louisiana State University, 1951 August, I960 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT................................................................................................................. v INTRODUCTION .................................. 1 C hapter I THE QUARTERLY YEARS OF THEATRE ARTS MAGAZINE: 1916-1923. ......................................................... 5 The founding by Sheldon C heney ........................................... 5 The editors during the quarterly years ............................... 7 Purpose and proposed policy of the m agazine ................ 13 Format and theme of the magazine ....................................... 17 Editorial analysis The standard columns .......................................................... 46 The regular articles .............................................................. 94 Summary and conclusions.......................................................... 122 K. THE MAJOR YEARS OF THEATRE ARTS MONTHLY (THEATRE ARTS): 1924-1945 . ............................................... 125 The editors during the major years. .................................... 125 The format of the magazine ................. 131 Editorial analysis The special issues .................................................................. 139 The standard columns .......................................................... 163 The regular articles .................................................................. 232 Summary and conclusions.......................................................... 271 m. THE FINAL YEARS OF THEATRE ARTS: 1945-1948 . 273 The editors during the final years .....................................273 The format of the magazine ......................................................... 276 Editorial analysis The special issues .................................................................. 281 The standard columns ...........................................286 The regular articles .................................................................. 297 Summary and conclusions...............................................................306 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS...................................................................... 308 BIBLIOGRAPHY. APPEND IX AUTOBIOGRAPHY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The writer wishes to express his sincere appreciation to Professor Claude L. Shaver of the Department of Speech, Louisiana State University, for his assistance and encouragement throughout this study. The author also wishes to express his appreciation for help and encouragement to the members of his finaL committee: Dr. Waldo W. Braden, Dr. Clinton Bradford, Mrs. Irene Huenefeld, Dr. W. J. Olive, and Dr. Nathaniel Caffee. The author further wishes to express his gratitude to Dr. Giles W. Gray and Dr. Francine M erritt for their guidance during his studies at Louisiana State University. iv ABSTRACT Throughout its existence, from 1916 to 1948, Theatre Arts magazine was recognized as one of the finest theatre journals in the English speaking world. The periodical flourished during a time of revolutionary change in the American theatre. During the first half of the twentieth century, Theatre Arts magazine encouraged and reflected new artistic forms of scene design, the emergence of distinguished American drama by American pLaywrights, with a resulting change in audience tastes, and a strong movement toward the development of educational and community theatre throughout the country from which evolved new patterns of theatre architecture. The purpose of this investigation is to analyze and to evaluate the first thirty-two volumes, 1916-1948, of Theatre Arts magazine in an effort to assess its significance; its impact on, and its contri bution to, the theatre of its time. The first chapter considers the first seven years of the magazine, 1916-1923, when it appeared as a quarterly. The study determines the purpose in conception, the function and policy as a theatre journal, the trends and developments in policy and practice, and the growth and significance of the magazine. Analysis and evaluation is made of the editorial policy, the standard coLumna, the special features, the regular articles and the format of the magazine. The second chapter considers the twenty-two monthly volumes, 1924-1945, which comprised the major years in the existence of the magazine, under the editorship of Edith J. R. Izaaca. Con centration ia on the magazine'a adherence to ita purpoae, the main tenance of eatabliahed atandarda, the trenda and developmenta in editoriaL practice and policy and the impact of the journal on the theatre of ita time. The procedure folLowa the same diviaiona aa in chapter one. The third chapter analyzes and evaluatea the final yeara of the magazine, 1945-1948, under the editorahip of Roaamond Gilder. Analyaia and evaluation ia focuaed on the adherence of the magazine to the previoualy eatabliahed pucpose and atandarda and ita policy, function and aignificance in the theatre of it8 day. Theatre Arta magazine firat functioned aa a journal represen- tative of the "new movement" in the theatre. A dynamic editorial policy advocated diatinguiahed writing on the American theme by the American playwright; scenery that was simplified, appropriate and decorative, but above all contributive to a synthesis of all the arts of the theatre; and professionalization of the little theatre and experi mental theatre throughout America aa true art and community theatre projects. With the emergence of the scene designer, the playwright and the director, all representative in some degree of the ideas expressed in the early volumes, Theatre Arts reached in the mid- nineteen-thirties its peak of development as a progressive magazine devoted to the idea of theatre as an art. EditoriaL poLicy evidenced Less rebellion against and more of a reflection of the theatre of its time. Discerning criticism continued, and editoriaL advocacy turned to new fieLds such as theatre architecture and the establishment of a National Theatre. During its final years Theatre Arts magazine vi reflected more than before a simple review approach to the theatre of the period. Flourishing as it did in the most revolutionary period in the history of the American theatre. Theatre Arts magazine for thirty-two years, 1916-1948, proclaimed the importance and dignity of the American theatre. Much of the leadership in the creation of this distinguished American theatre sprang from the persistent devotion of Theatre Arts magazine to theatre as an art. vii INTRODUCTION Throughout ita existence, from 1916 to 1948, Theatre Arts magazine was recognized as one of the finest theatre journaLs in the English speaking world. In their text, A History of the Theatre, George Freedley and John A. Reeves remarked: Much influence in the development of the theatre has been wieLded not only by the forceful dramatic criticism to be found in the New York and Boston newspapers, but by the various stage periodicals. Just as Era and Stage, in EngLand, have influenced critical thought, the Morning Telegraph, New York Dramatic M irror, Theatre Magazine, Drama, Stage (in both incarnations), Robinson Locke's splendid Toledo Blade, and above all, Theatre Arts under the editorship of Sheldon Cheney, Edith J. R. Isaacs, Kenneth Macgowan, John Mason Brown, Carl Carmer, Stark Young and Rosamond Gilder, have raised the standards of writing and production in our theatre. 1 When in 1948 Theatre Arts was sold to Stage Publications, Incor porated, the magazine completely changed hands and became an entirely new publication. Two months after Theatre Arts' demise the National Theatre Conference published in its Bulletin tributes by twenty-one Leaders in the American theatre. Barrett H. Clark, a well-known dramatic authority, wrote: Theatre Arts was part and parcel of the growing-up years of the modern American theatre. Every month, for nearly a third of a century, it proclaimed the importance and dignity ^George Freedley and John A. Reeves, A History of the Theatre (New York: