 Under Puritanical control, theatre performances in the American Colonies were outlawed.  Viewing dramatic or comic plays was thought to influence the behavior of the young and lead to maliciousness.  Audience was targeted with fines for viewing the devilish acts.  Professional actors, are said to have toured with amateur groups.

 Ideas began to change  Elegant balls became popular recreation for the wealthy.  Stories of the glamour of the English stage arrived with each docking ship.  Settlers began to feel the void  As rebellious attitudes grew, so did the acceptance of new ideas.  Many plays were produced by amateurs

 It is impossible to know when or where the first performance took place  Performances took place in courtrooms and coffee houses or anywhere the actors could find room  Overcrowding led to riots.  New laws tried to keep stage plays out, but the people won their freedom and American theatre was born

 There were few American-written plays  Shakespeare and other British writers became a staple for local actors  First American Theatre was built in Williamsburg, VA in 1716  The mortgage was foreclosed in 1723  Later used to produce amateur college performances

WWere not uncommon overseas MMid 1700’s they began appearing in the colonies LLess expensive and easier to travel and produce plays as a family EEach family member had a special trade and several stock roles HHad to be some actors from outside the family, but this usually resulted in actors marrying other actors TTheir children naturally gravitated to acting careers

 One of the most prevalent theatre families  Young Lewis Hallam made his debut at 12 with a single line  He was so overcome with stage fright that he ran from the stage, crying, and didn’t even say a word  He finally overcame his stage fright and acted on the American stage for 50 years  Died in 1808

 Bridged the gap between early American theatre and modern film  Irish actor, John Drew, traveled to the states in 1846  Married Louise Lane  Three children  Their daughter, Georgiana, married Irish actor, Maurice Barrymore  Three children  Lionel, Ethel, and John Barrymore  These became some of the stage’s first “household names”  Today Drew Barrymore is a favorite in film, not just in America, but around the world

 Even as it grew and strengthened, American theatre lacked its own identity  Companies capitalized on European plays until the early 20 th century  Hollywood was becoming the center of the film industry for the world  Even though the stage was overshadowed by film, it still was able to gain notoriety

EEugene O’neill TThorton Wilder LLillian Hellman WWilliam Saroyan AArthur Miller TTennessee Williams NNeil Simon LLorraine Hansberry BBeth Henley

 The Iceman Cometh  Mourning Becomes Her  Electra  A Long Day’s Journey Into Night

 Our Town  The Matchmaker (Hello, Dolly)

 The Little Foxes  Watch on the Rhine  The Searching Wind

 The Time of Your Life  After the Fall

 Death of a Salesman  The Crucible  All My Sons

 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof  Night of the Iguana  A Streetcar Named Desire  Suddenly Last Summer

 The Odd Couple  Brighton Beach Memoirs  Barefoot in the Park  Star-Spangled Girl

 A Raisin in the Sun  Les Blancs

 Crimes of the Heart  The Miss Firecracker Contest