Communication Device over the century and beyond By Tracy Toner 3/23/11

Since the mid 19 th century Souvenir Advertising Commentaries Frank Vance Strauss Communication over the century

The PLAYBILL is known around the world as “the book” they hand out at plays and performances. Among other things, the bill, or the list part of the PLAYBILL is actually many lists made up of pieces information about the performance itself.

Since the beginning

In 1884, New Yorker and businessman, Frank Vance Strauss saw the potential and began offering the notable theatres a larger program for the performances, in proper magazine style, color covers, articles, cast list of course and advertising that Strauss built his wealth on.

With all the guaranteed readers he had no problem selling ads and producing for all the larger productions in New York City.

Advertisers as well as writers knew that their work could be seen, would be seen by everyone that walked into the theatre and took from the theatre this souvenir. Over the years the articles that appeared were certainly related to the production, the actors, directors and participants but these articles and commentaries also tell of what was happening in the world too. Everything from local politics to global politics and everything in-between was written and published in this little “take-away” magazine.

An assortment from the beginning… Click here >>>

Communication comes in many forms and PLAYBILL has over the years become a form of communication that is counted on by not only the theatre-goers but also the advertisers that buy and display their wares there. The articles and commentaries held within its pages too are written knowing that they have an audience. Readers that potentially will save, repeat and even pass along what they find there while waiting for the curtain to go up. Playbill itself has weathered all the storms that its readers have, the great depression, wars, recessions, political changes and every phase of change the world has seen. Communicating in all manners, from articles to commentaries, jokes to fashion concerns, short-stories too and reviews on other productions big and small and even book reviews. Countless interviews with members of the cast and production teams reflect the times they appear in and the changes in attitudes over all those years.

References Admin,. (2009, February 2). Collector's post. Retrieved from Playbill. (2011, March 23). Retrieved from Library of congress. (2011, March 23). Retrieved from Higgins, S. (2011, March 23). A history of playbills & theatre programmes. Retrieved from players.com/Playbills/index.html