1. By: Wendy Tran, Hanna Tannous, Josh Willie
American Theatre
By: Wendy Tran,
Hanna Tannous, Josh Willie
Period 6

2. Important Historical Events/Dates
Early 1700s: American Theatre Born
1716- first American Theatre built
1812- the first time a Shakespearean play, A Winter’s Tale, was performed in Philadelphia
1921- first time African American, Charles Gilpin, played a lead role in a White Company

3. Important Historical Events/Dates
19th century- Minstrel shows: whites pretending to be blacks
20th century- Vaudeville was common, influenced by singers that performed between acts in a play
musical theater was created

4. Locations First American Theatre located in Williamsburg, Virginia
19 century: 4 theatre cities in America- Philadelphia, New York, Charleston, Boston

5. Famous Authors/Playwrights
Lorraine Hansberry( ): first black playwright, wrote “A Raisin in the Sun”
Alice Childress( ): woman black playwright, wrote “Florence,” “Just A Little Simple,” and many others

6. Theatre House or Stage Area
1879: Began to advance in stage technology
Audience Stage was thrust in auditorium
arranged on sides of acting area like today

7. Make-Up Water-soluble make-up instead of poisonous lead oxide
Limelight was created already so it could show on their faces instead of applying lead

8. Plays written during this time
The Odd Couple, and Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon
The Iceman Cometh, and Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O’Neal