1. American Theater Beg, borrow, and steal

2. The Puritans were so much fun… Under strict Puritanical control for much of their youth, theatrical performances in the American colonies were outlawed. Viewing dramatic or comic plays was thought to influence the behaviour of the young and lead to maliciousness. When actors persisted despite strict laws, audiences were fined for viewing the devilish acts.

3. In the early to mid 1700s, things started to change. Tantalizing stories of the glamour of the English theatre arrived with each docking ship. As rebellious attitudes against England grew, so did the acceptance of new ideas. Subsequently, many amateur plays were produced, likely in courthouses or coffeehouses, though virtually no documentation exists.

4. Freedom! When the people won their freedom from Britain, American theatre was born.

5. There were few original American-written plays at the time. The tried and true works of Shakespeare and other British writers became the staple of local actors.

6. The first American theatre was built in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1716, but its existence was brief. The mortgage was foreclosed in 1723. It was later used to produce amateur college performances.

7. The first American theatre was built in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1716, but its existence was brief. The mortgage was foreclosed in 1723. It was later used to produce amateur college performances.

8. Early Days

9. Travelling in family groups was easy and inexpensive for early American actors. Each family member had a special trade and several stock roles. Actors outside the families married into these groups and new theatre families were produced. Children acted at an early age, and gravitated naturally toward acting careers.

10. Famous Names A famous early American theatre family was the Barrymores. They bridged the gap between early American theatre and modern film. Irish actor John Drew travelled to the states in 1846. He married actress Louise Lane and they had three children. Their daughter Georgiana married Irish actor Maurice Barrymore.

11. Their famous children, Lionel, Ethel and John Barrymore became some of the stage’s household names.

12. Drew Barrymore

13. Even as it grew, American theatre lacked its own identity. Companies capitalized on European plays until the early 20 th century when writers like Eugene O’Neill ( Mourning Becomes Electra, Long Day’s Journey Into Night ), Tennessee Williams ( A Streetcar Named Desire ), and Arthur Miller ( Death of a Salesman ) appeared.

14. Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965)

15. Lorraine Hansberry was born on May 19, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois. She wrote A Raisin in the Sun, a play about a struggling black family, which opened on Broadway to great success. Hansberry was the first black playwright and the youngest American to win a New York Critics’ Circle award. Throughout her life she was heavily involved in civil rights. She died at 34 of pancreatic cancer.