A Sustainable Theatre: Jasper Deeter at Hedgerow

by B. Witham

Overview

Begun as an audacious experiment, for thirty years the Hedgerow Theatre prospered as America's most successful repertory company. While known for its famous alumnae (Ann Harding and Richard Basehart), Hedgerow's legacy is a living library of over 200 productions created by Jasper Deeter's idealistic and determined pursuit of 'truth and beauty.'

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781349344314
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan US
Publication date:	06/13/2013
Series:	Palgrave Studies in Theatre and Performance History
Edition description:	1st ed. 2013
Pages:	185
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Barry B. Witham is Professor Emeritus of Theatre at the University of Washington, USA.

Table of Contents

Preface by Penelope Reed Introduction 1. Inheritors : Growing a Theater 2. The Emperor Jones : A Passion for Equality 3. Winesburg, Ohio : Democracy Between The Hedgerows 4. An American Tragedy : Whose Social Conscience? 5. The Cherokee Night : Riggs and the Power of Place 6. Too True To Be Good : Consequences of Integrity 7. Uncle Vanya : A Way of Acting 8. The Hedgerow Story : Celebrity and Disappointment 9. Aftermath 10. Epilogue Notes Appendix A - Hedgerow Repertory 1923-1956 Appendix B - Repertory for Shaw Festival , July 19—August 14, 1937 Appendix C - Repertory Calendars

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A Sustainable Theatre is comprehensive, revelatory and entirely engaging. Jasper Deeter's contributions as Hedgerow Theatre founder, stage director and acting teacher are wide-spread and profound. His determination to wed quality theatre to the land itself is inspirational and strikingly contemporary, suggesting how excellence and innovation in theatre corresponded fundamentally to twentieth-century grassroots America. Thanks to Barry B. Witham's sparkling study we now know how and why that was so. Bravo!" - Stuart J. Hecht, Department of Theatre, Boston College, USA

"Witham's rescue of a vital but neglected experiment in American theatre not only traces Jasper Deeter's concept for a 'sustainable theatre' through that director's three decades with the legendary Hedgerow, but it also sheds new light on theatre artists like Susan Glaspell and Hallie Flanagan whose careers were surprisingly impacted by the work there. The blending of narrative history with significant productions makes this an essential contribution to American cultural studies." - Felicia Hardison Londré, Curators' Professor of Theatre, University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA, Dean, College of Fellows of the American Theatre

"With characteristic thoroughness, insight, and clarity, Barry B. Witham leads readers through the history of one of the United States' most fascinating and yet comparatively unexplored experiments in theatre-making. Following thirty years of the legendary Hedgerow Theatre, Witham traces the work of its founder, Jasper Deeter, an artist committed to developing a 'living library' of American drama. Witham argues persuasively for the impact that Deeter and his compatriots had on the development of American drama, examining the company's influence on the careers of iconic figures including Morris Carnovsky and Eugene O'Neill" - Heather S. Nathans, Professor, School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, University of Maryland, USA

Editorial Reviews

"A Sustainable Theatre is comprehensive, revelatory and entirely engaging. Jasper Deeter's contributions as Hedgerow Theatre founder, stage director and acting teacher are wide-spread and profound. His determination to wed quality theatre to the land itself is inspirational and strikingly contemporary, suggesting how excellence and innovation in theatre corresponded fundamentally to twentieth-century grassroots America. Thanks to Barry B. Witham's sparkling study we now know how and why that was so. Bravo!" - Stuart J. Hecht, Department of Theatre, Boston College, USA

"Witham's rescue of a vital but neglected experiment in American theatre not only traces Jasper Deeter's concept for a 'sustainable theatre' through that director's three decades with the legendary Hedgerow, but it also sheds new light on theatre artists like Susan Glaspell and Hallie Flanagan whose careers were surprisingly impacted by the work there. The blending of narrative history with significant productions makes this an essential contribution to American cultural studies." - Felicia Hardison Londré, Curators' Professor of Theatre, University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA, Dean, College of Fellows of the American Theatre

"With characteristic thoroughness, insight, and clarity, Barry B. Witham leads readers through the history of one of the United States' most fascinating and yet comparatively unexplored experiments in theatre-making. Following thirty years of the legendary Hedgerow Theatre, Witham traces the work of its founder, Jasper Deeter, an artist committed to developing a 'living library' of American drama. Witham argues persuasively for the impact that Deeter and his compatriots had on the development of American drama, examining the company's influence on the careers of iconic figures including Morris Carnovsky and Eugene O'Neill" - Heather S. Nathans, Professor, School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, University of Maryland, USA

From the Publisher