theatre

219d

#OTD in 1920.

Beyond the Horizon, Eugene O'Neill's second full-length play, opens with a Morosco Theatre matinée in New York City, partly as a producer's experiment and partly to quiet the actor Richard Bennett, who sought to play the lead. Reviewers hail the play and O'Neill gains fame. It won the 1920 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Horizon_(play)

Beyond the Horizon at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58569

#books #literature #theatre

First edition cover of Beyond The Horizon.

The book has a simple yet classic design, with an orange dust jacket and black text. The title, Beyond The Horizon, is prominently displayed at the top in bold font.

Below the title, there is a quote that reads, "Can You Recall More Enthusiastic Comment Than This?" followed by a passage praising the significance and dramatic power of the play.

The book cover contains additional text describing the play as an "absorbing, significant, and memorable tragedy" and highlights Eugene O'Neill’s dramatic skill.

Towards the bottom, the author’s name, Eugene O'Neill, is displayed along with a mention of his previous work, The Moon of the Caribbees.

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199d

#OTD in 1886.

The first performance of William Gillette's American Civil War drama Held by the Enemy is held at the Criterion Theater, Brooklyn, New York.

The play was a major step toward modern theater, in that it abandoned many of the crude devices of 19th-century melodrama and introduced realism into the sets, costumes, props, and sound effects.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gillette

William Gillette at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/38243

#books #literature #theatre

Portrait of William Gillette, stage actor

Warner, Hartford - Storms, A. D. , ed. (1901) The Players Blue Book, Worcester, Mass: Sutherland & Storms

He is dressed in formal 19th-century theatrical or gentleman’s attire, possibly including a high-collared coat, waistcoat, and cravat.

Given the style of actor portraits of that era, he have a composed, dignified expression, gazing slightly away from the camera to convey a sense of character and gravitas.

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218d

#OTD in 1869.

Booth's Theatre opens on Manhattan with the owner, Edwin Booth, playing the male lead in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Some reports said it was one of the most elaborate productions of Romeo and Juliet ever seen in America; it was certainly the most popular, running for over six weeks and earning over $60,000 (equivalent to $1,000,000 in 2023).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet

Romeo and Juliet at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1513

#books #literature #theatre

An 1870 oil painting of Romeo and Juliet by Ford Madox Brown depicting the play's balcony scene.

In the painting, Juliet leans over a stone balcony, dressed in a flowing, golden-yellow gown, her expression a mix of longing and affection.

Romeo, clad in a deep red tunic, clings to the balcony’s edge, gazing up at her with passionate devotion.

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171d

#OTD in 1920.

Federico García Lorca's first play, The Butterfly's Evil Spell (El maleficio de la mariposa) is poorly received at its première in Madrid.

With only four performances, very poorly received by the public, including booing, it was a total failure for its author. The text, written in verse, is a parable about frustration, love and death; recurring themes in Lorca's work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butterfly%27s_Evil_Spell

Garcia Lorca at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/56772

#books #literature #theatre

Federico García Lorca. Huerta de San Vicente, Granada

Anónimo - https://www.museoreinasofia.es/coleccion/obra/federico-garcia-lorca-huerta-san-vicente-granada

He is shown smiling warmly, creating an inviting and expressive presence. His hair is neatly combed back, and he is wearing a dark shirt or jacket with an open collar.

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190d

#OTD in 1924.

Seán O'Casey's drama Juno and the Paycock opens at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. It is set in the working-class tenements of Dublin in the early 1920s, during the Irish Civil War period.

It is the second of his "Dublin Trilogy" – the other two being The Shadow of a Gunman (1923) and The Plough and the Stars (1926).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_and_the_Paycock

#books #literature #drama #theatre

Poster for the 1930 film “Juno and the Paycock” (alternate title “The Shame of Mary Boyle”).

Since it was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and based on Seán O’Casey’s acclaimed play, the poster have been designed in the early sound era’s style, featuring bold typography and theatrical imagery.

A strong central image, possibly depicting key characters like Juno Boyle (a struggling mother) and Captain Boyle (her irresponsible husband).

A somber or dramatic color scheme reflecting the film’s serious tone.

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139d

Happy birthday Shakespeare (born #OTD in 1564)!

#OTD in 1932. To mark Shakespeare's birthday:

The Royal Shakespeare Company's new theatre opens at Stratford-upon-Avon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Shakespeare_Company

The Folger Shakespeare Library opens in Washington, D.C.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folger_Shakespeare_Library

Shakespeare at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/65

#books #literature #theatre

Artistic depiction of the Shakespeare family, late 19th century

Perine, George Edward, 1837-1885, printmaker. - engraved for the Eclectic by Perine & Giles.

Illustration of William Shakespeare reciting his play Hamlet to his family. His wife, Anne Hathaway, is sitting in the chair on the right; his son Hamnet is behind him on the left; his two daughters Susanna and Judith are on the right and left of him. (Hamnet shown younger than his twin, Judith, as he had died a few years before Hamlet was written).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare#/media/File:Shakespeare's_family_circle.jpg

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210d

#OTD in 1896.

While Oscar Wilde is in prison, his play Salome (written in 1891) is premièred in its original French by Lugné-Poe's Théâtre de l'Œuvre company in Paris, perhaps at the Comédie-Parisienne. Because the play depicted biblical characters it was banned in Britain and was not performed publicly there until 1931.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salome_(play)

Salomé at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1339

#books #literature #theatre

Illustration by Aubrey Beardsley for the first English edition of the play (1894).

The image depicts Salomé holding the severed head of John the Baptist (also known as Jokanaan) on a platter.

She gazes at it with a mixture of fascination and satisfaction, while dark liquid (presumably blood) drips from the head onto the pedestal below.

Her elaborate gown, accessories, and stylized hair reflect the Art Nouveau aesthetic, infused with Beardsley’s signature decadence and eroticism.

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209d

#OTD in 1889.

Henrik Ibsen's symbolic drama The Lady from the Sea (1888) receives simultaneous first performances in Oslo (in Norwegian) and Weimar (in German). The drama introduces the character of Hilde Wangel who is again portrayed in Ibsen's later play The Master Builder.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_from_the_Sea

The Lady from the Sea at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/2765

#books #literature #theatre

Dining room in the house of Dr. Vangel. 1905 Sketch of the scenery for Ibsen's drama “Daughter of the Sea” State Central Theater Museum named after A.A.Bakhrushin. A.A.Bakhrushin State Central Theater Museum.

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209d

"Conscience is but a word that cowards use,
Devis'd at first to keep the strong in awe;
Our strong arms be our conscience, swords our law."
King Richard, scene iii

#OTD in 1817.

Junius Brutus Booth makes his stage debut in the title role of Shakespeare's Richard III at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_III_(play)

Richard III at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1503

#books #literature #theatre

Junius Booth, half-length portrait, three-quarters to the left, in theatrical costume, ca. 1850

Daguerrotype by Mathew Brady. Library of Congress, Daguerrotype Collection, reproduction number LC-USZ62-110129.)

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182d

#OTD in 1851.

The first performance of Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi takes place in Venice. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigoletto

Le Roi s'amuse at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29549

#books #literature #theatre

Set design for act "IV" (III as normally counted) of Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto. (For the production of the Théâtre national de l'Opéra at the Palais Garnier that opened 27-02-1885).

A rustic, slightly decrepit inn or house by a lakeside or riverbank, surrounded by dense trees. The building is shown in a cross-section, revealing two levels.

A warmly lit bedroom where a woman stands holding a torch or candle near a reclining figure on a bed—suggestive of the characters Maddalena and the Duke in Rigoletto.

A dimly lit interior room with a few figures around a table—possibly representing Sparafucile (the assassin) and other characters in the plot’s unfolding.

The scene is bathed in moonlight with dark clouds, creating a dramatic chiaroscuro between the natural night and the warm indoor light.

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179d

#OTD in 1889.

August Strindberg's naturalistic drama Miss Julie (Fröken Julie), 1888, is first performed, by the Scandinavian Experimental Theater at the University of Copenhagen. His wife Siri von Essen plays the title rôle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Julie

Miss Julie at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14347

#books #literature #theatre

Photograph of the first production of Miss Julie at The People's Theatre in November 1906.

Unknown photographer, 1906 - Strindberg and the Five Senses, bu Hans-Goran Ekman.

On the left, a woman dressed in traditional servant attire appears to be engaged in a kitchen task, emphasizing the play’s working-class setting.

In the center-right, a woman in a long white dress (likely portraying Miss Julie) is interacting closely with a man in a formal suit (likely the character Jean), highlighting the tension and intimacy central to the plot.

The set design features modest furniture, utensils hanging on the wall, and exposed wooden beams, reflecting the realistic and detailed staging typical of early 20th-century naturalist theatre.

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143d

Time Travel

What do we hold fast, what do we let go? The question, like a living being, hovers onstage in The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov.

By Cynthia Zarin

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2025/04/18/time-travel/

The Cherry Orchard at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7986

#books #literature #theatre

Scene from The Cherry Orchard, Moscow Art Theater, 2001. The MAT setting demonstrates a conscious attempt to avoid the stiffness and artificiality of the perfectly symmetrical box set. Variation of planes and glimpses into other rooms in the house continue the environment beyond the stage room and help to combat unintentional rigidity.

Alexander Bakshy - The Path of the Modern Russian Stage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cherry_Orchard#/media/File:The_Cherry_Orchard_MAT.jpg

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104d

Hey, some fun news! Sir Ian McKellen is headlining an all #trans and #nonbinary reading of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. It’s a delightful play with much playing with #gender and the understanding of it. I’m very excited and am buying livestream tickets. 🥰

#theatre #arts #plays #Shakespeare #yay #GoodNews

(Edit to add hashtags)

https://www.attitude.co.uk/culture/sir-ian-mckellen-to-open-historic-all-trans-and-nonbinary-production-of-twelfth-night-484397/

Edited 104d ago

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63d

The young Oscar Wilde’s Russian revolutionary drama reveals a playwright divided

Vera; or, The Nihilists concerns a plot to kill a tsar but after Alexander II was assassinated, its London premiere was cancelled. Now receiving a rare production, it captures his conflict between ethics and aesthetics

By Michael Billington

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/jul/07/oscar-wilde-russian-revolutionary-drama-vera-or-the-nihilists

Vera; or, The Nihilists at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26494

#Books #Literature #Theatre

Oscar Wilde by Napoleon Sarony.

Wilde is dressed in stylish, somewhat flamboyant attire—a velvet jacket, knee breeches, silk stockings, and often holding a soft hat or a cane, embodying the dandy aesthetic.

Wilde’s longish, wavy hair frames his face, emphasizing his androgynous beauty and poetic persona.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Wilde#/media/File:Oscar_Wilde_by_Napoleon_Sarony._Three-quarter-length_photograph,_seated.jpg

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60d

Waiting for Godot Has Been Translated Afrikaans

What took so long?

By: Rick de Villiers

https://theconversation.com/waiting-for-godot-has-been-translated-into-afrikaans-what-took-so-long-257345

#Books #Translation #Theatre

Samuel Beckett in 1977

Roger Pic - Bibliothèque nationale de France

Beckett is shown seated, facing slightly to the left, though his intense gaze looks directly into the camera.

His hair is brushed up into a soft, slightly disheveled silver crown, emphasizing his high forehead.

He wears a simple, dark jacket over a sweater or turtleneck.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Beckett#/media/File:Samuel_Beckett,_Pic,_1_(cropped).jpg

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73d

Vintage Posters for The Royal Court Theatre

Founded by the English Stage Company (ESC in 1956), London's Royal Court Theatre focuses on contemporary theatre - and great posters

By Sheldon D.

https://flashbak.com/posters-for-the-royal-court-476550/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=posters-for-the-royal-court

English theatre at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=english+theatre

#Books #Literature #Theatre

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41d

Was The Importance of Being Earnest the most scandalous opening run of all time? How Oscar Wilde’s greatest play kicked off his tragic fall from grace

By Ben Jureidini

https://www.tatler.com/article/the-importance-of-being-earnest-opening-run-scandal

The Importance of Being Earnest at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/844

#Books #Literature #Theatre

Jack (George Alexander) tells Gwendolen (Irene Vanbrugh) the address of his country house, while Algernon (Allan Aynesworth) secretly overhears.

Alfred Ellis - The Sketch, p. 412

Scene in Act I of The Importance of Being Earnest, original production

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Importance_of_Being_Earnest#/media/File:Importance-Act-1-Jack-Gwendolen-Algernon.png

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36d

Whaur’s yer Willie Shakespeare noo?
11 Sept, Royal Society of Edinburgh – free, ticketed

How does Scots language come alive on stage – and what does it say about us?

Playwright Ian Brown & linguist Jeremy Smith explore the Scots & English language varieties woven into THE SCOTCH PLAY (1990) – Brown’s reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/whaurs-yer-willie-shakespeare-noo-tickets-1489136991829

#Scottish #literature #drama #theatre #Scots #Scotslanguage #Shakespeare #Macbeth

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