A HISTORICAL STUDY OF THE LEGITIMATE PLAYHOUSES ON WEST FORTY-SECOND STREET BETWEEN SEVENTH AND EIGHTH AVENUES IN NEW YORK CITY.
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Title
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A HISTORICAL STUDY OF THE LEGITIMATE PLAYHOUSES ON WEST FORTY-SECOND STREET BETWEEN SEVENTH AND EIGHTH AVENUES IN NEW YORK CITY.
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Identifier
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AAI8212198
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identifier
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8212198
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Creator
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KNAPP, MARGARET MARY.
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Contributor
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Stanley A. Waren
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Date
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1982
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Theater
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Abstract
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The purpose of this study is to trace the development and decline of the "theatre block" on West Forty-second Street. The method followed is basically chronological, that is, the history of the block is traced from the street's beginning in the early nineteenth century through to the present, with major emphasis on the years 1893-1944, when the playhouses on Forty-second Street first appeared, grew in number, flourished, and declined. The study has been broken down into several chronological periods, with each chapter representing a new phase in the history of the block. Thus, the first chapter traces the early history of Forty-second Street through 1893, the second chapter details the construction of the first three theatres on the block (1893-1900), the third deals with the rash of theatre building that resulted from the conflict between members of the Theatrical Syndicate and Independent managers (1901-1904), the fourth presents the block during its years of greatest prestige (1905-1912), the fifth examines the first hints of decline (1913-1920), the sixth explores the playhouses in relation to the complex theatre economics of the 1920s, the seventh follows the conversion of the theatres to motion picture houses in the aftermath of the Depression in the decade of the 1930s, the eighth highlights the 1940s to the present, and the conclusion brings the history up to date and applies the insights gained through the study to the question of Forty-second Street's revitalization.;For each period, information is given on the development of the block as a whole, including the nature of the nontheatrical enterprises on the street. The overall economic picture of the New York stage is explored briefly in each chapter, and the effects of the changing theatre economy upon Forty-second Street are noted. Whenever the chronology reaches the point at which a new theatre was constructed on the block, details of ownership, design, style, construction, etc., are given for that house. Highlights of each theatre's season are given for the years 1893-1937, and where possible the major dramatic and musical productions presented on Forty-second Street are placed within the context of the evolving American stage.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Theatre
