The Theatre of Thrills: The Princess Players, 1913-1915.
Item
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Title
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The Theatre of Thrills: The Princess Players, 1913-1915.
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Identifier
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AAI9119637
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identifier
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9119637
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Creator
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Hemingway, Alan Eugene.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Walter Meserve
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Date
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1991
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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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During the first two decades of the Twentieth century an art movement was developing in the American theatre. Dissatisfied with the generally poor quality of the dramas seen on Broadway, many professional theatre artists such as Arnold Daly, Frank Keenan, and Winthrope Ames, attempted to establish a new theatre in New York City concerned with the quality of production rather than its commercial merit. It was during this period, between 1913 and 1915, that Lee Shubert, William Brady, Archibald Selwyn, F. Ray Comstock, and Holbrook Blinn worked together to create the Princess Players' Theatre of Thrills.;The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the history of the Theatre of Thrills--a theatre patterned after both the Theatre Libre and the Grand Guignol, and dedicated to the presentation of new and, sometimes, shocking plays. This study illustrates how the Princess Players became the first American commercial theatre to support successfully a resident stock company in a sustained repertory of plays modeled on the programs of the European free theatres. Further, this dissertation illustates how, through its success, the Theatre of Thrills influenced the development of the New York little theatres--the Provincetown Players, the Neighborhood Playhouse, and the Washington Square Players--and, consequently, the American theatre.
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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.
