history

The Playwright’s Company: Saving the Art on Broadway The period in history from the Depression up until the beginnings of World War II were financially bleak for Broadway Theatre. The number of productions being produced were also down. Producers were going bankrupt left and right, and the Shubert Brothers developed a monopoly of Broadway itself. With the oncoming war approaching, theatre, as well as American pride, needed a boost. I will argue that this …

…prospered until about 1960. By this point, the founding members had either passed on, moved to Hollywood, or just resigned from the group. The Playwright’s Company lasted over twenty years, and in the ever-changing life of Broadway Theatre, I consider this a definite success. What is of most importance is that several of the plays produced by this nurturing ensemble have a gone on to become a part of America’s literature canon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**