The Theatre
from Civizilation in The United States
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Remove from wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Adding to library failed
Please try again
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
3 Months Free
£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
The Theatre
Narrated by:
Brett Carter
Buy Now for £1.99
-
Narrated by:
-
Brett Carter
In The Theatre, celebrated drama critic George Jean Nathan delivers a sharp, unapologetic assessment of the American stage during the early twentieth century.
Nathan examines a theatrical culture in which safe spectacles, fashionable stars, sentimental dramas, and easily marketable productions frequently overpower more ambitious work. While serious plays struggle to survive, commercially dependable entertainment fills theatres and dominates public attention.
Yet Nathan does not place the blame solely on producers. He considers the influence of audiences, critics, newspapers, advertising, regional tastes, and the relentless demands of the box office. He argues that American theatre can rise only when artists are encouraged to pursue imagination, honesty, and dramatic excellence without surrendering completely to commercial pressure.
Along the way, Nathan defends playwrights and theatrical innovators willing to take genuine artistic risks, including Eugene O’Neill, while questioning the standards by which acting, playwriting, and theatrical success are judged.
Witty, provocative, and uncompromising, The Theatre offers a revealing portrait of Broadway and American cultural life at a moment when modern drama was still fighting for recognition.
Narrated by Brett Carter, this historic essay will appeal to actors, directors, playwrights, critics, theatre students, and listeners interested in the continuing struggle between art and commerce.
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet