Provincetown Players

Provincetown Players was a theatre company based in Provincetown, Massachusetts, known for its significant contributions to the development of American theatre, particularly in the Little Theatre Movement. The company was closely associated with the Plymouth Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, and its productions often featured works by notable playwrights such as Eugene O'Neill, Susan Glaser, and George Cram Cook. The Provincetown Players were also influenced by the Washington Square Players and the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, and they often collaborated with other theatre companies, including the Theatre Guild and the Federal Theatre Project.

● History

The Provincetown Players were active from 1915 to 1929, during which time they produced over 100 plays, including works by D.H. Lawrence, John Reed, and Mary Heaton Vorse. The company's early productions were often staged at the Wharf Theatre in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and later at the Playwrights' Theatre in New York City. The Provincetown Players were known for their experimental approach to theatre, which was influenced by the Dada movement and the Bauhaus school in Dessau, Germany. The company's productions often featured innovative sets and costumes designed by artists such as Robert Edmond Jones and Lee Simonson, who also worked with the New York Theatre Guild and the Moscow Art Theatre.

● Founding Members

The Provincetown Players were founded by a group of artists and writers, including George Cram Cook, Susan Glaser, and John Reed, who were all associated with the Greenwich Village community in New York City. Other notable founding members included Eugene O'Neill, Neith Boyce, and Hutchins Hapgood, who were all influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and the Ashcan School. The company's founding members were also associated with other notable artists and writers, including Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O'Keeffe, and John Sloan, who were all part of the Stieglitz circle in New York City.

● Notable Productions

The Provincetown Players produced many notable plays during their existence, including Eugene O'Neill's Bound East for Cardiff and The Emperor Jones, which were both staged at the Plymouth Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. The company also produced works by other notable playwrights, including Susan Glaser's Suppressed Desires and George Cram Cook's The Spring, which were both influenced by the Theatre of the Absurd and the Surrealist movement. The Provincetown Players also collaborated with other theatre companies, including the Theatre Guild and the Federal Theatre Project, to produce plays such as John Reed's The Paterson Strike Pageant, which was staged at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.

● Legacy

The Provincetown Players had a significant impact on the development of American theatre, particularly in the Little Theatre Movement. The company's experimental approach to theatre and their emphasis on producing new and innovative works helped to establish Provincetown, Massachusetts as a major centre for artistic and literary activity, alongside other notable communities such as Greenwich Village and Harlem, New York. The Provincetown Players also influenced other theatre companies, including the Theatre Guild and the Group Theatre, which were both founded by former members of the company, including Harold Clurman and Lee Strasberg, who were also associated with the Actors Studio and the New York Theatre Workshop.

● Key Figures

The Provincetown Players were led by a number of key figures, including George Cram Cook, who served as the company's director and producer, and Eugene O'Neill, who was the company's most prominent playwright. Other notable figures associated with the company included Susan Glaser, John Reed, and Neith Boyce, who were all involved in the company's early productions, and Robert Edmond Jones and Lee Simonson, who designed sets and costumes for many of the company's plays, and were also associated with the Moscow Art Theatre and the Ballets Russes. The company's key figures were also influenced by other notable artists and writers, including Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O'Keeffe, and John Sloan, who were all part of the Stieglitz circle in New York City, and D.H. Lawrence, John Dos Passos, and Ernest Hemingway, who were all associated with the Lost Generation and the Paris expatriate community.