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The 1950s
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1959
Dinny and the Witches
by William Gibson
directed by Jess Kimmel
with Will Albert, Dean Lyman Almquist , Julie Bovasso, Kay Doubleday, Ellen Bogan Engel, Harry Fritzius, Avril Gentles, Bill Heyer, Jesse Jacobs, Robert Leland, Bernard Reed, Sylvia Shay, E. Francis Simon, Renée Taylor
Ted Cappy, Movement/ John Robert Lloyd, Design/ Bernard Simon, Press Representative/ George Thorn, Stage Manager/ Bobby Scott, Musical Arrangements
Jess Kimmel and Alfred Stern, Producers
(drawing of Bill Heyer as Dinny and Kay Doubleday as Amy by William Auerbach-Levy)
The Roots of Jazz
produced by Manny Fox
with African tribal royalty, Prince Onago and Princess Muana
It was the first presentation in the U.S. of African drums, dances, songs and rituals in a theatrical setting.
This revue marked Broadway producer Manny Fox's first major theatrical offering.
1958
A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green
book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
music by Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne, André Previn, Saul Chaplin, and Roger Edens
performed by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Camille
By Alexander Dumas Fils
Produced And Directed By Wayne Richardson
with Colleen Dewhurst, Joseph Barr, Ethel Stevens, William Major, Elizabeth Townsend, Martha Orrick, Jo Henderson, Donald Marye, Alan Becker, Larry Swanson, Daniel Durning, William Roberts, Al Gallo And Ellena Rafael
Sets Designed By Robert Verberkmoes; Costumes Designed By Adri; Choreographed By Marvin Gordon
(drawing of Colleen Dewhurst and Robert Elston in "Camille" by William Auerbach-Levy)
Endgame
by Samuel Beckett
directed by Alan Schneider
with Alvin Epstein, P.J. Kelly, Lester Rawlins and Nidia Westman
produced by Noel Behn
designed by David Hays
(Photos below by Gjon Mili/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)
1956
This Property is Condemned
by Tennessee Williams
Once Around the Block
by William Saroyan
directed by Ted Flicker
with Larry Hagman (pictured)
Sideways and the Sound of Crying
by S. Lee Pogostin
The Admirable Bashville And The Dark Lady Of The Sonnets
by George Bernard Shaw
directed by Charles Olsen
with Thomas Barbour, James N. Clark, Edward Crowley, J. Robert Dietz, Karl Farrar, William Kee, Fran Malis, Gerry Matthews, Glen Nielsen, Ray Rizzo, Frederick Rolf, Barbara Schanz, Frances Sternhagen*, Leo Bloom, Robert Ludlum, Ron Soble
Lester Hackett, Set Designer/ Jim Oyster, Costume Designer/ Gerald Feil, Lighting Designer/ Lewis Harmon, Press Representative/ Sol Jacobson, Press Representative/ Evelyne Delore, Stage Manager/ John Finkbinder, Stage Manager/ Jim Oyster, Stage Manager
produced by Preston-Olsen Productions
*Ms. Sternhagen (pictured) was awarded The Clarence Derwent Award for Unknown Featured Actress in US & Europe.
Purple Dust ran for 430 performances, longer than an O’Casey play had ever run anywhere.
Purple Dust
by Sean O'Casey
directed by Philip Burton
with Harry Bannister, Alan Bergmann, Stephen Elliott, Alvin Epstein, Robert Geiringer, Stefan Gierasch, Bette Henritze, Mike Kellin, P.J. Kelly, James Kenny, Sandy Kenyon, Kathleen Murray, Paul Shyre, Mary Welch, Hugh Palmerston
(Replacement cast: Roger Evan Boxill, Robert Carle, Humphrey Davis, Peter Falk, Sandy Kenyon, Liam Lenihan, Scottie MacGregor, Hugh Palmerston, Patricia Peardon, Roy Poole, Alan Bergmann, Ellen-Cobb Hill, Betsy Holt)
Lester Polakov, Set , Costume, Lighting Designer / Lewis Harmon, Press Representative/ Sol Jacobson, Press Representative / Raymond Frederick, Stage Manager / Jay Harnick, Stage Manager/ Richard B. Shull, Stage Manager
Noel Behn, Howard Gottfried, Lewis Manilow, Paul Shyre: Producers
(drawing of Mary Welch as Souhaun and Harry Bannister as Cyril Poges in "Purple Dust" by William Auerbach-Levy)
The Man With The Golden Arm
by Jack Kirkland
based on the book by Nelson Algren
directed by Louis MacMillan
with Robert Bernard, Maurice Brenner, Dick Campbell, Terry Carter, Maggie Davis, Virginia Downing, Peggy Feury, Vincent Gardenia, Harry Gresham, Lew Guss, Sidney Kay, Robert Loggia, Gene Miller, Frederick O'Neal, Diana Sands, Al Spartic, Dolores Sutton, Bob Weinsko, Metro Welles, Wayne Wilson
Paul Morrison Set Designer / Costume Designer / Lighting Designer
Doris Blum, General Manager / Sol Jacobson, Press Representative / Jay Russell, Press Representative / Edward Felton, Stage Manager / Hal Halvorsen, Stage Manager
Produced by Contemporary Theatre, Doris Blum and Louis MacMillan (pictured)
1955
Proscenium Productions
Proscenium Productions at the Cherry Lane become the first Off-Broadway company to receive a Special Award Tony, for generally high quality and viewpoint, as shown in The Way of the World and Thieves’ Carnival.
The award was presented to Warren Enters, Robert Merriman and Sybil Trubin (pictured).
Thieves’ Carnival
Jean Anouilh Playwright
Elmer Gordon Original Music
Lucienne Hill Translation
Warren Enters Director
Don Redlich Choreographer
Don Crawford Set Designer
with Martin Allen, Marie Andrews, Tom Bosley, Thomas Carlin, Keith Elliott, Gerry Fleming, Robert Geiringer, Marvin Gordon, Raymond Johnson, William LeMassena, Dolores Mann, Don Redlich, Frances Sternhagen, Jack Tamas, Bernard Tone, Stuart Vaughan
Morning’s at Seven
by Paul Osborn
directed by Warren Enters
with Tom Bosley, Richard Bowler, Harrison Dowd , Kate Harrington, Dorrit Kelton, Walter Klavun, Gubi Mann, Martha Morton, June Walker
John Connell Set Designer /Don Crawford Costume Designer / David Lipsky Press Representative/ Jay Russell Press Representative / Raymond Johnson Stage Manager
produced by Proscenium Productions
The Way of the World
by William Congreve
with Fritz Weaver, Thayer David, Nancy Wickwire and Louis Edmonds
Produced by Proscenium Productions
Proscenium Productions at the Cherry Lane become the first Off-Broadway company to receive a Special Award Tony, for generally high quality and viewpoint, as shown in The Way of the World and Thieves’ Carnival. The award was presented to Warren Enters, Robert Merriman and Sybil Trubin.
1952
The Living Theatre at Cherry Lane
(Judith Malina and Julien Beck, Photo by Maris.)
Ubu the King (Ubu Roi)
by Alfred Jarry
direction by Judith Malina
translation by Jane Warren and Arnold Devree
Mungi Moskowitz as Papa Ubu, Ruth Kaner as Mama Ubu, and Jackson MacLow as Captain Bordure (The Phynancial Horse played himself)
sets and costumes by Julian Beck, sound by Lucille Dlugoszewski "(structure for the poetry of everyday sounds)," lighting by William Neale, "diabolical mechanisms" by Ralph Dorazio.
Presented by The Living Theatre in August 1952
The Heroes
by John Ashbery
Directed by Judith Malina, Scene by Julian Beck
Mungi Moskowitz, Ruth Kaner, Jackson Mac Low, Bjorn Halvorson, Eric Weinberger, Angelo Laiacona Henry Proach, Richard Newmar, Frances Clarke, Herbert Hartig, Murray Paskin, Norman Solomon, Serafina Hovhaness, Tchoukj Mattei
Presented by The Living Theatre in August 1952
Faustina
by Paul Goodman
Directed by Judith Malina
Scene by Julian Beck
Music by Lou Harrison
with Julie Bovasso, Mary Gordon, Donald Marye, Cecil Cunningham, Henry Proach, Bruce Arcieri, John Young, Leonard Hicks, Tony Grosso, Walter James, Robert Donohue, Shirley Gleaner, Serafina Hovhaness, Norman Solomon, Richard Goode
(photo of Judith Malina and Paul Goodman by WeeGee)
May 1952
A Night of Bohemian Theatre
by Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso and T.S. Eliot
Directed by Judith Malina
Scene by Julian Beck
Ladies’ Voices by Gertrude Stein
with Judith Malina, Frances Clarke
Sweeney Agonistes by T. S. Eliot
with Christina French, Shirley Gleaner, Mihran Chobania, J.E. Duane, Angelo Laiacona, Walter Mullen, Henry Sulaiman, Cecil Cunningham
Desire Trapped by the Tail by Pablo Picasso
with Otto Jones, Helen Wagner, Serafina Hovhaness, Shirley Gleaner, Donald Marye, Philip Smith, John Costello, Cecil Cunningham, Norma Jabour, Edith Delmar
Presented by The Living Theatre March 1952
The Boy With A Cart
by Christopher Frye
directed by Alan James
with Louis Vuolo, Mary Gordon, Donald Marye, Athan Karras, Anne Mobley, Ralph Monileone, Alice Sobel, Ross Vaughn
sponsored by The Living Theater
American premiere production
February 2 - 16
Music of Changes
by John Cage
with David Tudor
A reading by Dylan Thomas
Presented by The Living Theatre
Jan and Feb 1952
1951
Beyond the Mountains
by Kenneth Rexroth
Directed & Scene by Julian Beck, Music by Richard Stryker, Choreography by Tei Ko Ito
with Judith Malina, Maurice Edwards, Bennes Marden, Ross Vaughn, Grace Seliber, Sybil Caron, Albert Pesso, Remy Charlip, Ralph Monteleone, Phyllis Gildston, James Walsh, Richard Merrell, Athan Karras, Shirley Gleaner, Tracey Woodward
Produced by The Living Theatre in December of 1951
Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights
by Gertrude Stein
Directed by Judith Malina, Scene by Julian Beck, Music by Richard Banks, Choreography by Remy Charlip
with Donald Marye, Robert King Moody, Michael Wright, Sudie Bond, Tony Grosso, Kathe Snyder, Remy Charlip, Constance Mobley, Larry Swanson, Patty Dinnell, Louis Spencer
Produced by The Living Theatre in December of 1951
The Thirteenth God
by Richard Gerson
directed by Judith Malina
designed by Julian Beck
with Judith Malina and Geraldine Page (pictured)
March, 1951
Pillars of Society
by Henrik Ibsen
produced by the Globe Repertory Theater
with Arthur Seelen, Julie Bovasso, Paula Gordon, Louis Vuolo, Phylis Castle, Lorne John Miles, Natalie Craveth, Aton Rolland, William Heywood, Jerry Orella Dabney, Mary Engelberg, and Marie Stuccio
February 14 - 25
