Identifier: arttheatrediscus00chen (find matches)
Title: The art theatre; a discussion of its ideals
Year: 1917 (1910s)
Authors: Cheney, Sheldon, 1886-1980
Subjects: Detroit Little theater movement
Publisher: New York, A. A. Knopf
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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k but in Detroit, not only inChicago but in San Francisco; and they will buildnot an aristocratic national theatre but native arttheatres. (A real millionaire is not necessary.A quarter- or even an eighth-millionaire woulddo, if he saw the true relative value between artand his business.) If we have seen each new attempt fail so far,it has been sometimes because wealth tried to takethe place of artistic taste, instead of endowing theartists, or because artistic enthusiasm refusedto link up with the practical budget-makingcommon sense which is the only excuse for ask-ing wealth to co-operate. But no matter howmany failures there have been, the spirit of thelittle theatre and community theatre has persisted,and new perceptions of theatre art have devel-oped; and I for one believe actively in the swiftcoming of organizations to conserve that spiritand satisfy those perceptions, organizations com-bining high purpose, sound management and will-ingness to work hard through the urge of art20
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Conditions in the American Theatre —the only combination that spells good dramaticart. HI Let us for a moment strike back a generation ortwo and see how the American theatre becameso thoroughly commercialized. Thirty years agoAmerica owned excellent repertory and stock play-houses and great actors, and the drama gave prom-ise of developing side by side with the other arts.Through some fault it degenerated instead, andcame to a place of actual degradation in the artworld. Twenty-two years ago two groups of influentialmanagers combined to control a larger field ofproduction than either could dominate alone. Thealliance became so powerful that other managersjoined, either in the hope of sharing the largerprofits or in self-defence. The syndicateadopted the methods common to lawless big busi-ness of that day. It started a merciless cam-paign to stamp out competition and kill off rivals.It bribed into its ranks as many big men as itcould, and then frightened into line as many more,big an

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