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Author Schildcrout, Jordan, author.

Title In the long run : a cultural history of Broadway's hit plays / Jordan Schildcrout
Published London ; New York : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2020
©2020

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Description 1 online resource (x, 224 pages) : illustrations
Contents Introduction -- 1910s. Lightnin': the triumph of the little guy -- 1920s. Abie's Irish rose: popularity crisis --1930s. Tobacco road: theatrical degeneration -- 1940s: Part one: the war years. Life with father: living through the war with father; The voice of the turtle: all's fair in love and war -- 1940s: Part two: the postwar years. Harvey: rabbits, rummies, and respectability; Born yesterday: popularity and political action -- 1950s. The seven year itch: the girl without a name; The Teahouse of the August moon: Broadway faces east -- 1960s. Mary, Mary: remarrying the witty woman; Barefoot in the park: the perpetual-motion machine -- 1970s. Gemini: splitting the difference; Deathrap: the hit list --1980s. Torch song trilogy: pride and prejudice; Brighton Beach memoirs: the last of the red hot plays -- Conclusion: 1986-2018
Summary "In the Long Run: A Cultural History of Broadway's Hit Plays presents in-depth analysis of 15 plays that ran over 1,000 performances, examining what made each so popular in its time--and then, in many cases, fall into obscurity. Covering one hundred years of theatre history, it traces the long-running Broadway play as a distinct cultural phenomenon that rises and falls from 1918 to 2018. Each chapter focuses on the longest-running plays of a particular decade, synthesizing historical research and dramaturgical analysis to explain how they functioned as works of theatrical art, cultural commodities, and reflections of the values, conflicts, and fantasies of their times. At the heart of each play's history are the ideological contradictions often present in works of popular culture that appeal to diverse audiences, particularly around issues of gender, race, class, and sexuality. Suitable for anyone with an interest in Broadway and its history, In the Long Run explores the nature of time in this ephemeral art form, the tensions between commerce and art, between popularity and prestige, and the changing position of the Broadway play within American popular culture"-- Provided by publisher
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Jordan Schildcrout is the author of the book Murder Most Queer, as well as articles on American theatre and culture published in Modern Drama, Theatre Journal, and The Journal of American Drama and Theatre. He is Associate Professor of Theatre & Performance at Purchase College, State University of New York, and also works as a dramaturg in New York City
Online resource; title from PDF title page (ProQuest Ebook Central, viewed March 6, 2020)
Subject Theater -- New York (State) -- New York -- History -- 20th century
Theater -- New York (State) -- New York -- History -- 21st century
American drama -- 20th century -- History and criticism
American drama -- 21st century -- History and criticism
Theater and society -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Theater and society -- United States -- History -- 21st century
PERFORMING ARTS -- Theater -- Broadway & Musical Revue.
PERFORMING ARTS -- Theater -- History & Criticism.
PERFORMING ARTS -- Theater -- Playwriting.
American drama
Theater
Theater and society
New York (State) -- New York
United States
Genre/Form Criticism, interpretation, etc.
History
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9780429555923
042955592X
9780429265372
0429265379
9780429560392
0429560397
9780429564864
0429564864