Amateur Theatre Wiki - User contributions [en]

Race

2025-09-08T19:06:53Z

Mary Isbell: added accounts of Philadelphia Amateur Dramatic Association

Evidence of the involvement of people of colour within private and amateur theatricals is poorly evidenced in the historical record. This page aims to gather together evidence to better support our historical understanding and research of the historical contribution of people of colour to private and amateur theatricals.

At Hinchingbrook, in November 1787 Lord Sandwich reportedly had taken over managing the thunder and the lightning. It was noted that 'formerly a ''Black Servant'' of his used to direct the storms - but it was thought his outward appearance made them too horrible. Lord Sandwich, however, continued him 'till his death - as his Lordship never regarded any outwards appearances whatever.' <ref>Collection of cuttings in scrapbook on private theatricals, British Library</ref>

Public prejudices could actually block public amateur theatricals from taking place. In 1888, the Philadelphia Amateur Dramatic Association (PADA), “a downtown organization of young colored thespians,” sought $1,000 in damages from Peter Reuter, the proprietor of the Wheatley Dramatic Hall, for breach of contract (“Colored Actors” 1). The PADA had reserved the hall weeks in advance for a performance of ''The Hunchback'' and the first act of ''Hamlet'', and “about 800 tickets were printed, circulars were distributed, programmed procured, costumes hired, and ushers engaged for the performance.” About $100 worth of tickets had been sold and then a week before the performance Mr. Reuter informed Mr. Anderson, the business manager of the association, that they could not have the hall because another company had engaged it for the whole week. The PADA had to return the money for tickets and were of course responsible for the debts contracted (“Colored Actors” 1).<ref>“Colored Actors Claim Damages.” ''New York Times'' 13 October 1888. 1.</ref>

The Macedonian Scourge

2025-09-08T18:42:55Z

Mary Isbell: created article, citing source.

A short-lived publication produced aboard USS Macedonian featuring reviews of shipboard theatricals.<ref>Isbell, Mary. “Recognition and Anonymity: Shipboard Theatricals and Newspapers Aboard USS Macedonian.” ''Shipboard Literary Cultures: Reading, Writing, and Performing at Sea'', edited by Susann Liebich and Laurence Publicover, Springer International Publishing, 2021, pp. 85–106. ''Springer Link'', <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85339-6_4</nowiki>.</ref>

The Thespian Critic and Theatrical Review

2025-09-08T18:12:59Z

Mary Isbell: created article, citing source.

A short-lived handwritten publication produced aboard USS ''Macedonian'' featuring reviews of shipboard productions about the ''Macedonian.''<ref>Isbell, Mary. “Recognition and Anonymity: Shipboard Theatricals and Newspapers Aboard USS Macedonian.” ''Shipboard Literary Cultures: Reading, Writing, and Performing at Sea'', edited by Susann Liebich and Laurence Publicover, Springer International Publishing, 2021, pp. 85–106. ''Springer Link'', <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85339-6_4</nowiki>.</ref>

The Amateurs of Her Majesty's Ship Chesapeake

2025-09-08T18:05:34Z

Mary Isbell: Created page with "An amateur theatrical troupe made up of sailors and petty officers that performed from 1857-1860 aboard HMS Chesapeake and in ports like Aden, Jeddah, and Calcutta.<ref>Isbell, Mary. “When Ditchers and Jack Tars Collide: Benefit Theatricals at the Calcutta Lyric Theatre in the Wake of the Indian Mutiny.” ''Victorian Literature and Culture'', vol. 42, no. 3, Sept. 2014, pp. 407–23. ''Cambridge Core'', <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.10..."

An amateur theatrical troupe made up of sailors and petty officers that performed from 1857-1860 aboard [[wikipedia:HMS_Chesapeake_(1855)|HMS Chesapeake]] and in ports like Aden, Jeddah, and Calcutta.<ref>Isbell, Mary. “When Ditchers and Jack Tars Collide: Benefit Theatricals at the Calcutta Lyric Theatre in the Wake of the Indian Mutiny.” ''Victorian Literature and Culture'', vol. 42, no. 3, Sept. 2014, pp. 407–23. ''Cambridge Core'', <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1017/S1060150314000060</nowiki>.</ref>

Bombastes Furioso

2025-09-08T17:46:10Z

Mary Isbell: created article (copying article from Wikipedia)

'''''Bombastes Furioso''''', subtitled ''A Burlesque Tragic Opera'', was written in 1810 by William Barnes Rhodes (sometimes credited as Thomas Barnes Rhodes). The first authorized printed edition was published in 1822. It is a drama with comic songs, that satirizes the bombastic style of other tragedies that were in fashion at the time.

It was very popular throughout the 19th century—its popularity was sufficient for two quotations to appear in ''Bartlett's Familiar Quotations'', and for Lewis Carroll to refer to it in his poem "Melancholetta".

The part of Bombastes was first played by Richard John Smith.

== Characters ==

* '''Artaxaminous''' – King of Utopia
* '''Fusbos''' – Minister of State
* '''Bombastes''' – general of Artaxaminous
* '''Distaffina''' – troth-plight (fiancé) of General Bombastes

== Plot ==
King Artaxaminous wishes to divorce his wife Griskinissa, and marry Distaffina. Distaffina, however, is betrothed to General Bombastes. Artaxaminous promises Distaffina "half a crown" if she will forsake the general for him. Distaffina is unable to resist, and abandons Bombastes. When the general learns of this, he goes mad, hangs his boots on the branch of a tree, and challenges anyone who would remove them. Artaxaminous cuts the boots down, and the general kills him. Fusbos, coming upon this, kills Bombastes. At the end of the drama, the dead men jump up and promise "to die again tomorrow", if the audience desires it.

== Notes ==
The story of ''Bombastes Furioso'' is based in part on ''Orlando Furioso''.

The sign that Bombastes places on the tree with his boots reads:

: Who dares this pair of boots displace,
: Must meet Bombastes face to face.

According to Bartlett, this is a reference to a quote from Don Quixote:

: Let none but he these arms displace,
: Who dares Orlando's fury face.

(This itself is a reference to Orlando Furioso.)

== References ==

* Bartlett, John. ''Familiar Quotations''. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1919.
* Brewer, E. Cobham, Rev., LL.D. ''Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol 1''. New York, 1892.

Damon and Pythias (1821 Play)

2025-09-08T17:40:31Z

Mary Isbell: created article (copying article from Wikipedia)

'''''Damon and Pythias''''' is an 1821 tragedy by the Irish writers John Banim and Richard Lalor Sheil.<ref>Morash p.84</ref> It is based on the Greek legend of Damon and Pythias. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 28 May 1821.<ref>Nicoll p.291</ref> The original cast included William Macready as Damon, Charles Kemble as Pythias, William Abbot as Dionysius, Daniel Egerton as Damocles, William Chapman as Nicias, Thomas Comer as Procles, Charles Connor as Lucullus and Maria Foote as Hermion. It was widely performed in Ireland and the United States including at the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.

== References ==
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== Bibliography ==

* Burwick, Frederck Goslee, Nancy Moore & Hoeveler Diane Long . ''The Encyclopaedia of Romantic Literature''. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
* Morash, Christopher. ''A History of Irish Theatre 1601-2000''. Cambridge University Press, 2002.
* Nicoll, Allardyce. ''A History of Early Nineteenth Century Drama 1800-1850''. Cambridge University Press, 1930.

Hasty Pudding Theatricals

2025-09-08T17:32:41Z

Mary Isbell: created article (copying article from Wikipedia)

[[File:The_Hasty_Pudding_Lobby,_12_Holyoke_St,_Cambridge_MA.jpg|link=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Hasty_Pudding_Lobby,_12_Holyoke_St,_Cambridge_MA.jpg|right|thumb|250x250px|{{center|The Hasty Pudding lobby}}]]
'''Hasty Pudding Theatricals''' is a student theatrical society at Harvard University known for its annual burlesque crossdressing musicals as well as its Man and Woman of the Year awards.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Yano|first1=Christine R.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OVxnDwAAQBAJ&dq=hasty+pudding+burlesque+crossdressing&pg=PT121|title=Straight A's: Asian American College Students in Their Own Words|last2=Akatsuka|first2=Neal K. Adolph|date=2018-08-09|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-1-4780-0209-3|language=en}}</ref> The Pudding is the oldest theatrical organization in the United States and the third oldest in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hasty Pudding Theatricals|url=http://hastypudding.org/hasty-pudding-theatricals|access-date=2018-06-17|website=Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770|language=en}}</ref> Its annual production is a musical comedy that often touches on topical social and political issues.

== History ==
Hasty Pudding Theatricals was formed in 1795 as a social club for Harvard College students to cultivate the social affections and cherish the feelings of friendship & patriotism. On December 13, 1844, the Pudding put on its first full performance - William Barnes Rhodes' burlesque opera ''Bombastes Furioso.'' After a period of producing popular comedies by established playwrights, student members of the Pudding began to write their own shows, starting in 1882 with a production of ''Dido and Aeneas'' by Owen Wister.<ref name="history">{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.hastypudding.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=51|access-date=February 6, 2010|website=Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770|publisher=}}</ref> The event was interrupted for 2 years during each of the World Wars and the fifth time came in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cast was limited to only men (often performing in drag) until 2018,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wang|first=Lucy|date=January 26, 2018|title=In Historic Reversal, Hasty Pudding Theatricals to Let Women Join Cast|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2018/1/26/hasty-pudding-women/|access-date=December 13, 2024|work=[[The Harvard Crimson]]}}</ref> though women played a role in the company for many years, primarily as costumers. In 1948 Felisa Vanoff became Pudding's first female choreographer,<ref name="auto">{{cite web|first=Carmel|last=Dagan|url=https://variety.com/2014/legit/people-news/felisa-vanoff-dancer-patron-of-the-arts-dies-at-89-1201217371/|title=Felisa Vanoff, Dancer, Patron of the Arts, Dies at 89|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=10 June 2014|access-date=7 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Emma S.|date=25 June 2014|title=Obituary: Felisa Vanoff / Groundbreaking dancer and choreographer, June 11, 1924 – May 29, 2014|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/news/obituaries/2014/06/26/Obituary-Felisa-Vanoff-Groundbreaking-dancer-choreographer/stories/201406220253|access-date=7 July 2014|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]}}</ref> and in 1978 Diane Nabatoff became its first female producer. In 2009 Megan Amram and Alexandra Petri became the first all-female team to write the musical comedy. The technical crew, band, and business staff has been co-ed for many years.

== Notable alumni ==

* BJ Averell, a Grand Prize winner of ''The Amazing Race''
* Megan Amram
* Paris Barclay, Emmy-winning director and producer for dozens of film and television projects including ''NYPD Blue'', ''Sons of Anarchy'' and ''Glee'', and in 2013 was elected President of the Directors Guild of America
* Nell Benjamin, who herself wrote the award-winning play ''The Explorers Club''
* John Berman, news anchor for CNN
* Andy Borowitz, humorist
* Josh Brener, actor in ''Silicon Valley'', ''Maron'', and ''The Big Bang Theory'', and former Pudding President
* Francis Cabot, American financier, gardener and horticulturist
* Henry Ives Cobb Jr., artist
* Jerry Colker, who won the Drama Desk Award for authoring the book for the Off-Broadway musical ''Three Guys Naked From the Waist Down''
* Edward Everett, politician and orator at Gettysburg
* Fred Gwynne, Actor
* William Randolph Hearst, newspaper publisher
* Rashida Jones, actress in ''Parks and Recreation'', ''The Office'', ''Boston Public'', and the film ''I Love You, Man''
* Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., physician, poet, and polymath
* David Javerbaum, playwright who has won 13 Emmy Awards, including 11 as head writer for ''The Daily Show''
* Jack Lemmon, Oscar winner
* Alan Jay Lerner lyricist and librettist notable for collaboration with Frederick Loewe
* J.P. Morgan Jr., financier
* Dean Norris, actor in ''Breaking Bad'' and ''Under the Dome''<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/WaBi9fe_EQ0 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120830064351/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaBi9fe_EQ0&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaBi9fe_EQ0|title=Dean Norris On Playing Hank On "Breaking Bad" {{!}} CONAN on TBS|website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* Mark O'Donnell, librettist who won a Tony Award in 2003 for co-authoring the book for ''Hairspray''
* Michael O'Hare, Actor
* Laurence O'Keefe, actor and composer, wrote the music and lyrics for the Off-Broadway shows ''Bat Boy: The Musical'' and ''Heathers: The Musical''
* Mark O'Keefe, co-wrote and co-produced the movies ''Bruce Almighty'' and ''Click''
* Alexandra Petri
* Joe Raposo, composer, songwriter, pianist; for stage, screen, television Sesame Street etc.
* Mo Rocca, comedian and former Pudding librettist and president
* Franklin Delano Roosevelt, US President
* Theodore Roosevelt, US President
* Felisa Vanoff (1925–2014), who became the company's first female choreographer in 1948 (although women had been included as costumers for many years prior)<ref name="auto">{{cite web|first=Carmel|last=Dagan|url=https://variety.com/2014/legit/people-news/felisa-vanoff-dancer-patron-of-the-arts-dies-at-89-1201217371/|title=Felisa Vanoff, Dancer, Patron of the Arts, Dies at 89|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=10 June 2014|access-date=7 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Emma S.|date=25 June 2014|title=Obituary: Felisa Vanoff / Groundbreaking dancer and choreographer, June 11, 1924 – May 29, 2014|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/news/obituaries/2014/06/26/Obituary-Felisa-Vanoff-Groundbreaking-dancer-choreographer/stories/201406220253|access-date=7 July 2014|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]}}</ref>
* William Weld, former Governor of Massachusetts<ref name="history">{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.hastypudding.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=51|access-date=February 6, 2010|website=Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770|publisher=}}</ref>
* Fairfax Henry Wheelan, American businessman, philanthropist, and political reformer.
* Owen Wister, novelist and biographer<ref name="history">{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.hastypudding.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=51|access-date=February 6, 2010|website=Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770|publisher=}}</ref>

== Origins of name ==
The Hasty Pudding name comes from a colonial era (originally British) dish called hasty pudding, a kind of porridge made from cornmeal with molasses, honey or other ingredients. It is not clear whether the dish was originally a staple or a dessert, but it is now served for dessert at the banquets thrown by the Pudding, such as opening night celebrations and the annual "roasts" for their Man and Woman of the Year.

== Honorary awards ==
{{Main|Hasty Pudding Man of the Year}}
Main article: Hasty Pudding Man of the Year
{{Main|Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year}}
Main article: Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year

The society is notable for their annual selection of famous entertainers as Woman of the Year since 1951 and Man of the Year since 1967. These awards are usually treated with great seriousness by the honorees. Since the unanticipated personal appearance of Jane Fonda to accept her award in 1961, the honorees always attend the awards ceremony, and are treated to a celebratory "roast", and a parade.

== Symbols ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2019}}
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The Hasty Pudding Theatricals has adopted many symbols. It has two official logos: the first is a sphinx holding a pudding pot, and the second is a pudding pot depicted hanging over a fire. Its main colors are deep blue, crimson, green and yellow. The shade of yellow used by the club is an ode to the color of traditional hasty pudding. The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Hasty Pudding Club, and Harvard Krokodiloes are all organizations of the Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770 and share the same meeting space and social events on Harvard's campus.

''Concordia Discors'' is the official motto of the Hasty Pudding, literally meaning: Discordant Harmony, or organized chaos, in English.