The Theatre

When does popular entertainment become art—and who is responsible when it does not?

In The Theatre, celebrated drama critic George Jean Nathan delivers a sharp, unapologetic assessment of the American stage during the early twentieth century.

Nathan examines a theatrical culture in which safe spectacles, fashionable stars, sentimental dramas, and easily marketable productions frequently overpower more ambitious work. While serious plays struggle to survive, commercially dependable entertainment fills theatres and dominates public attention.

Yet Nathan does not place the blame solely on producers. He considers the influence of audiences, critics, newspapers, advertising, regional tastes, and the relentless demands of the box office. He argues that American theatre can rise only when artists are encouraged to pursue imagination, honesty, and dramatic excellence without surrendering completely to commercial pressure.

Along the way, Nathan defends playwrights and theatrical innovators willing to take genuine artistic risks, including Eugene O'Neill, while questioning the standards by which acting, playwriting, and theatrical success are judged.

Witty, provocative, and uncompromising, The Theatre offers a revealing portrait of Broadway and American cultural life at a moment when modern drama was still fighting for recognition.

Narrated by Brett Carter, this historic essay will appeal to actors, directors, playwrights, critics, theatre students, and listeners interested in the continuing struggle between art and commerce.