Elaine Stritch, who was born #otd 1925, w/ Larry Kert & Charles Braswell in the original production of Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY, c. 1970. Pic by the Friedman-Abeles studio via the Museum of the City of New York.

424 years ago #otd, a law student named John Manningham recorded in his diary that he'd seen a play called TWELFTH NIGHT; OR, WHAT YOU WILL at the Middle Temple. It's the 1st known performance of the Shakespeare comedy.

Harold Prince (b. #otd 1928) oversees set construction for SWEENEY TODD, 1978. Pic Martha Swope via the New York Public Library of the Performing Arts.

Arthur Kennedy, Karl Malden, and Beth Merrill in the original Broadway production of Arthur Miller's ALL MY SONS, which opened #otd 1947. Pic Fred Fehl via the New York Library for the Performing Arts.

Does one wish August Strindberg a happy birthday? Oslo's Ibsen Museum and Theatre recreates the apartment Ibsen lived in during his final years and shows the infamous Christian Krogh portrait of the ‘Miss Julie’ playwright above his rival’s desk.

Swedish playwright August Strindberg was born #otd 1849. Image from an original manuscript of his MISS JULIE, c. 1888. Image via Nordiska museet.

imagine being the guy who accidentally said "weasel" at a weird time 2400 years ago

Ethel Merman (b. 1/16/1908) w/ cast of ANYTHING GOES, 1934. Pic by the Vandamm studio via the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. #theatre #theatresky #musicals

1673 performance of Moliere's (b. 1/15/1622) IMAGINARY INVALID ("Le malade imaginaire") at Versailles. Via @gallicabnf.bsky.social

Gwen Verdon (b. 1/13/1925) w/ Russ Brown and Stephen Douglass in rehearsal for DAMN YANKEES, 1955. Pic by the Talbot studio via the Museum of the City of New York. #theatre #theatrehistory #musicals

Even before the Revolution, theatre played a crucial role in the cultural life of the American colonies. One of the most popular plays of the era - and a personal favorite of George Washington’s - was Joseph Addison’s 1712 tragedy CATO.

As you may have heard, the United States of America is turning 250 years old in 2026. Throughout those 2 1/2 centuries, theatre and performance have been vital components of American culture.

Happy birthday to James Lapine, seen here during rehearsals for SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, 1984. Pic Martha Swope via the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Some news: the podcast now has a YouTube channel! Working on getting old episodes posted there, albeit currently w/ nothing more than the show logo for visuals. www.youtube.com/@TheatreHist...

Gypsy Rose Lee's (b. 1/8/1911) "diploma" for an "entire course of 'Strip-Tease'" from Minsky's Burlesque, 1937. Via the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

New unpublished film shows a happy and smiling Federico García Lorca performing with his theatrical company ‘La Barraca’ in 1932. There's a video at the link below! #Lorca

This Month in Theatre History features the opening of an all-Black cast revival of “Hello, Dolly!” on Broadway, playwright Pauline Phelps’s birth in 1870, a late actor’s skull playing Yorick, and more. 

A thread of protest, censorship, and direct action runs through this month’s entries, including El Teatro Campesino’s founding amidst the Delano Grape Strike, the inaugural Women’s One World Festival, and more. www.americantheatre.org/2025/10/07/t...

Your best ever night at the #theatre? Join us @ihr.bsky.social on Thurs 13 Nov to recreate it - or stage the show of your dreams - & discover the use of #toy theatre in #heritage #research! From my fab PhD student @pdwebster.bsky.social. @beinghumanfest.bsky.social www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Scene from Robert Wilson's THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOSEPH STALIN at BAM Opera House, 1973. Wilson, who died earlier this year, was born #otd 1941 and became one of the preeminent artists of the contemporary theatrical avant-garde. Pic by Jennifer Merin via Wilson's official site, robertwilson.com

Saturday 25th October we're performing the 1616 text for Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe and his many (occasionally posthumous) friends. Following that is our season panel discussing the Wyrd in the early modern, the plays we're covered and more - but who are these wonderful panellists?

Zita Johann as Young Woman and Clark Gable as Man in Sophie Treadwell's (b. 10/3/1885) MACHINAL, 1928. Pic by the Vandamm studio via the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. #theatre #broadway

Love the little "small print" joke from this 1949 historical mockup from The Onion...

For decades, Redford had a tortured relationship with acting--one critic described him as behaving like the handsome high school senior who'd grudgingly agreed to star in the class play. Here's some raw transcript from when I asked him about Mike Nichols directing him in Barefoot in the Park. (1/2)

Robert Redford in BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, 1963. Pic by the Friedman-Abeles studio via the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Oct. 28th, 1960: The Irish Rebellion drama "Little Moon of Alban" by James Costigan had its world stage premiere at the Forrest #Theatre in #Philadelphia. Miss Harris got very good reviews. But not unnoticed by audiences was a young actor playing her character's slain fiancé - Robert Redford. #RIP

Scene from Jean-Louis Barrault's (b. 9/8/1910) 1947 production of LA FONTAINE DE JOUVENCE ("The Fountain of Youth), which featured Madeline Renaud & Marcel Marceau in addition to Barrault himself. Pic Etienne Bertrand Weill via @labnf.bsky.social

We hold the world's largest Samuel Beckett Collection, and frequently welcome researchers, actors and dramatists. In April, this included the cast of the upcoming Jamie Lloyd Co production of Waiting for Godot – including actors Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter! www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/t...

“It’s not clear whether the reaction of higher-ups at the University of Central Oklahoma rose to the level of freaked out or afraid, but something got their hackles up.” My report on censorship of a new play.

“Nowhere else in Japan today is the ancient drama form so widely embraced as it is on Sado. The fishing and farming communities here have made the medieval art form a central part of their local culture, which children learn while still in school.”

Joseph Papp (b. 6/23/1921) looking over the site where the Delacorte Theater was being constructed in 1960. Pic by George E. Joseph via the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Robe worn as part of a costume for a role in Japanese noh. This late-18th-century item of clothing, known as an "atsuita," would have been worn by an actor playing a male role. Via the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Illustration for Irish poet and playwright W.B. Yeats's (b. 6/13/1865) noh-inspired one-act AT THE HAWK'S WELL, 1921. From his FOUR PLAYS FOR DANCERS via @archive.org

Uta Hagen (b. 6/12/1919) as Nina in the 1938 Broadway production of Chekhov's THE SEAGULL. Pic by the Vandamm studio via the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Zakes Mokae, James Earl Jones, and Ruby Dee in BOESMAN AND LENA at Circle in the Square, 1970. The play was by South African playwright Athol Fugard, who was born #otd 1932 and died in March of this year. Pic via the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

This month, we recall the founding director of Houston’s A.D. Players Theatre Company, Jeannette Clift George; the Wooster Group’s first postdramatic theatre production, SAKONNET POINT; and the premiere of William Finn and James Lapine’s FALSETTOLAND at Playwrights Horizons in 1992.

C. 1580 depiction of the renowned commedia dell'arte troupe known as I Gelosi, who found fame in both Italy and France. The actress at center is often identified as Isabella Andreini (d. 6/10 or 11/1604), one of the company's leaders and its star performer. Via @museecarnavalet.bsky.social

Gold cigarette case owned by Cole Porter, who was born #otd 1891. Via Museum of the City of New York.

Never meet your heroes, it's often said. But when a young Jason Robert Brown got a job synth-orchestrating an ill-fated STAR WARS musical with one of his musical theatre idols, Charles Strouse, he found his elder a model of craft, creativity, and unflappable professionalism.

Curious about this whole York Mystery Plays in Toronto thing?? Well, you should be! Listen to me talk about the plays and our approach to performing medieval drama.

Sad to read of the passing of Charles Strouse, whose songs I've been singing since I was a teen. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/t...

#OTD "The Countess Cathleen" by W. B. Yeats is performed for the first time in 1899 at the The Irish Literary Theater in Dublin. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cou... "The Countess Cathleen" at PG www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5167 William Butler Yeats by William Rothenstein

Listen to me get nerdy about early #medieval #drama and #theatre! Many thanks to @thoetp.bsky.social for having me on

To mark Helene Weigel's 125th birthday on May 12, the Berliner Ensemble will stream a 1957 recording of her in Brecht's "Mother Courage and Her Children" free of charge for one week starting May 9 at 8 p.m.

The 1906 earthquake leveled San Francisco—over 80% of the city was destroyed including the city’s vibrant theater district. Opera houses, vaudeville stages, and concert halls were reduced to rubble. These images from @ransomcenter.bsky.social

April 19, 1974: "Member of the Wedding" had its opening night at Plays & Players, the longtime Philadelphia "Little Theater" and dramatic club on Delancey St. This production now seems notable to us mostly for the actor who played the small role of "Barney McKean": a local lad named Kevin Bacon.