Jacques Copeau's Friends and Disciples: The Théâtre Du Vieux-Colombier in New York City, 1917-1919In a remarkable adventure, Jacques Copeau brought the troupe of the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier to the Garrick Theatre in New York City in the fall of 1917. During the next two theater seasons, he staged more than forty different plays in repertory in French. He experimented with the use of both the tréteau nu, a bare raised platform, for some of Molière's farces and the loggia or unit set for all his plays. Copeau's experiments with scenography mark this period as a critical moment in the evolution of stage décor both in the United States and in Europe. Moreover, his development of a full repertory - sometimes three new plays in a week - demonstrated to the United States' fledgling art theater movement how important a full repertory is for the actor's continued training. Jacques Copeau's Friends and Disciples brings to light the support Copeau received from a diverse group of personalities without whom his undertaking would not have been possible: Otto H. Kahn, financier and supporter of the arts; Mrs. Phillip Lydig, a grande dame of New York high society; Antonin Raymond, the Czech architect who renovated the Garrick Theatre; Daisy Andrews, Copeau's tireless factotum; Louis Jouvet, stage manager, actor, and scenographer; Charles Dullin, actor, director and teacher; Suzanne Bing, a member of the troupe who embodied Copeau's ideals; and lastly Agnès Thomsen Copeau, Copeau's loyal wife and companion. This study places the achievement of Copeau in the context of the developments of both European and American theater at the beginning of the twentieth century. |
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actors Agnès Copeau Agnès's American André André Gide Antonin Raymond April art theater artistic Arts du Spectacle audience Belasco Bibliothèque nationale Bing's Brothers Karamazov Cedar Court Charles Dullin Clurman Colombier concept costumes critic Daisy Hardenberg Andrews Dasté and Suzanne Département des Arts Despite Deuxième Partie director Fonds Copeau French theater friends Gallimard Garrick Theater Gide ibid ideas Jacques Copeau Jean Journal Kahn's L'Avare letter Little Theater loggia Louis Jouvet Lugné-Poe Maiène Marie-Hélène Marie-Hélène Dasté Martin du Gard Miss Andrews Molière Molière's nationale de France needed October Otto Kahn Pelléas performances plays playwright production professional Registres du Vieux-Colombier relationship repertory Rita Lydig Roger Martin role Rouché second season stage setting stagecraft summer Suzanne Bing Suzanne Maistre Saint-Denis Théâtre des Arts Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier Théâtre Français theatrical took tréteau troupe Varèse Vieux Vieux-Colombier's wife York City young