The Encyclopedia of the New York Stage, 1920-1930

The Encyclopedia of the New York Stage, 1920-1930 documents theatrical productions that appeared on New York stages during the 1920s. This comprehensive reference work covers Broadway, off-Broadway, and other significant theatrical venues across the city. The volume contains entries for over 3,600 productions, including plays, musicals, revues, and special performances. Each entry provides details about opening and closing dates, theaters, cast members, creative teams, plot summaries, and contemporary critical reception. Leiter's work captures a pivotal decade in American theater history through production data, reviews, and historical context. The encyclopedia includes indexes of shows, people, and theaters to facilitate research and cross-referencing. This encyclopedia serves as both a historical record and an analytical tool for understanding the cultural and artistic developments of 1920s New York theater. The work reveals patterns in programming, artistic innovation, and audience tastes during a transformative period in American performing arts.

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Samuel L. Leiter's overall work: Readers describe Leiter's works as thorough reference materials for theater research and documentation. Academic reviewers highlight his detailed chronological records and production data in the New York Stage series. Readers appreciate: - Comprehensive coverage of Japanese theater traditions - Precise documentation of cast lists and production details - Clear explanations of complex theatrical concepts - Extensive bibliographies and source citations Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style can be dry - High prices of reference volumes limit accessibility - Some dated cultural perspectives in earlier works - Limited coverage of smaller/experimental productions Amazon ratings average 4.2/5 stars across his books, with highest marks for "Historical Dictionary of Japanese Theatre" (4.6/5). Goodreads shows similar patterns, though with fewer total reviews. Library Journal and Choice reviews consistently note the reference value while acknowledging the specialized academic audience. One theater historian called his New York Stage documentation "invaluable but intimidating in scope." A kabuki researcher praised the "meticulous attention to historical accuracy."

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🎭 The book chronicles over 3,500 theatrical productions that appeared on Broadway and off-Broadway during the Roaring Twenties 📚 At 1,124 pages, it provides detailed information about every documented play including cast lists, plot summaries, critical reception, and run lengths 🎬 This decade marked the transition period when Broadway had to compete with the rising popularity of motion pictures and radio entertainment ✨ The author, Samuel L. Leiter, is Professor Emeritus of Theatre at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center, CUNY, and has written several other comprehensive theatre reference works 🗽 The 1920s saw the emergence of groundbreaking playwrights like Eugene O'Neill and the establishment of influential theatre groups like the Theatre Guild and the Provincetown Players