July 18, 1906: The future playwright Clifford Odets was born in #Philadelphia, at 207 W. George Street, in what his biographer Gerald Weales called "a three-story red brick house, familiar Philadelphia row style, flush against the sidewalk with two steps in front." The building is still there.

Don't mind me, I'm just lying on the floor, unable to move or speak . . . I may have been stung by a 🐝. #notaspellingbeeword #spellingbee

Undoubtedly so! By the way, I just came across this 1930 story in Philadelphia Inquirer archives . . I guess La Stanwyck really meant it when she said she was retiring from the stage . . . but thankfully not from acting entirely.

Marlon Brando took a streetcar from Broadway to Hollywood in 1948. I believe he never came back to the theater again.

A sound clip from our Encore Episode "Banned in Philadelphia" - released today! During the 1930s, some touring Broadway shows got into trouble in #Philadelphia. "The People's Mayor" S. Davis Wilson had his limits when it came to what he would allow in the city's #theaters. #theater #censorship

A friend shared with me a photo of the Broad Street Theatre's interior, from the Glazer Collection of the #Philadelphia Athenaeum. Taken in 1937, shortly before its demolition . . #theatre #theatrehistory #historictheatres

Four views of Broad Street between Locust and Spruce . . in 1876 it was the Alhambra Palace. By 1898 it was the Broad Street Theatre. The site is now taken up by the Doubletree Hotel and its parking garage. Since 1996 the Wilma Theater has occupied the corner of Broad & Spruce, to the south.

What's playing at the Roxy? I'll tell you what's playing at the Roxy! A story about how Philadelphia saved the 1950 pre-Broadway tryout run of the perfect show about New York! Find us on Apple Podcasts or any podcasting app . . . or listen right on our website! www.aithpodcast.com/encore-episo...

YEP

It's Hot as Hell/in Philadel . . phia!!! So stay inside and listen to our Encore Episode about Philly theater during the Bicentennial year of 1776! Find us on every podcasting app . . or click the link: www.aithpodcast.com/encore-episo...

I don't know the answer without looking it up, but while I WAS looking it up I also discovered . . . THERE WAS A THIRD IDENTICAL COUSIN!!

Terrell's innovative use of theater-in-the-round to mount musicals and plays was highly influential in the designs of many regional theaters constructed in the mid-20th Century - including Washington DC's Arena Stage, and Philadelphia's own Playhouse in the Park. (5 of 5. End)

On hand was Terrell's good friend, the cartoonist Al Hirschfeld. His drawing of the interior of the tent masterfully captured both the network of crisscrossing lines of the tent's canopy and lighting masts - and also the rapt delight of the audience surrounding the stage. (4)

The show starred the soprano Susanna Foster as the title character. She was joined onstage by her husband, Wilbur Evans. Eager crowds of theatergoers flocked to the opening night performance, and over 200 people were turned away (3)

In an era before wireless mics were invented, the specially-constructed wooden stage acted as a resonator for the actors' voices inside the tent. All seats were within 12 rows of the stage, boasted the actor/impresario, who had used his family's perfume manufacturing business to finance his dream(2)

July 2, 1949: St. John ("Sinjun") Terrell opened the Lambertville Music Circus on a New Jersey hilltop north of Philadelphia - Over the next quarter century he would bring popular musicals and plays to a string of his tent "music fairs" all across the country. (1)

Sample clip from our interview with Lane Savadove, the founder and longtime Artistic Director of EgoPo Classic Theater. Lane shares amazing stories of his journey, from his origins in the Philly area, to New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, Indonesia and back again. (Link to episode in Replies)

Yes!. . . and that Blossom Rock was Jeanette's!

Philly born and bred! Her first big break was playing Eleanor, the second female lead, in the national tour of 'Irene.' The show played her hometown in October of 1920, when she was 17 years old.

Grades are in!!!!! Spring Semester is over!!! Many thanks and a fond farewell to all my Theater History II students at Temple University. I especially appreciated all the fun outfits everyone wore on the day of the Final Exam.

Seems to be a back-formation of "tourist trap" - the use of "mujik" to describe his customers was perhaps Rose's own, when he was running the Casino de Paris in the summer of 1934, featuring a bunch of Russian variety artists. From Lucius Beebe's syndicated column:

April 9th was Paul Robeson's birthday! Paul Robeson often performed in Philadelphia theaters, including "The Emperor Jones" at the Walnut Street Theatre and "Roseanne" at the Lincoln Theatre, both in 1924. He starred in the pre-Broadway run of "Othello" at the Locust Street Theatre in 1943.

What????!!!!! Never knew about this! Thanks for sharing it. I found young Giancarlo Esposito (and other kids) with Shirley Jones in "Maggie Flynn" (1968) and also with Bette Davis in "Miss Moffat" (1974) in return . . .

A sound clip from our new episode! Find us wherever you get your pods on!

Philly’s own famous playwright, in the NYT crossword puzzle today!

My backstage reading today - signed by Gypsy Rose Lee, the author! Not bad for a book I checked out of the library.

@bcdreyer.social Hilariously, I was giving a Theater History lecture this morning to my students about the Federal Theatre Project, and was showing them all the great poster art from that era . . and for the first time I noticed the apostrophe in the name of the playwright of "Lysistrata" . .

A Hollywood story . . . or was it really a #Philadelphia #theater history story? Here's a sample of our sympathetic take on the life of actress Diana Barrymore, daughter of John Barrymore. You can find the complete episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!

A sound clip from our new episode! Herbert J. Biberman, is famous in Hollywood history for being "One of the Hollywood Ten." But his Philadelphia origin story - and his career in its theater world - is almost completely unknown . . . . because he wanted it that way. (Link to episode in Replies)

. . . and, along with that, here’s another thing that bugs me, NYT Spelling Bee! 🐝