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The 1950s

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1959

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Dinny and the Witches

by William Gibson
directed by Jess Kimmel

with Will Albert, Dean Lyman Almquist , Julie Bovasso, Kay Doubleday, Ellen Bogan Engel, Harry Fritzius, Avril Gentles, Bill Heyer, Jesse Jacobs, Robert Leland, Bernard Reed, Sylvia Shay, E. Francis Simon, RenΓ©e Taylor

Ted Cappy, Movement/ John Robert Lloyd, Design/ Bernard Simon, Press Representative/ George Thorn, Stage Manager/ Bobby Scott, Musical Arrangements

Jess Kimmel and Alfred Stern, Producers

(drawing of Bill Heyer as Dinny and Kay Doubleday as Amy by William Auerbach-Levy)

 
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The Roots of Jazz

produced by Manny Fox

with African tribal royalty, Prince Onago and Princess Muana

It was the first presentation in the U.S. of African drums, dances, songs and rituals in a theatrical setting.

This revue marked Broadway producer Manny Fox's first major theatrical offering.


1958

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A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green

book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
music by Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne, AndrΓ© Previn, Saul Chaplin, and Roger Edens

performed by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

 

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Camille

By Alexander Dumas Fils
Produced And Directed By Wayne Richardson

with Colleen Dewhurst, Joseph Barr, Ethel Stevens, William Major, Elizabeth Townsend, Martha Orrick, Jo Henderson, Donald Marye, Alan Becker, Larry Swanson, Daniel Durning, William Roberts, Al Gallo And Ellena Rafael

Sets Designed By Robert Verberkmoes; Costumes Designed By Adri; Choreographed By Marvin Gordon

(drawing of Colleen Dewhurst and Robert Elston in "Camille" by William Auerbach-Levy)


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Endgame

by Samuel Beckett
directed by Alan Schneider

with Alvin Epstein, P.J. Kelly, Lester Rawlins and Nidia Westman


produced by Noel Behn
designed by David Hays

(Photos below by Gjon Mili/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)


1956

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This Property is Condemned

by Tennessee Williams

 

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Once Around the Block

by William Saroyan
directed by Ted Flicker

with Larry Hagman (pictured)

 

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Sideways and the Sound of Crying

by S. Lee Pogostin

 

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The Admirable Bashville And The Dark Lady Of The Sonnets

by George Bernard Shaw
directed by Charles Olsen

with Thomas Barbour, James N. Clark, Edward Crowley, J. Robert Dietz, Karl Farrar, William Kee, Fran Malis, Gerry Matthews, Glen Nielsen, Ray Rizzo, Frederick Rolf, Barbara Schanz, Frances Sternhagen*, Leo Bloom, Robert Ludlum, Ron Soble

Lester Hackett, Set Designer/ Jim Oyster, Costume Designer/ Gerald Feil, Lighting Designer/ Lewis Harmon, Press Representative/ Sol Jacobson, Press Representative/ Evelyne Delore, Stage Manager/ John Finkbinder, Stage Manager/ Jim Oyster, Stage Manager

produced by Preston-Olsen Productions

*Ms. Sternhagen (pictured) was awarded The Clarence Derwent Award for Unknown Featured Actress in US & Europe.


Purple Dust ran for 430 performances, longer than an O’Casey play had ever run anywhere.

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Purple Dust

by Sean O'Casey
directed by Philip Burton

with Harry Bannister, Alan Bergmann, Stephen Elliott, Alvin Epstein, Robert Geiringer, Stefan Gierasch, Bette Henritze, Mike Kellin, P.J. Kelly, James Kenny, Sandy Kenyon, Kathleen Murray, Paul Shyre, Mary Welch, Hugh Palmerston

(Replacement cast: Roger Evan Boxill, Robert Carle, Humphrey Davis, Peter Falk, Sandy Kenyon, Liam Lenihan, Scottie MacGregor, Hugh Palmerston, Patricia Peardon, Roy Poole, Alan Bergmann, Ellen-Cobb Hill, Betsy Holt)

Lester Polakov, Set , Costume, Lighting Designer / Lewis Harmon, Press Representative/ Sol Jacobson, Press Representative / Raymond Frederick, Stage Manager / Jay Harnick, Stage Manager/ Richard B. Shull, Stage Manager

Noel Behn, Howard Gottfried, Lewis Manilow, Paul Shyre: Producers

(drawing of Mary Welch as Souhaun and Harry Bannister as Cyril Poges in "Purple Dust" by William Auerbach-Levy)

 
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The Man With The Golden Arm

by Jack Kirkland
based on the book by Nelson Algren
directed by Louis MacMillan

with Robert Bernard, Maurice Brenner, Dick Campbell, Terry Carter, Maggie Davis, Virginia Downing, Peggy Feury, Vincent Gardenia, Harry Gresham, Lew Guss, Sidney Kay, Robert Loggia, Gene Miller, Frederick O'Neal, Diana Sands, Al Spartic, Dolores Sutton, Bob Weinsko, Metro Welles, Wayne Wilson

Paul Morrison Set Designer / Costume Designer / Lighting Designer

Doris Blum, General Manager / Sol Jacobson, Press Representative / Jay Russell, Press Representative / Edward Felton, Stage Manager / Hal Halvorsen, Stage Manager

Produced by Contemporary Theatre, Doris Blum and Louis MacMillan (pictured)


1955

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Proscenium Productions

Proscenium Productions at the Cherry Lane become the first Off-Broadway company to receive a Special Award Tony, for generally high quality and viewpoint, as shown in The Way of the World and Thieves’ Carnival.

The award was presented to Warren Enters, Robert Merriman and Sybil Trubin (pictured).

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Thieves’ Carnival

Jean Anouilh Playwright
Elmer Gordon Original Music
Lucienne Hill Translation
Warren Enters Director

Don Redlich Choreographer
Don Crawford Set Designer

with Martin Allen, Marie Andrews, Tom Bosley, Thomas Carlin, Keith Elliott, Gerry Fleming, Robert Geiringer, Marvin Gordon, Raymond Johnson, William LeMassena, Dolores Mann, Don Redlich, Frances Sternhagen, Jack Tamas, Bernard Tone, Stuart Vaughan

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Morning’s at Seven

by Paul Osborn
directed by Warren Enters

with Tom Bosley, Richard Bowler, Harrison Dowd , Kate Harrington, Dorrit Kelton, Walter Klavun, Gubi Mann, Martha Morton, June Walker

John Connell Set Designer /Don Crawford Costume Designer / David Lipsky Press Representative/ Jay Russell Press Representative / Raymond Johnson Stage Manager

produced by Proscenium Productions


 
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The Way of the World

by William Congreve
with Fritz Weaver, Thayer David, Nancy Wickwire and Louis Edmonds
Produced by Proscenium Productions

Proscenium Productions at the Cherry Lane become the first Off-Broadway company to receive a Special Award Tony, for generally high quality and viewpoint, as shown in The Way of the World and Thieves’ Carnival. The award was presented to Warren Enters, Robert Merriman and Sybil Trubin.


1952

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The Living Theatre at Cherry Lane

(Judith Malina and Julien Beck, Photo by Maris.)

 
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Ubu the King (Ubu Roi)

by Alfred Jarry
direction by Judith Malina
translation by Jane Warren and Arnold Devree

Mungi Moskowitz as Papa Ubu, Ruth Kaner as Mama Ubu, and Jackson MacLow as Captain Bordure (The Phynancial Horse played himself)

sets and costumes by Julian Beck, sound by Lucille Dlugoszewski "(structure for the poetry of everyday sounds)," lighting by William Neale, "diabolical mechanisms" by Ralph Dorazio.

Presented by The Living Theatre in August 1952

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The Heroes

by John Ashbery
Directed by Judith Malina, Scene by Julian Beck

Mungi Moskowitz, Ruth Kaner, Jackson Mac Low, Bjorn Halvorson, Eric Weinberger, Angelo Laiacona Henry Proach, Richard Newmar, Frances Clarke, Herbert Hartig, Murray Paskin, Norman Solomon, Serafina Hovhaness, Tchoukj Mattei

Presented by The Living Theatre in August 1952

 
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Faustina

by Paul Goodman
Directed by Judith Malina
Scene by Julian Beck
Music by Lou Harrison

with Julie Bovasso, Mary Gordon, Donald Marye, Cecil Cunningham, Henry Proach, Bruce Arcieri, John Young, Leonard Hicks, Tony Grosso, Walter James, Robert Donohue, Shirley Gleaner, Serafina Hovhaness, Norman Solomon, Richard Goode

(photo of Judith Malina and Paul Goodman by WeeGee)

May 1952

 
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A Night of Bohemian Theatre

by Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso and T.S. Eliot
Directed by Judith Malina
Scene by Julian Bec
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Ladies’ Voices by Gertrude Stein
with
Judith Malina, Frances Clarke

Sweeney Agonistes by T. S. Eliot
with
Christina French, Shirley Gleaner, Mihran Chobania, J.E. Duane, Angelo Laiacona, Walter Mullen, Henry Sulaiman, Cecil Cunningham

Desire Trapped by the Tail by Pablo Picasso
with
Otto Jones, Helen Wagner, Serafina Hovhaness, Shirley Gleaner, Donald Marye, Philip Smith, John Costello, Cecil Cunningham, Norma Jabour, Edith Delmar

Presented by The Living Theatre March 1952

 
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The Boy With A Cart

by Christopher Frye
directed by Alan James

with Louis Vuolo, Mary Gordon, Donald Marye, Athan Karras, Anne Mobley, Ralph Monileone, Alice Sobel, Ross Vaughn

sponsored by The Living Theater

American premiere production

February 2 - 16

 
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Music of Changes

by John Cage
with David Tudor
A reading by Dylan Thomas

Presented by The Living Theatre
Jan and Feb 1952


1951

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Beyond the Mountains

by Kenneth Rexroth
Directed & Scene by Julian Beck, Music by Richard Stryker, Choreography by Tei Ko Ito

with Judith Malina, Maurice Edwards, Bennes Marden, Ross Vaughn, Grace Seliber, Sybil Caron, Albert Pesso, Remy Charlip, Ralph Monteleone, Phyllis Gildston, James Walsh, Richard Merrell, Athan Karras, Shirley Gleaner, Tracey Woodward

Produced by The Living Theatre in December of 1951

 
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Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights

by Gertrude Stein

Directed by Judith Malina, Scene by Julian Beck, Music by Richard Banks, Choreography by Remy Charlip

with Donald Marye, Robert King Moody, Michael Wright, Sudie Bond, Tony Grosso, Kathe Snyder, Remy Charlip, Constance Mobley, Larry Swanson, Patty Dinnell, Louis Spencer

Produced by The Living Theatre in December of 1951

 
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The Thirteenth God
by Richard Gerson
directed by Judith Malina

designed by Julian Beck
with Judith Malina and Geraldine Page (pictured)

March, 1951

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Pillars of Society

by Henrik Ibsen

produced by the Globe Repertory Theater

with Arthur Seelen, Julie Bovasso, Paula Gordon, Louis Vuolo, Phylis Castle, Lorne John Miles, Natalie Craveth, Aton Rolland, William Heywood, Jerry Orella Dabney, Mary Engelberg, and Marie Stuccio

February 14 - 25


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