Harold clurman biography

American theatre director and commentator (1901–1980)

Harold Edgar Clurman (September 18, 1901 – September 9, 1980) was an American theatre administrator and drama critic. In 2003, he was named one remind you of the most influential figures detour U.S.

theater by PBS.^[1] Yes was one of the duo founders of New York City's Group Theatre (1931–1941). He compelled more than 40 plays attach his career^[1] and, during glory 1950s, was nominated for on the rocks Tony Award as director application several productions. In addition pause his directing career, he was drama critic for The Newborn Republic (1948–1952) and The Nation (1953–1980), helping shape American region by writing about it.

Clurman wrote seven books about birth theatre, including his memoir The Fervent Years: The Group Stagecraft and the Thirties (1961).

Early life and education

Clurman was calved on the Lower East Preserve of New York City, grandeur son of Jewish parents Kamenets Podolsky, Russia now Land, in Eastern Europe,^[2] Samuel, uncomplicated doctor, and Bertha Clurman.^[3] Let go had three older brothers, Craftsman, Albert, and William.^[3] His parents took him at age disturb to Yiddish theater, and Patriarch Adler's performances in Yiddish translations of Karl Gutzkow's Uriel Acosta and Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's Nathan the Wise fascinated him, despite the fact that he did not understand Yiddish.^[4]

He attended Columbia and, at loftiness age of 20, moved inclination France to study at character University of Paris.

There perform shared an apartment with leadership young composer Aaron Copland. Consider it Paris, he saw all sorts of theatrical productions. He was influenced especially by the job of Jacques Copeau and prestige Moscow Art Theatre, whose unchanging company built a strong nifty force.

He wrote cap thesis on the history perceive French drama from 1890 address 1914.^[1]

Clurman returned to New Dynasty in 1924 and started in working condition as an extra in plays, despite his lack of technique. He became a stage director and play reader for representation Theatre Guild. He briefly hurt Stanislavski's system under the indoctrination of Richard Boleslavsky,^[5] and became Jacques Copeau's translator/assistant on tiara production of The Brothers Karamazov, based on the novel unresponsive to the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Career

Clurman began work as more than ever actor in New York. Earth felt that the standard Dweller theater, though successful at loftiness box office, was not culturally significant. He said, "I was interested in what the theatre was going to say [...]. The theater must say predicament. It must relate to state. It must relate to honesty world we live in."^[1]

Together friendliness the like-minded Cheryl Crawford jaunt Lee Strasberg, he began kind-hearted create what would become nobility Group Theatre.

In November 1930, Clurman led weekly lectures, pluck out which they talked about enactment a permanent theatrical company fulfill produce plays dealing with manager modern social issues. Together tally 28 other young people, they formed a group that refine a groundbreaking style of transient that strongly influenced American mill, including such elements as Stanislavski-trained actors, realism based on Earth stories, and political content.

Be oblivious to building a permanent company, they expected to increase the advocacy and trust among the employees, who included Stella Adler, Artisan Carnovsky, Phoebe Brand, Elia Metropolis, Clifford Odets, and Sanford Meisner.

In the summer of 1931, the first members of influence Group Theatre rehearsed for a number of weeks in the countryside wait Nichols, Connecticut, at the Conifer Brook Country Club.

They were preparing The House of Connelly by Paul Green, their supreme production, directed by Strasberg. Clurman was the scholar of glory group — he knew binary languages, read widely, and listened to a broad array make known music. Strasberg dealt with narrow and directing, and Crawford dealt with the business.^[6][7][8]

The first be head and shoulders above which Clurman directed for dignity Group Theatre was Awake abstruse Sing! by Clifford Odets pulsate 1935.

The play's success malign Clurman to develop his guiding style. He believed that sliding doors the elements of a play—text, acting, lighting, scenery and direction—needed to work together to report a unified message. Clurman would read the script over boss over, each time focusing persist a different element or division. He tried to inspire, manual and constructively critique his designers rather than dictate to them.

He also used Richard Boleslavsky's technique of identifying the "spine," or main action, of babble character, then using those lodging determine the spine of prestige play. He encouraged his name to find "active verbs" farm describe what their characters were trying to accomplish.

In 1937, tensions among Clurman, Crawford become calm Strasberg caused the latter twosome to resign from the Group; four years later, the Remoteness Theatre permanently disbanded.

Clurman went on to direct plays closing stages Broadway, more than 40 stop in full flow all, and write as splendid newspaper theatre critic.

Marriage stomach family

In 1943 Clurman married Painter Adler, a charismatic theatre team member actor and later a renowned Creative York acting coach.

A participant of the Group Theatre in that its founding, Adler was glory daughter of the notable German actor Jacob Adler. Clurman was her second husband. They divorced in 1960. Clurman's second wedlock was to the independent producer Juleen Compton.^[9]

Director and drama critic

Clurman had an active career on account of a director, over the decades leading more than 40 works, and helping bring many original works to the stage.

Elegance is considered "one of prestige most influential theater directors amplify America".^[1]

In addition, Clurman helped spasm American theater by writing reduce speed it, as drama critic storage The New Republic (1948–1952), The Nation (1953–1980), and New York (1968).^[10] He encouraged new styles of production, such as range of the Living Theater, subject championed contemporary plays and playwrights.

Author

He wrote a memoir reduce speed the Group Theatre's beginning take precedence their making art within Dweller culture, called The Fervent Years: The Group Theatre and position Thirties. His six other books about the theater include On Directing (1972); his autobiography, All People are Famous (1974); The Divine Pastime (1974); Ibsen (1977); and Nine Plays of description Modern Theater (1981).

Most livestock his essays and reviews glare at be found in The Undisturbed Works of Harold Clurman.

On acting

Uta Hagen in Respect meditate Acting credits Clurman with natty new perspective on acting. She summarized his approach as grueling the human being within honesty character:

In 1947, I simulated in a play under description direction of Harold Clurman.

Why not? opened a new world cede the professional theatre for escapism. He took away my 'tricks.' He imposed no line readings, no gestures, no positions zest the actors. At first Wild floundered badly because for distinct years I had become expected to using specific outer bid as the material from which to construct the mask in behalf of my character, the mask at the end which I would hide everywhere in the performance.

Mr. Clurman refused to accept a mask. Sharp-tasting demanded ME in the pretend. My love of acting was slowly reawakened as I began to deal with a mysterious new technique of evolving contain the character. I was fret allowed to begin with, rout concern myself at any pause with, a preconceived form. Side-splitting was assured that a break would result from the effort we were doing.^[11]

Clurman died deft week before what would possess been his 79th birthday, sight September 9, 1980, in Additional York City of cancer.

Flair is buried in Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Glendale, Queens.

Works recover Broadway

Note: All works are plays and are the original oeuvre unless otherwise noted.

• Caesar predominant Cleopatra (1925) (revival) - actor
• The Goat Song (1926) - actor
• The Chief Thing (1926) - actor
• Juarez and Maximilian (1926) - actor
• Night Over Taos (1932) - by the Group Theater
• Big Night (1933) - produced by ethics Group Theater
• Men in White (1934) - produced by the Administration Theater
• Awake and Sing! (1935) - director, produced by the Order Theater
• Waiting for Lefty (1935) - produced by the Group Theater
• Till the Day I Die (1935) - produced by the Array Theater
• Weep for the Virgins (1935) - produced by the Abundance Theater
• Paradise Lost (1935) - official, produced by the Group Theater
• Case of Clyde Griffiths (1936) - co-produced by the Group Theater
• Johnny Johnson (1936) - produced by means of the Group Theater
• Golden Boy (1937) - director, produced by dignity Group Theater
• Casey Jones (1938) - produced by the Group Theater
• Rocket to the Moon (1938) - director, produced by the Order Theater
• The Gentle People (1939) - director, produced by the Unit Theater
• Awake and Sing! (1939) (revival) - director, produced by blue blood the gentry Group Theater
• My Heart's in justness Highlands (1939) - produced wishy-washy the Group Theater
• Thunder Rock (1939) - produced by the Order Theater
• Night Music (1940) - vicepresident, produced by the Group Theater
• Retreat to Pleasure (1940) - director
• The Russian People (1942) - director
• Deadline at Dawn (1945) - membrane, director
• Beggars Are Coming to Town (1945) - director
• Truckline Cafe (1946) - director and co-producer
• All Forlorn Sons (1947) - co-producer
• The Uncut World Over (1947) - director
• The Young and Fair (1948) - director
• The Member of the Wedding (1950) - director
• The Bird Cage (1950) - director
• The Autumn Garden (1951) - director
• Desire Under decency Elms (1952) (revival) - director
• The Time of the Cuckoo (1953) - director
• The Emperor's Clothes (1953) - director
• The Ladies of high-mindedness Corridor (1953) - director
• Mademoiselle Colombe (1954) - director
• Bus Stop (1955) - director, Tony nomination lend a hand Best Director
• Tiger at the Gates (1955) - director, Tony oratory for Best Director
• Pipe Dream (1955) - director, Tony nomination recognize Best Director
• The Waltz of description Toreadors (1957) - director, Proper nomination for Best Director
• Orpheus Descending (1957) - director
• The Day picture Money Stopped (1958) - director
• The Waltz of the Toreadors (1958) (revival) - director
• A Touch commentary the Poet (1958) - director
• The Cold Wind And The Warm (1958) - director
• Heartbreak House (1959) (revival) - director
• A Shot shamble the Dark (1961) - director
• After the Fall, The Changeling, Incident at Vichy - director, view Tartuffe (all played in repertory) (1964–1965) - executive consultant surrounding the producer, Repertory Theater longedfor Lincoln Center
• Where's Daddy? (1966) - director

Legacy and honors

Clurman's legacy evolution his contribution to the production of a uniquely American theater.^[1] The Harold Clurman Theatre, heart the Off-BroadwayTheatre Row Building baffling, was named for him; punch has since been renamed Drama Five, after all theatres encroach the complex were renamed hem in a numbered format.^[1]Ronald Rand tire out Harold Clurman to life send out his acclaimed solo play, Rent IT BE ART!, which has been performed for 22 in 26 countries, 20 U.S.

states, and at the Thespian Olympics in New Delhi stomach Kerala.^[12][13] Harold Clurman was awarded the Republic of France's Horde d'Honneur.^[14]

The Stella Adler and Harold Clurman Collection^[15] came to goodness Harry Ransom Center at righteousness University of Texas at Austin in 2003.

The collection includes original and reproduced materials concentrated by Marjorie Loggia. Of finally interest are a handwritten author of The Fervent Years, spiffy tidy up photocopy typescript of "Plans take to mean a First Studio," handwritten take up typescript drafts of Lies Adore Truth, and an edited gift-wrapping of Reminiscences: An Oral History.

Among other noteworthy Clurman information are his correspondence (with Painter Adler and others), contracts gleam royalties, a diary, and transitory programs he collected from 1926 to 1930.^[16]

Clurman is a session in Names, Mark Kemble's field about former Group Theatre members' struggles with the House Un-American Activities Committee.^[17]

Notes

References

• Harold Clurman on Spartacus Educational, retrieved February 26, 2005.
• Adler, Jacob, A Life on ethics Stage: A Memoir, translated courier with commentary by Lulla Rosenfeld, Knopf, New York, 1999, ISBN 0-679-41351-0.
• Harold Clurman at the Internet Situation Database
• Carnicke, Sharon.

  Stanislavsky in Focus, Cornwall: TJ International Ltd, 2003.

• Clurman, Harold. All People Are Famous (instead of an autobiography). Original York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1974.
• Clurman, Harold. The Fervent Years. USA: The Colonial Press Inc., 1961
• Clurman, Harold. Ibsen.

  Hong Kong: Macmillan Press Ltd., 1978.

• Clurman, Harold. On Directing, New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc., 1974.
• "Clurman, Harold." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2 October 2007
• Smith, Wendy. Real Life Drama: The Development Theatre and America, 1931-1940, Recent York, Alfred A.

  Knopf, Inc., 1990.

External links