Staging the War
Subtitle: American Drama and World War II
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Published: October 2003
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 304
ISBN-13: 9780253343109
Subjects: Theatre, drama; History; Plays / Drama; History: American; USA; American; Military - World War II; United States - 20th Century; 20th century; American drama; History and criticism; Literature and the war; Theater; United States; World War, 1939-1945
First sentence: During the years when the Depression was taking its toll on this country, the storm clouds of war were rapidly gathering over Europe and Asia.
Description: "What happened in American drama in the years between the Depression and the conclusion of World War II? How did the war make its impact on the theatre? More important, how was the drama used during the war years to shape American beliefs and actions? Albert Wertheim's Staging the War brings to light the important role played by the drama during what might arguably be called the most important decade in American history. As much of the country experienced the dislocation of military service and work in war industries, the drama registered the enormous change to the boundaries of social classes, ethnicities, and gender roles. In research ranging over more than 150 plays, Wertheim discusses some of the well-known works of the period, such as The Time of Your Life, Our Town, Watch on the Rhine, and All My Sons. But he also uncovers little-known and largely unpublished plays for the stage and radio, by such future luminaries as Arthur Miller and Frank Loesser, including those written at the behest of the U.S. government or as USO musicals. The American son of refugees who escaped the Third Reich in 1937, Wertheim gives life to this vital period in American history."--Jacket.