In the Brilliancy of the Footlights: Creating America’s Theatre

Introduction

“Out in the brilliancy of the footlights — filling the attention of perhaps a crowded audience, and making many a breath and pulse swell and rise — O’ so much passion and imparted life!”

--Walt Whitman, Memoranda

 

This exhibition celebrates the American stage—our playwrights, their plays, and that creative talent which transforms words into living theatre. A testament to our cultural heritage, the items assembled here capture the excitement and dynamism of more than two centuries of American theatre history. They take us simultaneously behind the scenes and into the limelight.

 

Curated by Margaret Downs Hrabe
University of Virginia Library

Introductory essay by John W.Frick
Associate Professor, Department of Drama,
University of Virginia