Theatre 1889

Theatre 1889

Freie Buhne* (Free Stage), a private theatre club (they don't have a building of their own), is started up in Berlin by a bunch of writers and critics who want to do something like Antoine*'s Theatre Libre*. It's under the direction of a guy named Otto Brahm* (1856-1912) and the group wants to put on the plays of new writers who are into Naturalism*. They start up with a production of Ghosts*.

NOTE: [This play is hardly what we would call Naturalism* today, but this is a good place to point something out. When we talk about style in the theatre we are referring to the way something is done. This can be the way it is written, or, it can be the way it is designed, acted, and/or produced. Up to now most plays are produced in the same way they are written, that is,

a realistic play is given a realistic production. Now this is changing. In this particular case they are taking a realistic play (with some symbolism* in it) and giving it a Naturalistic* production. Later there will be another producing group who will take the same play and give it a symbolistic* production.]

This year this theatre group has one of their greatest achievements when they discover a new playwright and put on his first play. The playwright is Gerhard Hauptmann* (1862-1946) and the play is Vor Sonnenaufgang* (Before Dawn). He will go on to write about thirty plays and

be regarded as the foremost German dramatist of his day and the best exponent of Naturalism*. We will look at him again a little later.

The Russian, Chekov*, has another full-length flop, The Wood-Demon *, and another successful one-act comedy, The Proposal*.

Gilbert* and Sullivan* write The Gondoliers* In Paris a Belgian poet (who has moved to France) named Maurice Maeterlinck* (1862-1949)

is busy writing mystic and symbolistic plays. This year he creates The Princess Maleine*. He will go on to write plays, marionette plays, poems, essays and studies. At least two of his plays will become classics (we'll pick them up as they happen.)

1889 Nietzsche* suffers a mental breakdown and retires to Weimar to be nursed by his sister. In the U.S., the 23rd president, Benjamin Harrison* (1833-1901) has run what is called the

most corrupt campaign in our history. He manages to squeak in by the vote of the electoral college, despite losing the popular vote. The U.S. gets its 39th, 40th, 41st and 42nd states this year, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington. Oklahoma Territory is opened to white settlement on April 22, and in the next 24 hours 50,000 claims are staked. That really most corrupt campaign in our history. He manages to squeak in by the vote of the electoral college, despite losing the popular vote. The U.S. gets its 39th, 40th, 41st and 42nd states this year, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington. Oklahoma Territory is opened to white settlement on April 22, and in the next 24 hours 50,000 claims are staked. That really

This is the year Jane Addams* (1860-1935), and Ellen Gates Starr, found Hull House*. This is a "settlement house" in Chicago. These settlement houses are springing up wherever there are large numbers of immigrants. The purpose is to provide help, training and guidance for the poor and to promote social reform. Some of these settlement houses will contribute to that neighborhood theatre business.

This year the money runs out, the French Panama canal* enterprise goes broke and lots of investors lose their life's savings. It's the biggest financial failure in history (up to this time) and the French government falls. De Lesseps* is convicted of misappropriation of funds (actually, he's just negligent). For quite a while into the future the word "Panama" will mean swindle, wasted lives and unspeakable national disgrace (remember how the French feel about honor). The wasted lives business refers to the over 20,000 dead in this ten year attempt. Actually, the French have done about a third of the work needed, for which the future builders will be very grateful. One of the French engineers, Philippe Jean Bunau-Varilla* (1859-1940) will come back later to help it along. But, for now, the technology and medical science isn't there yet. The whole thing will have to wait.

In America, a former slave, turned civil rights advocate, becomes part owner and reporter for the Memphis Free Speech. Between now (1889) and 1894 she will become famous for her antilynching crusades. Also this year, an Italian nun, Sister Frances Xavier Cabrini* (1850- 1917, who founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Italy) is sent by the Pope to help Italian immigrants in the U.S. [She will become the first U.S. citizen to be canonized (as Saint Cabrini), in 1946.]