Dominic Dromgoole's 'Time Frames' Reassesses the Proscenium Arch Era, 1865–1965
In *Time Frames*, Dominic Dromgoole presents the proscenium arch theatre (1865-1965) as a groundbreaking venue for innovation, analyzing the works of over 70 playwrights and characterizing the structure as 'liberatingly restrictive.' He emphasizes its significance in Chekhov's Moscow Art Theatre, Brecht's theories in East Berlin, and Joan Littlewood's contributions at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Notably, Dromgoole reveals that 21% of West End plays produced during the interwar period were penned by women, including notable figures like Clemence Dane, Dodie Smith, Daphne du Maurier, and Alice Childress. The book reevaluates well-known authors such as Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw while also highlighting overlooked talents. It has been commended for championing playwrights and asserting that devised works lack 'the music of heard life' in the absence of a writer.
Key facts
- Dominic Dromgoole's book Time Frames covers the proscenium theatre era from 1865 to 1965.
- The book discusses more than 70 playwrights.
- Dromgoole describes the proscenium as 'liberatingly restrictive,' comparing it to a 14-line sonnet or 12-bar blues.
- Between the wars, 21% of West End plays were written by women, a higher ratio than later times.
- Clemence Dane's A Bill of Divorcement dealt with men returning from war still saturated in violence.
- Dodie Smith's Call It a Day is noted for its 'shamelessness about unbridled female desire.'
- Alice Childress's 1955 play Trouble in Mind dealt with tension between a black female actor and a white male director.
- The reviewer disagrees with Dromgoole's claim that Ibsen's plays have 'a fatal lack of jokes,' citing comic irony in The Wild Duck, Ghosts, and An Enemy of the People.
Entities
Artists
- Dominic Dromgoole
- Anton Chekhov
- Bertolt Brecht
- Joan Littlewood
- John Galsworthy
- Clemence Dane
- Dodie Smith
- Daphne du Maurier
- Alice Childress
- Lorraine Hansberry
- Oscar Wilde
- George Bernard Shaw
- Brendan Behan
- Gerhart Hauptmann
- Arthur Schnitzler
- Susan Glaspell
- Harold Pinter
- Henrik Ibsen
- Hugh Bonneville
- Maggie Gale
Institutions
- Moscow Art theatre
- Theatre Royal Stratford East
- Royal Court
- National Theatre
- Bush theatre
- Chichester Festival theatre
- The Guardian
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- East Berlin
- Germany
- West End