The Dresser

by Ronald Harwood

For more information, contact Karen Altree Piemme, Director of Outreach

karenp@sjrep.com or 408.367.7291

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San Jose Repertory Theatre

The Dresser By Ronald Harwood

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of Contents Synopsis……………..….....1

About the Playwright…..….2

World War II in Britain

• History……………........3

• The London Blitz….…4-5

• The Baedeker Raids…...6

• Women in the War

Effort……………..7-9

• War Rationing……10-11

Sir Donald Wolfit………...12

Actor-Manager System.....13

Shakespeare’s Canon…...13

Theatre Terminology...14-19

Further Research………... 20

SYNOPSIS

A Love Letter to TheatreA Love Letter to TheatreA Love Letter to TheatreA Love Letter to Theatre ItÊs 1942 in Britain and the smell of death is in the air. The si-rens howl, signaling another air raid, but inside the crumbling walls of a regional theatre in the provinces the aging actor, Sir, prepares to give his 227th performance as King Lear. Norman, SirÊs devoted, fuss-budget dresser, is barely able to take care of himself but faithfully assists Sir in near feudal servitude, mas-saging his ego, pampering his intellect and even creating sound effects for the Shakespearean production by SirÊs strug-gling troupe. This touching and poignant tribute to theatre, friendship and the human spirit in the face of great strife - be it war or oneÊs own debilitating mortality - proves that „the show must go on.‰

2

About the Playwright

He would later draw on this experience when he wrote the stage play, The Dresser, and the biography Sir Donald Wolfit CBE: His Life and Work in the Unfashionable Theatre. In 1959, after leaving the Wolfit company, he married Natasha Riehle and joined the 59 Thea-tre Company for a season at the Lyric Hammersmith.

In 1960, Harwood began a career as a writer and published his first novel, All the Same Shadows, in 1961, the screenplay, Private Potter, in 1962, and the produced stage play, March Hares, in 1964. Harwood continued at a prolific pace penning more than 21 stage plays, and 10 books. He also created more than 16 screen plays, but seldom wrote original material directly for the screen, usually acting as an adapter, sometimes of his own work (notably The Dresser).

One of the recurring themes in Harwood's work is his fascination for the stage, its per-forming artists and artisans as displayed in The Dresser, his plays, After the Lions (about Sarah Bernhardt), Another Time (a semi-autobiographical piece about a gifted South Afri-can pianist), Quartet (about ageing opera singers) and his non-fiction book All the World's a Stage, a general history of theatre. Harwood also has a strong interest in World War II, as shown by the films Operation Daybreak, The Statement, The Pianist, and his play turned to film Taking Sides, as well as the setting and atmosphere revealed in The Dresser. Harwood also wrote the screenplay for the films, The Browning Version (1994) with Albert Finney, Being Julia (2004) with Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons, and Roman Polanski's version of Oliver Twist (2005) with Ben Kingsley.

He won an Academy Award for the scri pt of The Pianist, having already been nominated for The Dresser in 1983. Harwood received his third Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2007 for his adaptation of the memoir by Jean-Dominique Bauby, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, for which he also won a BAFTA and the Prix Jacques Prevert Du Sce-nario, 2008, for Best Adaptation. In 2008, Harwood was awarded the Humanitas Award in recognition of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. He has been the Chairman of the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford since 2008. On June 12, 2010, at the annual Queen’s Birthday Honours, he received a knighthood for his services to the theatre.

Ronald HarwoodRonald HarwoodRonald HarwoodRonald Harwood

Harwood was born Ronald Horwitz in Cape Town, South Af-rica, on November 9, 1934, the son of Isobel (nLe Pepper) and Isaac Horwitz. He moved from Cape Town to London in 1951 to pursue a career in the theatre. He changed his name from Horwitz after an English master told him it was too foreign and too Jewish for a stage actor. After training for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he joined the Shakespeare Company of Sir Donald Wolfit. From 1953 to 1958, Harwood was Sir Donald's personal dresser.

World War II in Britain History

In late 1938, Britain attempted to appease Germany and avoid another world war by signing the Munich Pact. This gave Germany "permission" to invade the contested Su-detenland in Czechoslovakia. When Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia a few months later, it was clear that this attempt at appeasement did not work.

In March 1939, Britain announced that it would support Poland if Germany invaded it. Germany invaded anyway. (In secret, Hitler and Stalin had signed an agreement dividing up Poland between the two powers.)

On September 3, 1939, Britain declared war on Germa-ny. This marked the beginning of World War II in Europe. In May 1940, Britain got a more aggressive war-time leader -- Winston Churchill -- who replaced Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister. That same month, on May 26, 1940, in the face of a large-scale German of-fensive, British troops on the continent were forced into one of the largest evacuations in history -- the evacua-tion of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk on the Belgian coast.

From July to October 1940, the English people suffered under the Battle of Britain: intense German bombing. The objective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF), especially Fighter Com-mand.

The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces, and was also the largest

and most sustained aerial bombing campaign to that date. From July 1940 coastal shipping convoys and ship-ping centres, such as Portsmouth, were the main targets; one month later the Luftwaffe shifted its attacks to RAF airfields and infrastructure. As the battle progressed the Luftwaffe also targeted aircraft factories and ground infrastructure. Eventually the Luftwaffe resorted to at-tacking areas of political significance and using terror bombing tactics. September 7, 1940 heralded a tactical shift in Hitler's attempt to subdue Great Britain. Hitler turned his attention to destroying London in an attempt to demoralize the population and force the British to come to terms. (see page on The London Blitz)

But the Royal Air Force valiantly defended its homeland from the German Luftwaffe, and the Nazis were unable to crush British morale.

In March 1941, the U.S. began giving direct support to the British in the form of arms and ammunition through the Lend-Lease Act. After Pearl Harbor, in December, America would become directly involved in aiding the British in Europe. In January 1942, Roosevelt and Church-ill agreed to establish a Combined Chiefs of Staff and to the make defeating Germany their first priority. (Winning the war in Europe would come before winning the war in the Pacific.)

After three more long years, the Allies did win the war in Europe. Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 7, 1945. All told, Great Britain lost over 300,000 fighting men and over 60,000 civilians in World War II.

Winsto

n Church

ill

News headline, September 3, 1939

4

World War II in Britain The London Blitz

The appearance of German bombers in the skies over London during the afternoon of September 7, 1940 heralded a tactical shift in Hitler's attempt to subdue Great Britain. During the previous two months, the Luftwaffe had targeted RAF airfields and radar stations for destruction in preparation for the German invasion of the island. With invasion plans put on hold and eventually scrapped, Hitler turned his attention to destroying London in an at-tempt to demoralize the population and force the British to come to terms. At around 4:00 PM on that September day, 348 German bombers, escorted by 617 fighters blasted London until 6:00 PM. Two hours later, guided by the fires set by the first as-sault, a second group of raiders commenced anoth-er attack that lasted until 4:30 the following morn-ing.

This was the beginning of the Blitz - a period of in-tense bombing of London and other cities that con-tinued until the following May. For the next consecu-tive 57 days, London was bombed either during the day or night. Fires consumed many portions of the city. Residents sought shelter wherever they could find it - many fleeing to the Underground stations that sheltered as many as 177,000 people during the night. In the worst single incident, 450 were killed when a bomb destroyed a school being used as an air raid shelter. Londoners and the world were introduced to a new weapon of terror and destruction in the arsenal of twentieth century war-fare. The Blitz ended on May 11, 1941 when Hitler called off the raids in order to move his bombers east in preparation for Germany's invasion of Rus-sia.

An Eyewitness AccountAn Eyewitness AccountAn Eyewitness AccountAn Eyewitness Account "They came just after dark... " "They came just after dark... " "They came just after dark... " "They came just after dark... " Ernie Pyle was one of World War Two's most popular correspond-Ernie Pyle was one of World War Two's most popular correspond-Ernie Pyle was one of World War Two's most popular correspond-Ernie Pyle was one of World War Two's most popular correspond-ents. His journalism was characterized by a focus on the common ents. His journalism was characterized by a focus on the common ents. His journalism was characterized by a focus on the common ents. His journalism was characterized by a focus on the common soldier interspersed with sympathy, sensitivity and humor. He wit-soldier interspersed with sympathy, sensitivity and humor. He wit-soldier interspersed with sympathy, sensitivity and humor. He wit-soldier interspersed with sympathy, sensitivity and humor. He wit-nessed the war in Europe from the Battle of Britain through the nessed the war in Europe from the Battle of Britain through the nessed the war in Europe from the Battle of Britain through the nessed the war in Europe from the Battle of Britain through the invasion of France. In 1945 he accepted assignment to the Pacific invasion of France. In 1945 he accepted assignment to the Pacific invasion of France. In 1945 he accepted assignment to the Pacific invasion of France. In 1945 he accepted assignment to the Pacific Theater and was killed during the battle for Okinawa. Here, he de-Theater and was killed during the battle for Okinawa. Here, he de-Theater and was killed during the battle for Okinawa. Here, he de-Theater and was killed during the battle for Okinawa. Here, he de-scribes a night raid on London in 1940: scribes a night raid on London in 1940: scribes a night raid on London in 1940: scribes a night raid on London in 1940: "It was a night when London was ringed and stabbed with fire. They "It was a night when London was ringed and stabbed with fire. They "It was a night when London was ringed and stabbed with fire. They "It was a night when London was ringed and stabbed with fire. They came just after dark, and somehow you could sense from the quick, came just after dark, and somehow you could sense from the quick, came just after dark, and somehow you could sense from the quick, came just after dark, and somehow you could sense from the quick, bitter firing of the guns that there was to be no monkey business this bitter firing of the guns that there was to be no monkey business this bitter firing of the guns that there was to be no monkey business this bitter firing of the guns that there was to be no monkey business this night. night. night. night.

Shortly after the sirens wailed you could hear the Germans grinding Shortly after the sirens wailed you could hear the Germans grinding Shortly after the sirens wailed you could hear the Germans grinding Shortly after the sirens wailed you could hear the Germans grinding overhead. In my room, with its black curtains drawn across the win-overhead. In my room, with its black curtains drawn across the win-overhead. In my room, with its black curtains drawn across the win-overhead. In my room, with its black curtains drawn across the win-dows, you could feel the shake from the guns. You could hear the dows, you could feel the shake from the guns. You could hear the dows, you could feel the shake from the guns. You could hear the dows, you could feel the shake from the guns. You could hear the boom, crump, crump, crump, of heavy bombs at their work of tearing boom, crump, crump, crump, of heavy bombs at their work of tearing boom, crump, crump, crump, of heavy bombs at their work of tearing boom, crump, crump, crump, of heavy bombs at their work of tearing buildings apart. They were not too far away. buildings apart. They were not too far away. buildings apart. They were not too far away. buildings apart. They were not too far away.

Half an hour after the firing started I gathered a couple of friends Half an hour after the firing started I gathered a couple of friends Half an hour after the firing started I gathered a couple of friends Half an hour after the firing started I gathered a couple of friends and went to a high, darkened balcony that gave us a view of a third of and went to a high, darkened balcony that gave us a view of a third of and went to a high, darkened balcony that gave us a view of a third of and went to a high, darkened balcony that gave us a view of a third of the entire circle of London. As we stepped out onto the balcony a the entire circle of London. As we stepped out onto the balcony a the entire circle of London. As we stepped out onto the balcony a the entire circle of London. As we stepped out onto the balcony a vast inner excitement came over all of usvast inner excitement came over all of usvast inner excitement came over all of usvast inner excitement came over all of us----an excitement that had nei-an excitement that had nei-an excitement that had nei-an excitement that had nei-ther fear nor horror in it, because it was too full of awe. ther fear nor horror in it, because it was too full of awe. ther fear nor horror in it, because it was too full of awe. ther fear nor horror in it, because it was too full of awe. You have all seen big fires, but I doubt if you have ever seen the You have all seen big fires, but I doubt if you have ever seen the You have all seen big fires, but I doubt if you have ever seen the You have all seen big fires, but I doubt if you have ever seen the whole horizon of a city lined with great fires whole horizon of a city lined with great fires whole horizon of a city lined with great fires whole horizon of a city lined with great fires ---- scores of them, perhaps scores of them, perhaps scores of them, perhaps scores of them, perhaps hundreds. hundreds. hundreds. hundreds.

There was something inspiring just in the awful savagery of it. There was something inspiring just in the awful savagery of it. There was something inspiring just in the awful savagery of it. There was something inspiring just in the awful savagery of it. The closest fires were near enough for us to hear the crackling The closest fires were near enough for us to hear the crackling The closest fires were near enough for us to hear the crackling The closest fires were near enough for us to hear the crackling flames and the yells of firemen. Little fires grew into big ones even as flames and the yells of firemen. Little fires grew into big ones even as flames and the yells of firemen. Little fires grew into big ones even as flames and the yells of firemen. Little fires grew into big ones even as we watched. Big ones died down under the firemen's valor, only to we watched. Big ones died down under the firemen's valor, only to we watched. Big ones died down under the firemen's valor, only to we watched. Big ones died down under the firemen's valor, only to break out again later. break out again later. break out again later. break out again later.

About every two minutes a new wave of planes would be over. The About every two minutes a new wave of planes would be over. The About every two minutes a new wave of planes would be over. The About every two minutes a new wave of planes would be over. The motors seemed to grind rather than roar, and to have an angry pulsa-motors seemed to grind rather than roar, and to have an angry pulsa-motors seemed to grind rather than roar, and to have an angry pulsa-motors seemed to grind rather than roar, and to have an angry pulsa-tion, like a bee buzzing in blind fury. tion, like a bee buzzing in blind fury. tion, like a bee buzzing in blind fury. tion, like a bee buzzing in blind fury.

(continued...)(continued...)(continued...)(continued...)

5

World War II in Britain The London Blitz

The guns did not make a constant overwhelming din as in those terri-The guns did not make a constant overwhelming din as in those terri-The guns did not make a constant overwhelming din as in those terri-The guns did not make a constant overwhelming din as in those terri-ble days of September. They were intermittent ble days of September. They were intermittent ble days of September. They were intermittent ble days of September. They were intermittent ---- sometimes a few sometimes a few sometimes a few sometimes a few seconds apart, sometimes a minute or more. Their sound was sharp, seconds apart, sometimes a minute or more. Their sound was sharp, seconds apart, sometimes a minute or more. Their sound was sharp, seconds apart, sometimes a minute or more. Their sound was sharp, near by; and soft and muffled, far away. They were everywhere over near by; and soft and muffled, far away. They were everywhere over near by; and soft and muffled, far away. They were everywhere over near by; and soft and muffled, far away. They were everywhere over London. London. London. London.

Into the dark shadowed spaces below us, while we watched, whole Into the dark shadowed spaces below us, while we watched, whole Into the dark shadowed spaces below us, while we watched, whole Into the dark shadowed spaces below us, while we watched, whole batches of incendiary bombs fell. We saw two dozen go off in two batches of incendiary bombs fell. We saw two dozen go off in two batches of incendiary bombs fell. We saw two dozen go off in two batches of incendiary bombs fell. We saw two dozen go off in two seconds. They flashed terrifically, then quickly simmered down to pin seconds. They flashed terrifically, then quickly simmered down to pin seconds. They flashed terrifically, then quickly simmered down to pin seconds. They flashed terrifically, then quickly simmered down to pin points of dazzling white, burning ferociously. These white pin points points of dazzling white, burning ferociously. These white pin points points of dazzling white, burning ferociously. These white pin points points of dazzling white, burning ferociously. These white pin points would go out one by one, as the unseen heroes of the moment smoth-would go out one by one, as the unseen heroes of the moment smoth-would go out one by one, as the unseen heroes of the moment smoth-would go out one by one, as the unseen heroes of the moment smoth-ered them with sand. But also, while we watched, other pin points ered them with sand. But also, while we watched, other pin points ered them with sand. But also, while we watched, other pin points ered them with sand. But also, while we watched, other pin points would burn on, and soon a yellow flame would leap up from the white would burn on, and soon a yellow flame would leap up from the white would burn on, and soon a yellow flame would leap up from the white would burn on, and soon a yellow flame would leap up from the white center. They had done their work center. They had done their work center. They had done their work center. They had done their work ---- another building was on fire. another building was on fire. another building was on fire. another building was on fire. The greatest of all the fires was directly in front of us. Flames The greatest of all the fires was directly in front of us. Flames The greatest of all the fires was directly in front of us. Flames The greatest of all the fires was directly in front of us. Flames seemed to whip hundreds of feet into the air. Pinkishseemed to whip hundreds of feet into the air. Pinkishseemed to whip hundreds of feet into the air. Pinkishseemed to whip hundreds of feet into the air. Pinkish----white smoke white smoke white smoke white smoke ballooned upward in a great cloud, and out of this cloud there gradu-ballooned upward in a great cloud, and out of this cloud there gradu-ballooned upward in a great cloud, and out of this cloud there gradu-ballooned upward in a great cloud, and out of this cloud there gradu-ally took shape ally took shape ally took shape ally took shape ---- so faintly at first that we weren't sure we saw cor-so faintly at first that we weren't sure we saw cor-so faintly at first that we weren't sure we saw cor-so faintly at first that we weren't sure we saw cor-rectly rectly rectly rectly ---- the gigantic dome of St. Paul's Cathedral. the gigantic dome of St. Paul's Cathedral. the gigantic dome of St. Paul's Cathedral. the gigantic dome of St. Paul's Cathedral.

St. Paul's was surrounded by fire, but it came through. It stood there St. Paul's was surrounded by fire, but it came through. It stood there St. Paul's was surrounded by fire, but it came through. It stood there St. Paul's was surrounded by fire, but it came through. It stood there in its enormous proportions in its enormous proportions in its enormous proportions in its enormous proportions ---- growing slowly clearer and clearer, the growing slowly clearer and clearer, the growing slowly clearer and clearer, the growing slowly clearer and clearer, the way objects take shape at dawn. It was like a picture of some miracu-way objects take shape at dawn. It was like a picture of some miracu-way objects take shape at dawn. It was like a picture of some miracu-way objects take shape at dawn. It was like a picture of some miracu-lous figure that appears before peacelous figure that appears before peacelous figure that appears before peacelous figure that appears before peace----hungry soldiers on a battle-hungry soldiers on a battle-hungry soldiers on a battle-hungry soldiers on a battle-field. field. field. field.

The streets below us were semiThe streets below us were semiThe streets below us were semiThe streets below us were semi----illuminated from the glow. Immediate-illuminated from the glow. Immediate-illuminated from the glow. Immediate-illuminated from the glow. Immediate-ly above the fires the sky was red and angry, and overhead, making a ly above the fires the sky was red and angry, and overhead, making a ly above the fires the sky was red and angry, and overhead, making a ly above the fires the sky was red and angry, and overhead, making a ceiling in the vast heavens, there was a cloud of smoke all in pink. Up ceiling in the vast heavens, there was a cloud of smoke all in pink. Up ceiling in the vast heavens, there was a cloud of smoke all in pink. Up ceiling in the vast heavens, there was a cloud of smoke all in pink. Up in that pink shrouding there were tiny, brilliant specks of flashing lightin that pink shrouding there were tiny, brilliant specks of flashing lightin that pink shrouding there were tiny, brilliant specks of flashing lightin that pink shrouding there were tiny, brilliant specks of flashing light----antiaircraft shells bursting. After the flash you could hear the sound. antiaircraft shells bursting. After the flash you could hear the sound. antiaircraft shells bursting. After the flash you could hear the sound. antiaircraft shells bursting. After the flash you could hear the sound.

Up there, too, the barrage balloons were standing out as clearly as if Up there, too, the barrage balloons were standing out as clearly as if Up there, too, the barrage balloons were standing out as clearly as if Up there, too, the barrage balloons were standing out as clearly as if it were daytime, but now they were pink instead of silver. And now it were daytime, but now they were pink instead of silver. And now it were daytime, but now they were pink instead of silver. And now it were daytime, but now they were pink instead of silver. And now and then through a hole in that pink shroud there twinkled incongru-and then through a hole in that pink shroud there twinkled incongru-and then through a hole in that pink shroud there twinkled incongru-and then through a hole in that pink shroud there twinkled incongru-ously a permanent, genuine star ously a permanent, genuine star ously a permanent, genuine star ously a permanent, genuine star ---- the old the old the old the old ---- fashioned kind that has fashioned kind that has fashioned kind that has fashioned kind that has always been there. always been there. always been there. always been there.

Below us the Thames grew lighter, and all around below were the Below us the Thames grew lighter, and all around below were the Below us the Thames grew lighter, and all around below were the Below us the Thames grew lighter, and all around below were the shadows shadows shadows shadows ---- the dark shadows of buildings and bridges that formed the the dark shadows of buildings and bridges that formed the the dark shadows of buildings and bridges that formed the the dark shadows of buildings and bridges that formed the base of this dreadful masterpiece. base of this dreadful masterpiece. base of this dreadful masterpiece. base of this dreadful masterpiece.

Later on I borrowed a tin hat and went out among the fires. That was Later on I borrowed a tin hat and went out among the fires. That was Later on I borrowed a tin hat and went out among the fires. That was Later on I borrowed a tin hat and went out among the fires. That was exciting too; but the thing I shall always remember above all the other exciting too; but the thing I shall always remember above all the other exciting too; but the thing I shall always remember above all the other exciting too; but the thing I shall always remember above all the other things in my life is the monstrous loveliness of that one single view of things in my life is the monstrous loveliness of that one single view of things in my life is the monstrous loveliness of that one single view of things in my life is the monstrous loveliness of that one single view of London on a holiday night London on a holiday night London on a holiday night London on a holiday night ---- London stabbed with great fires, shaken London stabbed with great fires, shaken London stabbed with great fires, shaken London stabbed with great fires, shaken by explosions, its dark regions along the Thames sparkling with the by explosions, its dark regions along the Thames sparkling with the by explosions, its dark regions along the Thames sparkling with the by explosions, its dark regions along the Thames sparkling with the pin points of whitepin points of whitepin points of whitepin points of white----hot bombs, all of it roofed over with a ceiling of hot bombs, all of it roofed over with a ceiling of hot bombs, all of it roofed over with a ceiling of hot bombs, all of it roofed over with a ceiling of pink that held bursting shells, balloons, flares and the grind of vicious pink that held bursting shells, balloons, flares and the grind of vicious pink that held bursting shells, balloons, flares and the grind of vicious pink that held bursting shells, balloons, flares and the grind of vicious engines. And in yourself the excitement and anticipation and wonder engines. And in yourself the excitement and anticipation and wonder engines. And in yourself the excitement and anticipation and wonder engines. And in yourself the excitement and anticipation and wonder in your soul that this could be happening at all. in your soul that this could be happening at all. in your soul that this could be happening at all. in your soul that this could be happening at all.

These things all went together to make the most hateful, most beauti-These things all went together to make the most hateful, most beauti-These things all went together to make the most hateful, most beauti-These things all went together to make the most hateful, most beauti-ful single scene I have ever known."ful single scene I have ever known."ful single scene I have ever known."ful single scene I have ever known."

"The London Blitz, 1940," EyeWitness to History, "The London Blitz, 1940," EyeWitness to History, "The London Blitz, 1940," EyeWitness to History, "The London Blitz, 1940," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2001). www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2001). www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2001). www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2001).

Children sit among the rubble of their home. September 1940

St. Paul’s Cathedral December 29, 1940

6

World War II in Britain the Baedeker Raids

On the night of March 28th and 29th, 1942, the Royal Air Force bombed the German city of Lubeck. In retaliation, the Germans

began a large-scale bombing raid (as the previous German bomber raids against the UK had been in-frequent since the middle of May 1941, being largely restricted to mine laying).

Adolf Hitler, raging against the "inhumane" British (and quite fail-ing to mention the terror and hav-oc that the Luftwaffe had created during the Blitzkrieg and the Battle of Britain), vowed to avenge Lubeck and Rostock. He ordered his pilots to bomb previously un-touched British cities which were known primarily as tourist destinations. These were the "Baedeker Raids," named after a popular tourist guidebook, which began on April 24th, 1942 with an attack on Exeter. Among the targets that were destroyed were the famous Roman baths in the city of Bath.

The intensity of the raids, conducted by at most 200 bombers but typically 80, sometimes flying more than one sortie per night, rose during May but be-came less accurate and effective. In June the Luft-waffe switched its night-attack targets to ports and industrial towns. By early September 1942 its night offensive was over, except for an attack on Canter-bury on 31st October. Its daytime attacks by a few aircraft at low-level had resumed in the spring of 1942 and proved relatively more effective, but were suspended when the small force was diverted in November 1942 to take part in the occupation of Vichy France. However, these raids held down no less than 1,400 British fighters and 6,000 anti-

aircraft guns in the UK throughout 1942, at a time when they were urgently needed elsewhere.

Exactly when and why the Luftwaffe High Com-mand decided to switch from these nuisance raids to conventional bombing raids on cultural centres of no military value is difficult to determine, but on 23 April, twenty-five German bombers attacked Exeter, using radar beams as a guide.

About 70 locals died in the raid and the Germans returned home without loss. Boasting of the raid at a press conference the following day, Nazi propa-

gandist Baron Gustav Braun von Sturm said: "We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide."

No records exist to say whether the Baedeker books actually featured in the Luftwaffe plan, or if the mention was inventive spin on Baron von Sturm's part - but on 25 April it was the turn of historic Bath to be blitzed for two nights in a row.

In the five towns hit in the Bae-dekers proper - Exeter, Bath, Nor-wich, York and Can-terbury - 1,637 civil-ians had been killed and 1,760 injured.

Lubeck in Flames

The Yorkshire Evening Press in 1942, Following the Baedeker Raid on York

A British soldier scans the skies from a rooftop

“We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain “We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain “We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain “We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide.”marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide.”marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide.”marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide.”

- Baron Gustav Braun von Sturm

7

World War II in Britain Women in the War Effort

Largely excluded from previous war ef-forts, British women found several new positions as leaders and volunteers in support of the Allied Resistance. The demands of the war effort dramatically shifted static gender roles within the home, bringing more women out into the workplace than ever before and leading to other social transformations that im-pacted developments in technology, sci-ence, politics and even fashion. With these changing roles, came new ques-tions about the ability of women to carry out so-called œmen’s workB and do much more than œMake Do and Mend,B as one popular wartime slogan alludes. In December 1941, the National Ser-vice Act made the conscription of women legal. B y 1943, nearly 90% of single women and 80% of married women were employed in work for the B ritish war effort. Here are some of the most crucial or-ganizations that employed women dur-ing the effort: 1.1.1.1. Women’s Land ArmyWomen’s Land ArmyWomen’s Land ArmyWomen’s Land Army Othe civil de-

fense was reformed in 1938 to train

women in agricultural work- which

then allowed more male workers to

enter combat. Most of these WLA

workers were young women from

towns and cities.

2.2.2.2. Air Raid PrecautionsAir Raid PrecautionsAir Raid PrecautionsAir Raid Precautions (ARP)Othe or-ganization helped in the distribution of gas masks, Anderson shelters (air-raid shelters), the upkeep of local public shelters and the maintenance and rescue of people after an air raid. 3.3.3.3. Women’s Royal Naval Service Women’s Royal Naval Service Women’s Royal Naval Service Women’s Royal Naval Service

(WRNS)(WRNS)(WRNS)(WRNS)OO OOmaintained ships of the Royal

Navy and involved in most of the

secret planning for D-Day!

4.4.4.4. Women’s Auxiliary Air Force Women’s Auxiliary Air Force Women’s Auxiliary Air Force Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)(WAAF)(WAAF)(WAAF) 5.5.5.5. Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS) Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS) Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS) Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS)

OO OO the largest single women’s organization during war time. The WVS was created to support civil defense and provide ser-vices like organizing: evacuations, clothing exchanges, salvage collections O (a full-blown recycling campaign: paper, rubber, aluminum pots, kettles, jelly molds … even old bones were also gath-ered and processed for use as glue and garden fertilizers), canteens and shelterO(the volunteers provided hot drinks and food to both Civil Defense workers and people injured during or rendered home-less by air raids), and discussions (reminded people to œMake do and MendB and always conserve scarce resources during war-time). The Women's Land Army was first be-gun during the First World War as a way for the country to continue to pro-duce at a sufficient level even though the majority of its workers - men - were at war. The government cleverly realized that the women of the country were an untapped resource which could be taken advantage of while the nation was at war. Sure enough, women quickly came to fill these positions, which were often agricultural, though some had factory and cannery jobs instead. Unfortunately, this change in women's status did not go over with many of the farmers, which led to the B oard of Trade sending some of its agricultural officers around the country, persuading the farmers to allow the women to work. However, once the First World War was over and the men shipped back home, life quickly returned to the way it had been before the war. However, with the Second World War, there was again a shortage of male workers as thousands of B ritish men were shipped off to war. B ecause of this, women were soon recruited to pick up the slack.

(continued……)

8

World War II in Britain Women in the War Effort

Again, the majority of the work the women did took place on farms, though other women helped fell trees or were rat catchers. Still oth-er women were busy recruiting for the Women's Land Army, which in 1944 had 80,000 women working the land.

The hours the women worked were long; a twelve hour or longer work day was not at all unusual. Moreo-ver, the women were also under-paid because not only was the agri-cultural industry already known for underpaying its workers (which led many of the men who were not at war to quit their jobs), but their earning pow-er was also seen as not being equal to that of a man's.

While the majority of the women came from the local countryside, many of the women who were part of the Land Army were from towns and cities and were typically bused or trucked to whichever farm they worked at. Lady Denman, a suffragist and leader of many women's committees, became Director of the Women's Land Army shortly after the Second World War broke out. The Minister of Agriculture himself asked her to fulfill the position.

The Women's Land Army helped for-ward the women's movement because it showed that not only were women able to do the work that was common-ly assigned to men, but they could also work just as hard. While their labor was exploited during the war effort, these women did contribute significant-ly to the goods B ritain was able to produce even in the light of a reduced number of workers. During the war, these women proved their mettle and established a precedent that would later aid in ability to get employment after the war.

During the Second World War, several women's organi-zations that dealt with aviation in some way were formed as part of the women's war effort.

For example, the best instance of this is actually in America, where there was an organization called the Wom-en Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), which started after women pilots came to fulfill the ranks left by a shortage of male pilots. A group of women was assembled under the leadership of Jacqueline Cochran who brought together a group of women to be trained to fly aircraft in accordance with military training and regulations. The women she brought together then formed the organization WASP and became the first women to have military authori-zation and training to fly.

In B ritain there was the Women’s Royal Air Force, which was a pre-cursor to the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. The former organization formed during the First World War and was plagued with leadership difficulties. Finally, Helen Gwynne-Vaughan took over the leadership of the organization and successfully ran it until it was disbanded after World War I. Unlike WASP, the po-sitions women held in WRAF were more secretarial, requiring that the women act as clerks, fitters, wait-resses, telephone operators, driv-ers, cooks and storekeepers. In this manner, they were able to free up men to be used as pilots since the secretarial jobs were now being filled by the women.

During the Second World War, the Women's Auxiliary Air Force was formed (which, incidentally, Gwynne-Vaughan was asked to lead, but she turned down the of-fer). As with the Women's Royal Air Force, women were not given the job of pilots (since they were basically filling positions to free up

men to fly), but were asked to contribute in other ways, from telephone operators to women who worked on intelligence. Interestingly, the WRAF was reinstituted and synthesized later with the WAAF.

A woman machin

ist talking with E

leanor

Roosevelt during

her goodwill tou

r of

Great B ritain in 1

942

9

World War II in Britain Women in the War Effort

However, there were apparently some women pilots, as evidence by the B ritish woman pilot Amy Johnson. She gained quite a bit of commercial flying experience before war broke out and used this experience to join the Air Transport Auxiliary since she was not able to join the Royal Air Force (the men's branch, in which they can actually fly).

Timeline of British Women’s Military Participation

Pre-war: Five million women in the United Kingdom had paid employment, but most would have expected to leave as soon as they married, or when they had their first child. Women were one-third the total workforce in the metal and chemical industries, as well as in ship-building and vehicle manufac-ture. They worked on the railways, canals and on buses. Women built Waterloo Bridge in London. 1938: The Women's Land Army/Scottish Land Army was reformed in 1938 so that women could be trained in agri-

cultural work, leaving male workers free to go to war. Most WLA members were young women from the towns and cities. Land Army Girls 1938: Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) was formed. Its initial plan was to recruit 25,000 female volunteers for driving, clerical, and general duties. In 1939, however, it was in action in France with the British Expeditionary Force. The vast majority of women in the ATS served in anti-aircraft command, on searchlights - the 93rd Searchlight Regiment were all female. They also worked in mixed bat-teries on anti-aircraft guns, but not offi-cially allowed to fire them.

ATS anti-aircraft crew, 1941

Spring 1939: Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) was reformed. Women aged 18-50 who lived close to near naval ports could apply. The WRNS was in charge of ship maintenance for the Royal Navy. The WRNS also helped with secret planning for D-Day.

July 1939: The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) was created. Among other duties, they boosted the numbers in the Royal Observer Corps, maintained and flew barrage balloons. Some, mainly from the voluntary First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, worked with the Special Operations Executive, drop-ping into enemy territory and working as saboteurs, couriers and radio oper-ators. Elsewhere overseas, female nurses in

military field hospitals worked near the front line of battle, and many served with allied forces such as SHAEF (Supreme Head-quarters Allied Expeditionary Forces). Women also came to Brit-ain as members of other Allied forces - such as the Women's Australian Air Force, and its Canadian and American equivalents. Others came from across the then British Empire to serve in the ATS. At its peak the British auxiliary forces consisted of nearly half a million members. Spring 1941: Every woman in Britain aged 18-60 had to be registered.

December 1941: National Service Act (no 2) made the conscription of women legal for single women aged 20-30

Mid-1943: Almost 90 per cent of single women and 80 per cent of married

women were employed in essen-tial work for the war effort.

May 1945: VE Day, London, May 1945 1949: Creation of permanent women's

forces 1950: Women's Land Army ended service to aid in postwar food short-ages

1966: Women’s Voluntary Services proved itself too useful ever to disband and continues today, becoming 'Royal'.

10

World War II in Britain War Ra!oning

A"er the war was declared in Sep-

tember 1939, the Bri!sh govern-

ment had to cut down on the

amount of food it brought from

abroad as German submarines

star!ng bombing Bri!sh supply

ships. There was a worry that this

would lead to a shortage of food

supplies in the shops so the Bri!sh

government decided to introduce a

system of ra!oning.

Ra!oning made sure that people

got an equal amount of food every

week. The government was worried

that as food became scarcer, prices

would rise and poorer people might

not be able to afford to eat. There

was a danger that some people might

hoard food, leaving none for others.

Ra!oning of food lasted for 14 years

and ended on July 4th 1954. Every

person in Britain was given a ra!on

book. They had to register and buy

their food from their chosen shops.

There were no supermarkets, so people

had to visit several different shops to

buy meat, vegetables bread and other

goods. When people wanted to buy

some food, the items they bought were

crossed off in their ra!on book by the

shop keeper. On 8th January 1940, ba-

con, bu6er and sugar were the first

food items to be ra!oned. Many other

foods were added to the ra!on list dur-

ing the war. These included: Meat

(March 1940), jam (March 1941), bis-

cuits (August 1942), Fish, Tea (July

1940), breakfast cereals, !nned toma-

toes (February 1942), peas (February

1942), dried fruit (January 1942), rice

(January 1942), canned fruit, cooking

fat (July 1940). Some food such as pota-

toes, fruit and fish were not

ra!oned. The weekly ra!ons

varied from month to month as

food became more or less plen-

!ful. A typical ra!on for one

adult per week was: bu6er 2oz

(50g), bacon 4oz (100g), marga-

rine 4oz (100g) sugar 8oz

(225g), meat: to the value of 1s

2d (one shilling and sixpence),

milk 3 pints occasionally drop-

ping to 2 pints, cheese 2oz

(50g), eggs 1 fresh egg a week,

tea 2oz (50g), jam 1lb (450g)

every 2 months, dried eggs 1

packet every 4 weeks, sweets

12oz (350g) every 4 weeks. Peo-

ple were encouraged to provide

their own food at home. The dig

for victory campaign started in

October 1939 and called for eve-

ry man and woman to keep an

allotment. Lawns and flower

beds were turned into vegetable

gardens and chickens, rabbits,

goats and pigs were reared in

town parks and gardens.

Some of the offences common

during the war were the forging

or stealing and/or selling of ra-

!on books, petrol coupons or

clothing coupons. The transfer-

ence of coupons between friends

was an offence, even without

payment for them, as was ob-

taining ra!oned goods without

surrendering coupons. Trading

on the black market, that is the

exchange, barter or selling of

goods or foodstuffs that were

held to be obtained illegally, was

a common offence. For instance,

11

World War II in Britain War Ra!oning

there was a black market in toys which were made

from materials pilfered from factories dedicated to

war produc!on. There was also a black market in

meat from illegally slaughtered beasts i.e.: those

that were old or diseased (there was a health risk

there too). Cases of profiteering usually came

about when goods in short supply were stolen,

then offered for sale, or a shopkeeper realized he

had some old stock on his hands that had in the

period between buying and selling become scarce.

The government did try to stop this by regula!ng

the price of goods but as usual there were loop-

holes. One trader was fined for making a profit of

450% on a controlled price of a packet of hairgrips.

The list was endless.

Evacua�on - Due to the threat of war in 1939,

women, children and old people were moved

out of high-risk areas of Britain such as indus-

trial areas and areas with a high popula!on. In

1939 approximately 1,125,000 people were

evacuated. This was a precau!on and was not

necessary. No direct ac!on was taken against

Britain by Germany. Most of the evacuees

were transported back to their homes. Howev-

er in August 1940, the war took a turn for the

worse. The number of evacuees rose to about

1,300,000. Life for evacuees was difficult. Most

lived with people who didn’t understand them.

Some got to live with rich people and had a

nice few years but most didn’t. They were sep-

arated from their parents, not knowing if they

were dead or alive. Many children had diseas-

es. The evacuees were chosen by families, like

at an auc!on. Each evacuee had a label saying

where they were from and what medical condi-

!ons they had. This was horrible for most and

“I’ll take that one” became etched on the

memory of evacuees.

12

Sir Donald Wolfit

Sir Donald WolfitSir Donald WolfitSir Donald WolfitSir Donald Wolfit, KB E (20 April 1902 # 17 February 1968) was an English actor-manager, knighted in 1957 for his services to the thea-tre. Wolfit, who was "Woolfitt" at birth was born in New-ark, Nottinghamshire, and attended the Magnus Gram-mar School (now Magnus Church of England School) and made his stage dLbut in 1920. He first appeared in

the West End in 1924, playing in The Wandering Jew but had limited success afterwards, though he played some major supporting roles at the O ld Vic Theatre in 1930 (including Claudius to the first Hamlet of John Gielgud, whom Wolfit envied and strove to rival.[1] Wolfit ap-peared in the hit film Richard of B ordeaux, again in support of Gielgud. Wolfit finally made a name for himself at the Shake-speare Memorial Theatre in 1936 as Ham-let, and he tried to persuade the manage-ment to finance him on a tour of the prov-inces. They declined the invitation, so he withdrew his savings and started his own touring company in 1937,[2] which he would lead for many years, prompting Hermione Gingold's bon mot, 'O livier is a tour-de-force, and Wolfit is forced to tour.' Wolfit's speciality was Shakespeare. He was known especially for his performances as King Lear and Richard III as well as O edipus, B en Jonson's Volpone and Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine. His touring company performed in London during the B attle of B ritain in 1940 and Wolfit staged a very successful series of abridged versions of Shakespeare's plays in London during World War II in the early after-noon for lunchtime audiences, but he was unpopular with American critics when he took the company to B roadway in 1947. He appeared at Stratford during the 1950s in his signature role of King Lear, and was invited to play Falstaff at the RSC in 1962 but angrily turned the offer down when he discovered

that Paul Scofield would be playing Lear there at the same time, say-ing "Lear is still the brightest jewel in my crown!" Wolfit was primarily a stage actor, although he appeared in over thirty films (most nota-bly B lood of the Vam-pire, B ecket, and Law-rence of Arabia). He was nominated for B AFTA Awards for his performances in Svengali (1954) and Room at the Top (1959). He worked a good deal for the B B C, playing King

John and Volpone on television, and Lear, Falstaff and Richard III for radio - as well as less predictable parts like Archie Rice in The Entertainer. At one time, Ronald Harwood was his dresser and he based his play The Dresser (later turned into a film) on his relationship with Wolfit. Harwood also wrote his biog-raphy. Peter O 'Toole, who worked with Wolfit on several films and plays over the course of his career, considered Wolfit his most important mentor. Wolfit was also an important influence on the early acting ca-

reer of Harold Pinter, who worked for the Don-ald Wolfit Company, King's Theatre, Hammer-smith, in 1953#54, per-forming eight roles with him.[ Wolfit's last appearance on stage was in a musi-cal, as the domineering Mr B arrett in Robert and Elizabeth in 1966#7. He died from cardiovascular disease in London at the age of 65.

Wolfit as Captain Hook

Wolfit as King Lear

The œTheatre WorldB magazine article about Wolfit’’’s œBLunchtime ShakespeareB during WWII

13

The Actor-Manager System

Shakespeare’s Canon

The ActorThe ActorThe ActorThe Actor----Manager SystemManager SystemManager SystemManager System The actor-manager system is a method of theatrical production that was dominant in England and the U.S. in the 19th century, con-sisting of a permanent company formed by a leading actor who chose his or her own plays, took a leading role in them, and han-dled business and financial arrangements. The advantages of this system became ap-parent in the 18th century when successful actor-managers such as Colley Cibber and David Garrick achieved performance stand-ards superior to those achieved by theatre owners who hired occasional casts for indi-vidual plays. In the 19th century great actor-managers such as William Charles Macready, Sir Henry Irving, Madame Vestris, Sir Herbert B eerbohm Tree, and Laura Keene maintained high standards. The repertoire usually in-volved a combination of Shakespeare, popu-lar melodramas, and new dramas or come-dies. The era of the actor-manager was geared to star performances, and often the actor’s most famous performance was in an inferior literary work, such as Irving’s role in the horror play The B ells. Several factors contributed to the decline of the actor-manager system: more corporate ownership of theatres, a trend toward ensemble-style acting, obsolescence of the stock system of play rotation in favor of long runs, and the cost of investing in new plays, which led to new combinations of artistic personnel for each new venture.

The company of actors in The Dresser perform, primari-The company of actors in The Dresser perform, primari-The company of actors in The Dresser perform, primari-The company of actors in The Dresser perform, primari-ly, plays by William Shakespeare. Here is a list of all the ly, plays by William Shakespeare. Here is a list of all the ly, plays by William Shakespeare. Here is a list of all the ly, plays by William Shakespeare. Here is a list of all the plays of William Shakespeare.plays of William Shakespeare.plays of William Shakespeare.plays of William Shakespeare.

TragediesTragediesTragediesTragedies

Antony and Cleopatra Coriolanus

Hamlet Julius Caesar

King Lear Macbeth O thello

Romeo and Juliet Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus

ComediesComediesComediesComedies

All's Well That Ends Well As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Cymbeline Love's Labours Lost Measure for Measure The Merry Wives of Windsor The Merchant of Venice A Midsummer Night's Dream Much Ado About Nothing Pericles, Prince of Tyre Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Troilus and Cressida Twelfth Night Two Gentlemen of Verona Winter's Tale

HistoriesHistoriesHistoriesHistories

Henry IV, part 1 Henry IV, part 2

Henry V Henry VI, part 1 Henry VI, part 2 Henry VI, part 3

Henry VIII King John Richard II Richard III

14

Theatre Terminology

B eing a show about the theatre, The Dresser uses a great many terms that are specific to the theatre. Here is a list of theatre terminology (not all of which is used in The Dresser, but may be of interest to those who’d like to understand more about the inner workings of the theatre). PEO PLE Assistant Stage Manager - person who is hired to help the Stage Manager B ox O ffice Manager - the person who is in charge of ticket reservations and ticketing Cast - the people who perform in a show Casting Director # the person responsible for finding the right actors for the roles in a show and hiring/contracting those actors for a production Choreographer - the person who creates dances and arranges movements for a musical Chorus - 1) in a musical, the company of dancers and singers

2) the dancing, singing or songs performed by that company Company - the cast and crew of a show and any other staff who work on the show Costumer - the person in charge of the costumes for a show Crew - all the people who work together on a show, except the cast Director - the person who provides the vision of how a show should be presented, works with designers to execute that vision, works with the actors on their roles, de-velops the blocking, and is in charge of the rehearsals Dramatist - a person who writes plays Dressers - people who help the actors get into and out of their costumes & make-up Ensemble - a group of actors, singers or dancers who perform together on stage Equity - trade union formed to protect professional actors and stage managers who work in the theater by helping to regulate pay and working conditions Front of House - a term used to describe all of the people in a theater who deal with the audience including the people who sell tickets and the ushers, and any other people who deal with the public (also see listing under PLAC-ES) House Manager - the person in charge of the theater auditorium and anything to do with the audience Lighting Designer - the person who designs the lighting for a show and works with the director to get desired ef-fects Musical Director - the person who works with the director, actors and orchestra to get the desired musical effects for a show

15

Theatre Terminology

Prop Mistress/Master - the person in charge of all the props and who usually works with them during a show Set Designer - the person who designs the sets for a show Sound Designer - the person who designs the sound direction for the show Stage Manager - the person who runs the show from opening curtain to closing curtain and is in charge of every-thing on the stage and in the back of the stage Technical Director - the person who supervises the construction of a set and any rigging that needs to be done, such as hanging scenery Troupe - a group of actors that form a company Wrangler - a person hired to take care of the younger members of a cast PLACES Aisle - a walkway which goes through two areas of seats B ackstage - the part of a theater which is not seen by the audience, in-cluding the dressing rooms, wings and the green room B lack B ox - a type of theater usually surrounded by black curtains where the audience and actors are in the same room B ox O ffice - the place that sells tickets to a performance B roadway - the largest and most famous theatrical district in New York City Callboard - the place backstage where the Stage Manager puts up important information for the cast and crew Catwalk - a narrow walkway suspended from the ceiling of a theater from which sometimes lights and scenery are hung Control B ooth - the place in a theater from which all the sound and lights are controlled Downstage - the part of the stage which is closest to the audience Dressing Rooms - rooms in a theater provided for the actors in which they change costumes and apply make-up Front of House - the part of the theater to which patrons have access, including the auditorium where the audience is seated, the lobby and the box office...(also see listing under PEO PLE) Green Room - a place for the performers to relax while waiting to go on stage House - used to describe the audience or as a short way of saying "Front of House" O ffstage - the area of the stage which the audience cannot see

16

Theatre Terminology

O ff B roadway - theaters in New York City which are not located on or near B roadway

O rchestra Pit - an area at the front of house, usually sunken, from which the musicians and conductor play during a show Proscenium - the arch that frames the front of a stage Rear of House - the areas in the back of the stage and those places used for storage Repertory Theatre - a theatre group that prepares several plays that they can perform over time... not just one Riser - a platform placed on the stage to create different levels Set - the setting of the stage for each act and all the physical things that are used to change the stage for the per-formance Stage Left # everything to the left of the center line (from the AC-TO R’S point of view on the stage) Stage Right - everything to the right of the center line (from the ACTO R’S point of view on the stage) Summer Stock - a type of Repertory Theatre which produces its shows during the summer season Trap - an opening in the floor of a stage where a performer or prop candisappear (trap doors in the floor) Upstage - 1) the area of the stage that is the farthest away from the audience

2) when one actor moves to the back of the stage and causes another actor to turn away from the audience...This is called "Upstaging" 3) when an actor draws attention to himself and away from the main action of a play

Wings - the areas of the stage that are to the sides of the acting area and are out of view. These areas are usual-ly masked by curtains. THINGS Act - 1) the main sections of a musical or play

2) the thing which actors can do

Ad Lib - to make up as you go without preparation Aside - a quick remark made by a character in a play which is said to the audience and not heard by the other characters in the play Audition - a time when an actor goes before a group of people who are casting a play to show those people what he can in an effort to land a role in the show B elt - in Musical Theater, a style of singing which uses a loud, full tone

17

Theatre Terminology

B lack O ut - the quick shutting off of all the stage lights B locking - the instructions that actors use to know exactly where they are supposed to be on stage at all times B ook - the script of a play...libretto of a musical

B reak A Leg - something people tell actors to wish them "Good Luck" before a performance or audition Call - the time that an actor must report to the theater for either a performance or rehearsal. Callback - when an actor who has auditioned for a show is asked to come back for a second tryout Casting - when the director chooses actors to be characters in a play or musical Cold Reading - when an actor is asked to read from a script he hasn't rehearsed Cue - signals that are given to the actors, the crew, the musicians and any others working on a show to let them know when it’s time for them to perform some action Curtain - the screen usually of cloth which separates the stage from the audience Curtain call - the bows at the end of a performance Dialogue - the words which are spoken in a play Dress Rehearsal - a rehearsal, usually just before a show opens, to practice the show just how it will be on opening night, including cos-tumes and make-up. A rehearsal for both cast and crew Drop - a piece of fabric which is hung on stage and usually used in the scenery of a show Exit - a stage direction telling an actor to leave the stage Hand Props - those objects used to tell the story which are handled by actors in a production House Lights - the lights that are used to light up the auditorium where the audience sits Libretto - the term that describes the book or script of a musical or opera Marking O ut - when the stage is marked with tape to show where furniture and props should be placed during the performance (see also œSpikeB) Matinee # a morning or afternoon performance of a show Monologue - a speech given by one actor Notes - the meeting a director usually has after a rehearsal or performance to tell the cast and crew how he felt about their performance and to make any changes he may think are necessary O ff B ook - when the director tells the cast (usually by a certain date) that they must memorize their lines and can no longer use their scripts in rehearsal

18

Theatre Terminology

O verture - the beginning music in musical theater which usually gives the audience an idea of the music to come and gets them into the feeling of the show

Personal Props - props that are carried by an actor in his costume during a performance Playbill - 1)a program(booklet)that contains information about a production

2)the posters used to advertise a production

Preset - when either a prop, costume or something else used in a production is placed in or around the stage be-fore the start of a performance Prompt - as actors move from using the script to no script (see off book),the prompter follows the play in a book and gives a portion of a line to an actor, if needed, to help them remember the line Props - all the items used in a play to tell the story not including the scenery or costumes -- the short forms of "Properties" Rehearsal - the period of practice before the beginning of a show in which the actors and director work on the development of the show Reprise - in musical theater, when either a whole song or part of a song is repeated Run - the number of times, or duration of time during which a show is performed Run-through - a rehearsal in which the actors perform the show from the very beginning to the very end... "Run the show" is another way of saying the same thing Running-Time - the amount of time it takes to perform the play from beginning to end not including any intermis-sions...as theater is live performance, this can vary slightly for each performance Scrim - a drop made of a special woven material that is sometimes used in the scenery of a play. When lit from behind you can see through it. When lit from the front it appears opaque. Sides # the scenes or sections of a script used for an audition Sound Effects - the noises which are produced to accompany a scene in a show...these noises are mostly produced by a machine but can be produced by actors or stage hands off stage Spike - same as "Marking O ut" Stage Directions - when a script contains information for the actors giving them specific entrances and exits and activities to be done onstage Standby - a person who understudies a single role (or more) but is not part of the chorus or ensemble of a musical or play Strike - to take the set apart when a show ends

19

Theatre Terminology

Subtext - the feelings behind the words a character speaks Technical Rehearsal - usually the first time a play is rehearsed in the place where it is going to be seen by the audience and in which the scenery, sound and lighting are used... this rehearsal can be done with or without costumes... "Tech" is the slang for this process Timing - when an actor has the ability to say or do something at the best moment for the most effect

Swing - a performer in a musical who substitutes when chorus members are unable to perform Understudy - an actor who studies the lines and blocking of a role, and is able to take over for the original cast member in a role Wardrobe # 1) the stock of costumes and accessories which are owned by a theatre 2) the department in a theatre responsible for the upkeep of the costumes that are being used in a show that is currently in performance

20

Further Research

B ritain on the Home Front B ritain on the Home Front B ritain on the Home Front B ritain on the Home Front Life in 1930’s and 1940’s (Snapping Turtle Guides: B ritish History) by John Guy http://childreninwar2.blogspot.com/ The Home Front Reconstructed by Liz Gogerly At Home in World War 2 Rationing by Stewart Ross At Home in World War 2 Evacuation by Stewart Ross Children and the B litz by Jane Shutter We’ll Meet Again Photographs of Daily life in B ritain During World War Two Introduced by Robert Kee by Topham Lib http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwtwo/ http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW2/home_front.htm http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/homefront.htm http://www.history.com/topics/battle-of-britain http://www.amazon.com/1940s-House-B en-

Hymers/dp/B 0000AYL47/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1295482369&sr=1-2

B ritish World War II HistoryB ritish World War II HistoryB ritish World War II HistoryB ritish World War II History http://www.worldwar2database.com/html/britain_40.htm http://www.amazon.com/B B C-History-World-War-II/dp/B 0009941E8/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2? ie=UTF8&qid=1295487167&sr=1-2-fkmr0 Women in the Second World War by Collette Drife Silently into the Midst of Things: 177 Squadron Royal Air Force in B urma 1943-1945: History and Personal Narratives by Atholl Sutherland B rownRAF B omber Stories: Dramatic First-Hand Accounts of B ritish and Commonwealth Airmen in WW2 by Martin B owman http://www.worldwariihistory.info/in/B ritain.html http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwtwo/women_at_war_01.shtml

B ritish World War II TheatreB ritish World War II TheatreB ritish World War II TheatreB ritish World War II Theatre The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Introduction by B retislav Hodek and Preface by Sir Donald Wolfit The Cambridge History of B ritish Theatre Volume 3 Since 1895 by B uz Kershaw Theatre History Explained by Neil Fraser Entertainment,Propaganda,Education:Regional Theatre in Germany and B ritain B etween 1918 and 1945 by Anselm

Heinrich The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre by Don Rubin,Peter Nag, and Phippe Rouyer The Cambridge Guide to Theatre by Martin B anham The Continuum Conpanion to Twentieth Century Theatre by Colin Chambers http://www.steppenwolf.org/watchlisten/backstage/detail.aspx?id=23 http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/osc/osc75.htm

Politics and Attitudes of B ritain 1930Politics and Attitudes of B ritain 1930Politics and Attitudes of B ritain 1930Politics and Attitudes of B ritain 1930----1945194519451945 Family Newspapers? Sex, private life & the B ritish Popular Press, 1918-1978 by Adrian B ingham Decline and Fall of the B ritish Aristocracy by David Cannadine The Game of The Foxes; the untold story of German espionage in the United States and B ritain during World War II by Ladislas Farago http://wn.com/B ritish_propaganda_during_World_War_II http://store.payloadz.com/details/74334-eB ooks-History-B ritish-World-War-2-Propaganda-Posters.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4659477.stm http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/chamberlain_arthur_neville.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/churchill_winston.shtml

Sir Donald WolfitSir Donald WolfitSir Donald WolfitSir Donald Wolfit Sir Donald Wolfit C.B .E His life and work in the unfashionable theatre by Ronald Harwood The Dresser by Ronald Harwood http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0938372/bio http://www.answers.com/topic/donald-wolfit