Harold Clurman facts for kids
Harold Edgar Clurman (born September 18, 1901 – died September 9, 1980) was an American theater director and writer. He was known for helping to shape American theater. In 2003, he was named one of the most important people in U.S. theater by PBS.
Clurman was one of the three people who started the famous Group Theatre in New York City (1931–1941). He directed over 40 plays in his career. In the 1950s, he was even nominated for a Tony Award for his directing. Besides directing, he also wrote about theater for magazines like The New Republic and The Nation. He wrote seven books about theater, including his memoir The Fervent Years, which tells the story of the Group Theatre.
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Early Life and Learning
Harold Clurman was born in New York City, in an area called the Lower East Side. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. His father, Samuel, was a doctor. When Harold was six, his parents took him to see Yiddish theater. Even though he didn't understand the language, he was fascinated by the performances.
At age 20, Clurman moved to Paris, France, to study at the University of Paris. He shared an apartment with the young composer Aaron Copland. In Paris, he watched many different kinds of plays. He was especially inspired by the work of Jacques Copeau and the Moscow Art Theatre. These groups had permanent acting companies that worked together closely. Clurman wrote his college paper on the history of French plays from 1890 to 1914.
In 1924, Clurman came back to New York. He started working in plays, first as an extra, then as a stage manager. He also read plays for the Theatre Guild. He learned about the Stanislavski's system of acting, which helps actors create realistic characters.
Starting the Group Theatre
Clurman felt that American theater, even if popular, wasn't saying anything important. He believed theater should connect to society and the world we live in. He wanted plays to have a deeper meaning.
So, with Cheryl Crawford and Lee Strasberg, he started to create what would become the Group Theatre. In 1930, Clurman began giving weekly talks. They discussed starting a permanent theater company to put on plays about important social issues of the time.
Along with 28 other young people, they formed a group. They created a new style of theater that greatly influenced American plays. This style included actors trained in the Stanislavski method, realistic stories about American life, and plays with political messages. By having a permanent company, they hoped actors would build strong trust and work together better. Famous members included Stella Adler, Elia Kazan, and Sanford Meisner.
In the summer of 1931, the Group Theatre members practiced for weeks in the countryside of Nichols, Connecticut. They were getting ready for their first play, The House of Connelly. Clurman was the scholar of the group; he knew many languages and read widely. Strasberg focused on acting, and Crawford handled the business side.
Directing Style
The first play Clurman directed for the Group Theatre was Awake and Sing! in 1935. It was a big success and helped him develop his directing style. He believed that everything in a play—the words, the acting, the lights, the set, and the directing—needed to work together to tell one clear story.
Clurman would read a script many times, focusing on different parts each time. He tried to inspire his designers and actors, rather than just telling them what to do. He also used a technique called finding the "spine" or main goal of each character and the play itself. He encouraged actors to use "action verbs" to describe what their characters were trying to achieve.
By 1937, some disagreements caused Crawford and Strasberg to leave the Group Theatre. Four years later, the Group Theatre officially closed down. Clurman then went on to direct many plays on Broadway and continued to write as a theater critic.
Family Life
In 1943, Harold Clurman married Stella Adler. She was a talented theater actress and later a famous acting coach in New York. Stella was also a founding member of the Group Theatre and the daughter of the well-known Yiddish actor Jacob Adler. They divorced in 1960. Clurman later married filmmaker Juleen Compton.
Director and Writer
Clurman had a very busy career as a director, leading over 40 plays. He helped bring many new and important works to the stage. He is seen as one of the most important theater directors in America.
He also helped shape American theater by writing about it. He was a drama critic for The New Republic, The Nation, and New York magazine. He supported new styles of theater and championed new plays and playwrights.
Clurman wrote a famous book about the Group Theatre called The Fervent Years: The Group Theatre and the Thirties. He wrote six other books about theater, including On Directing and his autobiography, All People are Famous.
His Ideas on Acting
The famous actress Uta Hagen said that Harold Clurman changed her view on acting. She explained that he wanted actors to bring their true selves to a role, not just pretend to be someone else.
She said that when she worked with him, he took away her "tricks." He didn't tell actors exactly how to say lines or move. At first, she found it hard because she was used to hiding behind a character. But Mr. Clurman wanted her to be herself in the role. This helped her love acting again. He taught her that the character would naturally appear from her honest work, not from a made-up form.
Harold Clurman passed away on September 9, 1980, from cancer. He is buried in New York City.
Plays on Broadway
Harold Clurman directed many plays on Broadway. Here are some of the most well-known ones:
- Awake and Sing! (1935) - director
- Paradise Lost (1935) - director
- Golden Boy (1937) - director
- Rocket to the Moon (1938) - director
- The Gentle People (1939) - director
- Night Music (1940) - director
- The Member of the Wedding (1950) - director
- The Autumn Garden (1951) - director
- The Time of the Cuckoo (1953) - director
- Bus Stop (1955) - director (nominated for a Tony Award)
- Tiger at the Gates (1955) - director (nominated for a Tony Award)
- Pipe Dream (1955) - director (nominated for a Tony Award)
- The Waltz of the Toreadors (1957) - director (nominated for a Tony Award)
- A Touch of the Poet (1958) - director
- A Shot in the Dark (1961) - director
Legacy and Awards
Harold Clurman's most important contribution was helping to create a truly American style of theater. The Harold Clurman Theatre in New York City is named after him. A play called LET IT BE ART! has been performed around the world, bringing Harold Clurman's story to life. He also received the Legion d'Honneur from France, which is a very high honor.
Many of his writings and personal items are kept at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. This collection includes drafts of his books, letters, and theater programs.
See also
In Spanish: Harold Clurman para niños
