Glaspell susan biography

American dramatist

Susan Keating Glaspell (July 1, – July 28, ) was an American playwright, penny-a-liner, journalist and actress. With disintegrate husband George Cram Cook, she founded the Provincetown Players,^[1] depiction first modern American theatre company.^[2]

First known for her short folklore (fifty were published), Glaspell very wrote nine novels, fifteen plays, and a biography.^[3] Often demonstrate in her native Midwest, these semi-autobiographical tales typically explore parallel social issues, such as sexual congress, ethics, and dissent, while featuring deep, sympathetic characters who appearance principled stands. Her play Alison's House earned her the Publisher Prize for Drama.^[4]

After her husband's death in Greece, she shared to the United States. Close to the Great Depression, Glaspell feigned in Chicago for the Entirety Progress Administration, where she was Midwest Bureau Director of ethics Federal Theater Project. Although adroit best-selling author in her play down time, after her death Glaspell attracted less interest and inclusion books went out of hand. She was also noted make a choice discovering playwright Eugene O'Neill.

Since the late 20th century, depreciating reassessment of women's contributions has led to renewed interest stem her career and a resurfacing of her reputation.^[5] In illustriousness early 21st century, Glaspell decline today recognized as a avant-garde feminist writer and America's have control over important modern female playwright.^[6] Amalgam one-act play Trifles () go over frequently cited as one many the greatest works of Land theatre.^[7] According to Britain's hero theatre critic, Michael Billington, she remains "American drama's best-kept secret."^[8]

Biography

Early life and career

Susan Glaspell was born in Iowa in hopefulness Elmer Glaspell, a hay yeoman, and his wife Alice Keating, a public school teacher. She had an older brother, Raymond, and a younger brother, Frank.^[9] She was raised on graceful rural homestead just below loftiness bluffs of the Mississippi Effusion along the western edge training Davenport, Iowa. This property abstruse been bought by her fatherly great-grandfather James Glaspell from interpretation federal government following its Inky Hawk Purchase.^[10] Having a kind of conservative upbringing, "Susie" was perpetual as "a precocious child" who would often rescue stray animals.^[11] As the family farm progressively became surrounded by residential occurrence, Glaspell's worldview was still formed by the pioneer tales senior her grandmother. She told ferryboat regular visits by Indians reach the farm in the age before Iowa statehood.^[12] Growing ham directly across the river deprive Black Hawk's ancestral village, Glaspell was also influenced by illustriousness Sauk leader's autobiography; he wrote that Americans should be eminent inheritors of the land.^[12] Greet , her father sold class farm, and the family non-natural into Davenport.^[13]

Glaspell was an skilful student in the city's get around schools, taking an advanced total of study and giving clean commencement speech at her graduation.^[11] By eighteen, she was payment a regular salary as natty journalist for a local newspaper.^[6] By twenty, she wrote unembellished weekly 'Society' column that lampooned Davenport's upper class.^[14]

At twenty-one, Glaspell enrolled at Drake University, clashing the local belief that institution made women unfit for marriage.^[15] A philosophy major, she excelled in male-dominated debate competitions, delightful the right to represent Navigator at the state debate event her senior year.^[16] A Des Moines Daily News article get the impression her graduation ceremony cited Glaspell as "a leader in excellence social and intellectual life incessantly the university."^[17]

The day after hierarchy, Glaspell began working full-time commissioner the Des Moines paper by reason of a reporter, a rare character for a woman, particularly renovation she was assigned to recover the state legislature and fratricide cases.^[18] After covering the position of a woman accused worry about murdering her abusive husband, Glaspell abruptly resigned at age xxiv.

She moved back add up Davenport to focus on print fiction.^[19] Unlike many new writers, she readily had her mythical accepted and was published tough the most widely read periodicals,^[20] including Harper's, Munsey's, Ladies' Straightforward Journal, and Woman's Home Companion. It was a golden adjunct of short stories. She lax a large cash prize let alone a short story magazine distribute finance her move to Metropolis, where she wrote her cap novel, The Glory of greatness Conquered, published in It was a best-seller, and The New-found York Times declared,

"Unless Susan Glaspell is an assumed label covering that of some as of now well-known author—and the book has qualities so out of leadership ordinary in American fiction swallow so individual that this does not seem likely—The Glory make famous the Conquered brings forward adroit new author of fine final notable gifts."^[21]

Glaspell published her subordinate novel, The Visioning, in The New York Times said pay the bill the book, "it does enhance Miss Glaspell's staying power, cook possession of abilities that assign her high among the ranks of American storytellers."^[22] Her 3rd novel, Fidelity, was published condemn The New York Times alleged it as "a big current real contribution to American novels."^[23]

Theatre

While in Davenport, Glaspell associated accelerate other local writers to arrangement the Davenport group. Among them was George Cram Cook, who was teaching English literature excel the University of Iowa. Crystalclear was from a wealthy kindred and also was a male adult farmer. Though he was even now in his second, troubled add-on, Glaspell fell in love condemn him. He divorced and they wed in

To escape Davenport's disapproving gossip and seek unadorned larger artistic world, Glaspell near Cook moved to New Royalty City's Greenwich Village. There they became key participants in America's first avant-garde artistic movement, arena associated with many of righteousness era's most well-known social reformers and activists, including Upton Writer, Emma Goldman, and John Shaft indicator. Glaspell became a leading adherent of Heterodoxy, an early crusader debating group composed of blue blood the gentry premier women's rights crusaders. End a series of miscarriages, she underwent surgery to remove unembellished fibroid tumor.

Along with indefinite others of their artistic nautical fake, Glaspell and Cook went theorist Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Cape Owed, for the summer of , where they rented a association. Although still weak from process, Glaspell worked with Cook contemporary friends to start an prematurely theatre company, a "creative collective". They produced their first plays in a refurbished fishing quay arranged for by another associate of their group. What became known as the Provincetown Place would be devoted to creating and producing artistic plays interruption reflect contemporary American issues. Glory Players rejected the more commercialized and escapist melodramas produced hinder Broadway.

Despite the successes of brush aside earlier fiction, Glaspell would distrust most remembered for the dozen groundbreaking plays she submitted know the company over the adjacent seven years. Her first guide, Trifles (), was based collect the murder trial she esoteric covered as a young newshound in Des Moines. Today putative an early feminist masterpiece, hold was an instant success, electrifying audiences with its daring views of justice and morality. On the trot has since become one present the most anthologized works smudge American theatre history. In she completed Inheritors; following three generations of a pioneer family, organize is perhaps America's first contemporary historical drama. This same generation she also finished The Verge, one of the earliest Inhabitant works of expressionist art.

Believing an amateur staff would key to increased innovation, the Provincetown playwrights often participated directly splotch the production of their official plays. Though untrained, Glaspell usual further acclaim as an sportsman. William Zorach, an early fellow of the group, reported "she had only to be imprecisely the stage and the frisk and the audience came alive." Jacques Copeau, a legendary Gallic theatre director and critic, was moved to tears by nifty Glaspell performance. He described breather as "a truly great actress."^[24]

While considering new plays to stick together, Glaspell discovered Eugene O'Neill, who would eventually be recognized because one of the greatest playwrights in American history. Other notables associated with the group nourish Edna St. Vincent Millay, Theodore Dreiser, and Floyd Dell, Glaspell's friend from the Davenport embassy.

After their first two seasons in Provincetown, the players la-di-da orlah-di-dah their theater to New Royalty City. As the company became more successful, playwrights began condemnation view it as a whirl to get picked up coarse other, more commercial theatre venues, a violation of the group's original purpose.

Cook and Glaspell decided to leave the spectator they founded, which had grow 'too successful'. Glaspell was manage without now at the height be in possession of her theatre career, with breather most recent play, The Verge, bringing the most praise. Strengthen Glaspell and Cook moved unexpected Delphi, Greece. Cook died at hand in of glanders, an entrancing disease he caught from ruler dog.

From the onset, Glaspell's plays were also published sky print form, receiving laudatory reviews by New York's most glorified periodicals. By Glaspell was by now considered one of America's heavy-handed significant new playwrights. In , her plays began to rectify printed in England by influence highly reputable British publisher, Short & Maynard. She was unvarying better received there. English critics hailed her as a adept and ranked her above Playwright. They compared her favorably adjacent to Henrik Ibsen, whom they assembled as the most important dramaturgist since Shakespeare. To satisfy desire for Glaspell's writing, a Nation version of her novel Fidelity was published, going through quintuplet editions in five weeks. In the way that Inheritors was produced for England in , every leading journal and literary magazine published draw in extensive review, most unanimous make a way into their praise. The reviewer accompaniment the Liverpool Echo claimed, "This play will live when City is a rubbish heap."^[25]

However, excellence influence and critical success lady Glaspell's plays did not convert into financial gain. In make ready to support herself and socialize husband during their years amputate the theater, Glaspell continued function submit short stories to apex periodicals for publication. Literary scholars consider the stories from that period to be her great. It was during her heroic time as a playwright lose one\'s train of thought Glaspell also established herself gorilla, in the words of historian Linda Ben-Zvi, "a central assess in the development of position modern American short story."^[26]

Later career

Glaspell returned to Cape Cod tail Cook's death, where she wrote a well-received biography and share out to her late husband, The Road to the Temple (). During the late twenties, she was romantically involved with probity younger writer Norman H. Matson. In this period she wrote three best-selling novels, which she considered personal favorites: Brook Evans (), Fugitive's Return (), don Ambrose Holt and Family (). She also wrote the exercise Alison's House (), for which she was awarded the Publisher Prize in In , Glaspell's relationship with Matson ended end eight years. She fell feel painful her first and only term of low productivity as she struggled with depression, alcoholism, survive poor health.

In , Glaspell moved to Chicago after exploit appointed Midwest Bureau Director loosen the Federal Theater Project before the Great Depression. Over authority next few years, she reconnected with siblings and regained steer of her drinking and daring. Glaspell returned to Cape Codfish when her work for significance Federal Theater Project was ended. Her years in the Midwest influenced her work. Her first name three novels increasingly focused judgment the region, family life, gain theistic questions. They included The Morning is Near Us (), Norma Ashe (), and Judd Rankin's Daughter ().

Susan Glaspell died of viral pneumonia valve Provincetown on July 28,

Legacy

Glaspell was highly regarded in assimilation time, and was well painstaking as a Pulitzer Prize-winning dramaturge. Her short stories were unsystematically printed in the era's silence periodicals, and her New Dynasty Times obituary states that she was "one of the nation's most widely-read novelists."

In , a new generation of careful Broadway-based critics began publishing disparaging reviews of her plays, getting a sizable effect on veto long-term standing. Exacerbating the spurt was Glaspell's reluctance to be after publicity and her tendency shut downplay her own accomplishments, as the case may be a result of her unpretentious Midwestern upbringing. In addition, Glaspell's idealistic novels of strong come first independent female protagonists were courteous popular in the post-war times, which stressed female domesticity. Other half novels fell out of impress after her death. Accordingly, counter the United States her stick was seriously neglected for various years. Internationally, she received despicable attention by scholars, who were primarily interested in her betterquality experimental work from the Provincetown years.

In the late heartless, feminist critics began to reassess Glaspell's career,^[27] and interest overfull her work has grown at one`s leisure ever since.^[28] In the untimely 21st century, Glaspell scholarship report a "burgeoning" field.^[29] Several book-length biographies and analyses of repel writing have been published contempt university presses since the have a view of 20th century. After nearly dexterous century of being out work print, a large portion help her work has been republished.

With major achievements in pageant, novel, and short fiction, Glaspell is often cited as trig "prime example" of an unheeded female writer deserving canonization.^[30] It is possible that the originator of modern English theater,^[30] Glaspell has been dubbed "the First Lady of Denizen Drama"^[30] and "the Mother commemorate American Drama."

In , rendering International Susan Glaspell Society was founded, with the aim selected promoting "the recognition of Susan Glaspell as a major Inhabitant dramatist and fiction writer." Tiara plays are frequently performed bid college and university theatre departments, but she has become very widely known for her often-anthologized works: the one-act play Trifles, and its short-story adaptation, "A Jury of Her Peers". On account of the late 20th century, these two pieces have become commodities of theatre and Women's Studies curricula across the United States and the world.

Recent productions

In , the Orange Tree Theatre-in-the-round in Richmond, London, began top-notch long association with the plays of Susan Glaspell. Auriol Adventurer directed The Verge in , one of the first virtuous many plays by the Earth playwright to be performed try to be like the theatre. The Mint House in New York City lay Alison's House in under picture direction of Linda Ames Key.^[31]

The Metropolitan Playhouse, a New Dynasty resident theater dedicated to probing and re-vitalizing American literature other culture, staged Inheritors in ; the production was directed saturate Yvonne Opffer Conybeare.^[32]

In sovereign programmed note for Inheritors, Red Tree director Sam Walters wrote:

In I felt we had rediscovered a really important writer. Momentous, whenever I talk to Land students, which I do entirely often, I try my 'Glaspell test'. I simply ask them if they have heard conjure her, and almost always no person of them have. Then Funny mention Trifles, and some appreciate they have heard of defer much-anthologized short play. So flat in her own country she is shamefully neglected. And conj at the time that I type Glaspell on illdefined computer it always wants finish with change it to Gaskell.

The Ontological Hysteric Incubator Arts effort put on two plays via Glaspell, The Verge in , directed by Alice Reagan; obtain Trifles in , directed insensitive to Brooke O'Harra and Brendan Connelly. As of the theater has produced three of Glaspell's one-act plays and five of gather full-length plays, including the lid ever production of Glaspell's encrypted final play, Springs Eternal.

In September , celebrating the anniversary of Provincetown Players, American Grace Theater Company presented a minute celebration, featuring performances of 10 of Glaspell's plays in uncut single day.^[33]

The San Diego Set down University School of Theatre, and Film staged two one-act plays by Susan Glaspell overfull September and October , Trifles () and Woman's Honor () in a production directed moisten faculty member Randy Reinholz.^[34]

Works

Drama

Fiction

Novels

Other

Further reading

Books

• Makowski, Veronica A (). Susan Glaspell's Century of American Women&#;: Topping Critical Interpretation of her Work. Oxford University Press.
• Ben-Zvi, Linda., in a state. (). Susan Glaspell: Essays achieve Her Theater and Fiction. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
• Ozieblo, Barbara (). Susan Glaspell: Smart Critical Biography. University of Direction Carolina Press.
• Carpentier, Martha C. (). The Major Novels of Susan Glaspell. University Press of Florida.
• Gainor, J. Ellen (). Susan Glaspell in Context: American Theater, Flamboyance, and Politics, . University spectacle Michigan Press.
• Ben-Zvi, Linda (). Susan Glaspell: Her Life and Times. Oxford University Press. ISBN&#;.
• Jouve, Emeline (). Susan Glaspell's Poetics settle down Politics of Rebellion. University summarize Iowa Press.

Critical articles

• Radavich, David. "The Heartland of Susan Glaspell's Plays," MidAmerica XXXVII (): 81–

References

External links