Blog Posts: Commentary and Images for Every Episode

Nov. 24, 2023

The Exciting New Vaudeville Theaters of Sleepy Old Philadelphia - Notes to Episode 63

Above, the cover for the sheet music for "The Philadelphia Drag," as it was performed by a chorus - including a young Mae West (left) at the Folies Bergere Revue in 1911. And here's the clipping from a Philly newspaper announcing her subsequent book…

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Nov. 8, 2023

"The Birth of A Nation" in The Birthplace of the Nation - Notes to Episode 62

In the newspaper advertisement, published in the Philadelphia Inquirer of November 1915, we can see how the movie The Birth of a Nation was marketed to the public. In fact, the PR team for the film used techniques that any theater publicist of …

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Oct. 20, 2023

"But I don't WANT to go to Philadelphia!": Theaters of Atlantic City - Notes to Episode 61

  Above, vacationers stroll along the Atlantic City boardwalk in front of the entrance to the Savoy theater, which was advertising a grand concert in September of 1909. It looks like the weather had turned a bit autumnal and breezy, because …

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Sept. 15, 2023

Penelope Reed photos

It's a busy time of year for us, so we don't have a lot of time to make one of our usual extended blog posts! But here are a few photos and newspapers clippings about our interview subject in Episode 60, Penelope Reed:First, an April 1954 article ab…

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July 7, 2023

Landslide - Notes to Episode 57

Above, photo from a promotional brochure of the Theatre of the Living Arts, dating from Fall 1966. Caption: "Pointing the way to good theatre are Southwark Theatre Company campaigners (left to right) Deborah Sussel of Merion, who plays a role in the…

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June 30, 2023

Blinded by the Light - Notes to Episode 56

Above, a candid shot of the Philadelphia audience - which I believe is from the opening night of Poor Bitos in February of 1966, at the moment when the lightbulbs flashed in their eyes to momentarily distract them during the set change at the end of…

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May 29, 2023

A Theatrical Baby With Two Mothers - Notes to Episode 55

A photo of Celia Silverman and Jean Goldman, sitting in the seats of the newly-created Theatre of the Living Arts. This was the opening page of an article about the TLA in the Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine on February 28th, 1965. Below, a page from…

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May 12, 2023

Playhouse in the Park

Above, an architect's conception of the new permanent building for  the Playhouse in the Park in 1958. The old "sheep barn" - which had acted as a summer "little theater" in the 1920s - is in the foreground. In the upper left corner of the imag…

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April 28, 2023

Photos for "The Walls of Walnut Street"

Bernard Havard in his office at the Walnut Street Theatre, looking at a wall of historical theater artifacts and personal memorabilia.  He seems to be looking at a copy of a newspaper cartoon from the 1850s, showing Edwin Forrest (in costume as…

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April 14, 2023

The People's Mayor

Philadelphia Mayor Samuel Davis Wilson being kissed by two women, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Florsheim shoe store - March 20, 1937. (Image courtesy of Explore PA History)It's nice to find a photo of Mayor Wilson looking happy, because …

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