Stage and Screen |
Early records of Shakespeare in America are fragmentary, but we know of an amateur performance of Romeo and Juliet in 1730 and a professional staging of Richard III in 1750, both in New York. Since then, the vast story of Shakespeare on the American stage has come to include everything from lavish historical recreations to bare-bones outdoor sets and, in recent years, actors of every ethnic and racial origin. In the twentieth century, new media like radio, the movies, and television provided brand-new arenas for America’s directors and performers to explore the many possibilities of Shakespeare’s works.