The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 20, 2024
Theatrical Study (54 of 150)
c. 1920s–1940s
(American, 1867–1949)
Norman O. Stone and Ella A. Stone Memorial Fund 1954.153.54
Location: not on view
Description
These watercolor sketches may have been inspired by early performances at the Cleveland Play House. Rather than a conventional theater, the Play House was founded in 1915 as a workshop for experimental art, music, poetry, and dance. Embracing the slogan “democracy in art,” the organization did not use professional actors in its avant-garde performances. Sommer was a guiding force in the organization, designing sets and costumes and participating in the performances. A reviewer described his costumes for one performance as “symbolic rather than historical” and his curved sets as a “cyclorama” illuminated by “ultra-modern lighting.”- Burchfield to Schreckengost: Cleveland Art of the Jazz Age. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 28-July 18, 2004).Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; March 28 - July 18, 2004. "Burchfield to Schreckengost: Cleveland Art of the Jazz Age", no exhibition catalogue.
- {{cite web|title=Theatrical Study (54 of 150)|url=false|author=William Sommer|year=c. 1920s–1940s|access-date=20 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1954.153.54