俱乐部, Societies 和 "球员们"
A Chronology of the First Two Decades of Plays, Societies, 和 Directors
Club Dramas 和 Society Plays
到19世纪末，圣何塞河上有几个由教师赞助的俱乐部 师范学校的校园致力于演讲和戏剧的研究，特别是 萨福社团，哲人社团，莎士比亚社团，青年男子辩论赛 Society, 和 the Allen Rhetorical Society. The extracurricular dramatic production 这些社团和俱乐部的活动先于正式课程，并在一定程度上证明了正式课程的合理性 培训. Any history of play production, theatrical entertainment, 和 even film 制作必须从记录大学校园里的这些戏剧活动开始. 在二十世纪的头二十年里，课外活动的水平 戏剧活动是其他任何领域的课外活动所无法比拟的 college, including athletics.
The First Play
早期几十年(1898-1927)的戏剧活动通常采取的形式 戏剧朗诵、综艺节目、特殊场合的表演或一系列“表演” presented by the societies. The first recorded evidence we have found of a specific play production was Shakespeare's A 仲夏 Night's Dream, staged on-campus by the Sappho Society in 1898 or, more likely, 1899. 莎孚的 该协会后来演变为Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority，是一个致力于 to the study of literature 和 art. Organized in 1898, it produced a version of 仲夏 as 一个 of its first activities. This production thus begins the history of live drama 和 eventually the electronic 和 film arts at San José State University.
From the June, 1899 Normal Pennant (9):
莎孚的 club gave 仲夏 Night's Dream. A pleasant feature of the term's work is to be the entertainment . . . 在周五 evening, June 9th, in Normal Hall. The clever 和 amusing farce is being rehearsed f或者是 occasion. The admission is fifteen cents, 和 all are welcome.
The Show Goes On
第二个文学社团，即后来的Alpha Phi姐妹会， produced Shakespeare's 当你 喜欢它 in 1906. 这部社会剧可能是第一部取得重大成就的校园剧 可见性. A few days before the play was to be presented, the Great Earthquake of 1906年的地震摧毁了校园，摧毁了许多建筑，包括大楼 in which the performance was to be given.
Estelle Greathead, at that time a member of the Erosophians, writes:
The Erosophian Literary Society was organized in the spring of 1900. Early in 1906, the society decided they would give 当你 喜欢它 on the lawn as part of Commencement week festivities. Then came the earthquake! We were without a building. All activities stopped. 类 were held in the Training School building. We were terribly crowded. Some classes were held on the lawn. We gave up the idea of giving 当你 喜欢它. 没有地方可以练习，即使有，我们也无心练习. 但 戴利校长坚持所有活动照常进行，以保持 morale of the school. To please him we decided to go on with the play. The rehearsals took place in the back yard of my home, 435 South Second Street. A stage was erected on the lawn a week before the play was to be given. 最后, 当你 喜欢它 在停电的情况下，还是成功地送出了两次 during the evening performance. Professor Wilson finally got it going again. 之一 my treasures is a picture of the players in costume. (pp. 75-76)
A Chronology of the First Two Decades of Plays, Societies, 和 Directors
1889 仲夏 Night's Dream, Sappho Society, director unknown
1900 Who is Who or All in a Fog, unknown, Miss Daniels
1902 Mock Trial, unknown, minstrel show
1903 Trying It On, unknown, Gertrude Payne
1904 A Mislaid Proposal, unknown, director unknown
1905 An Evening with a Missionary, unknown, director unknown
1906 当你 喜欢它, Erosophian Society, director unknown
1907 Tommy's Wife, Dramatic Club, first production
1908 n一个 recorded
1909 Going to Mauro, Normal Dramatic, Miss Larson
1910 Sleeping Beauty, Dramatic Society, director unknown
1911 Tyrolean Queen, Dramatic Society, director unknown
1912 The Fairy Shoemaker, Dramatic Society, Gertrude Payne
1912 Merchant of Venice, Dramatic Society, Miss Davis
1912 A Christmas Carol, Dramatic Society, Henry M. 平淡无奇
1913 In the Vanguard, Dramatic Society, director unknown
1914 Grasshopper 和 the Ant, Senior Class, Miss Bradley
1915 Follies of the Fair,** Men's Glee Club, director unknown
1915 Miss Fearless 和 Company, unknown, Miss Miller
1916 Stubbornness of Geraldine, unknown, director unknown
1916 历史 of California, unknown, benefit pageant
1917 n一个 recorded (some 一个-acts)
1918 先锋, Senior Class pageant
1919 A Vaudeville Show, unknown, director unknown
1919 加州, Senior Class, Miss Wood
* 1917年以后，数百部作品被列在部门小册子中 Drama 产品 1898-1962 和 in the appendix of Hugh W. 吉利斯说 Speech 和 Drama at San José State College
** “as the first big gun in the campaign for a men's rest room.”
The Drama Society Takes Over
文学社团很快就让位于专门从事戏剧创作的俱乐部， 1909年，在他的领导下成立了第一个正规戏剧学会 of Miss Florence Larson with a membership of thirty, including six men. In the first year the club produced three 一个-acts. 之一 these, Going to Mauro他把俱乐部分成三个部分，分三部分重复演出 风格. The following year the club changed its name to the Dramatic Society. 拉尔森的 successors were English instructor Gertrude Payne 和 later Dr. Henry Meade 平淡无奇. 1912年，在布兰德的监督下，一个为期一年的项目开始挑选和生产 从“希腊、传教、莎士比亚或狄更斯”中挑选的盛大圣诞作品 戏剧.” In the final decision, the choice was Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol with tableaux 和 dialogue.
Estelle Greathead writes:
一个戏剧社团在学校历史的不同时期断断续续地运作. In 1912, the society presented some modernized Shakespearean drama. In 1921 it took 《lol菠菜网正规平台》，上演了几出令人信服的戏剧. 戏剧制作一直在学校生活中扮演着重要的角色，但是 并不总是戏剧协会的产物，出于这样或那样的原因 has not until recently stood on a solid fundamental basis.
在SJNS年鉴中，一位热情的“玛米”写下了可能是第一篇戏剧评论 on campus in June 1912:
去年九月，利蒂夏·伯恩哈特-你领导下成立了一个戏剧协会 remember her, do you not? Much interest was taken by both students 和 faculty in the organization. Miss Payne, Miss Bradley, 和 Miss McKenzie kindly consented to supervise the various undertakings. Though a great deal has been accomplished, so 他们告诉我，在社会中，没有任何作品被放在学校之前. Excellent things, however, are being planned for us next term. Perhaps you know some of the officers, President, Vera Silvey; Vice-President, Gertrude Pyle; Secretary, Grace Sanbourn; Treasurer, Eliza Wright; Reporter, Hazel Clayton; Sergeant at Arms, Myrtle Loughridge.
The alumni gave a ripping good vaudeville in the evening. It's really surprising the amount of talent that SJNS people, past 和 present, possess! They can't be beaten! 贝琪，我不在乎你是否要去另一所学校，我就是忍不住要说 真相.
Your Loving, Mamie.
1914年，戏剧协会因为“没有学生的帮助”而暂时解散， but was revived the following year 和 held open 预赛s. The revival was due to the 非常欢迎休了一年假的格特鲁德·佩恩回来 additional study at the Boston School of Expression. Nevertheless, there appears to 有几年(第一次世界大战期间)没有组织存在. In 1921, 俱乐部被重新激活，并呈现了一系列的小品和“娱乐”在 honor of a group of visitors from Chico State. The club again changed its name the following year, this time to Masque 和关键, 和 produced Green Stockings, under the direction of Miss O'Rourke. This was the first major production played on the newly built stage in Morris Dailey Auditorium.
维吉尼亚·桑德森(稍后将详细介绍他)加入了英国人的阵营 Department faculty in 1922 和 became faculty leader of Masque 和关键. “戏剧 now has a dramatic coach. Miss S和ers [sic], the new public speaking teacher, is 与游戏制作中所有新的内容保持联系，”他说 the student newspaper. S和erson promised a major production every term from Masque 和关键.
球员们
1924年4月，该组织的名称再次更改，这次是San jossour Players，这个头衔沿用了50多年，直到解散 in the late 1980s. Masque 和关键 was a title reserved for an honorary group within 球员们. 球员们 group organized with ten charter members. Membership was 所有学生都可以通过书面或口头的选拔，在灯光，服装，舞台艺术， dramatic dancing, pantomime, dramatic music, 和 stage direction. By 1928, over 200 students had gained membership with only seven being dropped as “deadwood.“第一个 Players production (1924) was Constance Smedley's short play, Belle 和 Beau.
Weekly Players meetings were held with m和atory attendance. Two unexcused absences 自动解雇和复职的理由只有通过第二秒才有可能吗 预赛. 这个小组充满热情，包括大学生活中的大多数领导， even student body officers 和 athletes. Great formality surrounded the gaining of 在公布之前，成功入选者的名字是严格保密的 to the individuals by telegram); an impressive initiation ceremony conferred “pledgeship,” which continued for 一个 year; a further ceremony conferred full membership.
From the college newspaper during the 1920s:
圣何塞队的球员们没有遭受到领袖的严重缺乏，这真是一个奇迹 men or a walkout of the few good 一个s in the dramatic organization. Surely, if many 在剧名中带有这种贬损和贬损的剧作越来越多 典故是 The Fool, The Scarecrow, or 可怜的坚果, such a strike may occur among title role players. To save the situation 球员们 should produce, say, The Emperor J一个s 或者是 的崇拜对象. However I anticipate something more like The Old Soak 和 爱炫耀的.
在1925-26学年，维奥拉梅鲍威尔担任顾问和教练，而 Virginia S和erson studied in Europe. Upon her return, S和erson regained the reins until 1930 when Hugh W. Gillis became faculty advisor.
The First College Film
A Players的项目，在本质上有点开拓性，是在美国制作一部电影 summer of 1929. 有一个感兴趣的玩家继承了一笔钱 在这种特殊的戏剧媒介中，大约有25名演员去了“外景” for three weeks 和 produced a Western called 帆船黄金. 这部电影不仅在校园里放映，而且还在市中心的一家剧院上映，很快就获得了好评 more than its cost.
