Staging the Slums, Slumming the Stage

Drawing on traditional archival research, reception theory, cultural histories of slumming, and recent work in critical theory on literary representations of poverty, Westgate argues that the productions of slum plays served as enactments of the emergent definitions of the slum and the corresponding ethical obligations involved therein.

“This book is a valuable resource for scholars of national and theatrical history … providing not only an idea of popular dramaturgy, but of theatre and entertainment culture during this time and place. In that vein it is also a useful resource for sociological and ethnographic research because it examines the relationship among various entertainment and recreation trends and connects them to the social, political, economic, and ideological realities of turn-of-the-century New York.” (Sarah Crockarell, Theatre Journal, Vol. 68 (1), March, 2016)

“Westgate’s discussion of the plays and productions provides a wealth of theatre history as well as a rich cultural context for understanding it. Drawing with confidence on his knowledge of history and the relevant critical theory, Westgate makes his arguments clearly and persuasively. … Staging the Slums, Slumming the Stage is a significant contribution to our understanding not only of American drama and theatre but also of the cultural and social history of the American Progressive Era.” (Brenda Murphy, Modern Drama, Vol. 58, Winter, 2015)

"Staging the Slums, Slumming the Stage is deeply researched, carefully contextualized, broad in scope, thoughtful about assessing what has and has not been done in the field, and just plain fascinating. This is not only an important work in late-nineteenth and twentieth-century drama and theatre, but also a major contribution to American Studies. It amplifies and 'corrects' in thoughtful and complex ways our understanding of the Progressive Era, offering a substantive methodology in performing necessary revisionist investigation." - Susan Harris Smith, Professor, English, University of Pittsburgh, USA

"J. Chris Westgate's bold new approach to the ethical complexities behind Progressive-Era representations of and engagement with urban poverty unearths a period in American theatre history that has lain mostly fallow for over a century. A highly readable yet deeply probing archaeological study of this lost era, Staging the Slums, Slumming the Stage masterfully answers an early drama critic's query, 'What is the purpose of this elaborate exploitation of the slums?' Robert M. Dowling, author of Slumming in New York: From the Waterfront to Mythic Harlem and Eugene O'Neill: A Life in Four Acts

"This fascinating and detailed study about the practices of slumming and Progressive-Era theatre deserves to be widely read. Westgate's engaging prose and thorough research demonstrate the stakes of theatricalizing urban poverty. With compelling readings of Progressive-Era plays about slum life, Westgate shows how enactment is vital to cultural discourse about the poor. As the first book-length project devoted to the theatricalization of slumming, Staging the Slums offers a new understanding of the development of modernity in U.S. theatre and society." - Katie N. Johnson, Associate Professor, Miami University, USA and author of Sisters in Sin: Brothel Drama in America

J. Chris Westgate is Associate Professor in the Department of English, Comparative Literature, and Linguistics at California State University, Fullerton, USA.