Who Is the Group Theatre?

Abstract

Now scattered on the East and West Coasts, the members determined to reorganize—a process that turned out to be as painful and as explosive as the Actors’ Committee Report. In mid March 1937, the New York contingent debated whether the Group was capable of being resuscitated or was already dead. Rumors were rife: Crawford insisted no one can use the name of the Group Theatre; she will resign, as will Strasberg. Those on the West Coast have been unresponsive; they remain members of the Group since, as Herbie Ratner remarked, “so far Gadge or Harold haven’t started a new group”—a possibility obviously anticipated. Under pressure to determine the destiny of their theater, they also examined various new proposals on financing, salaries, play choices, and a detailed proposal for a Group Theatre School, which had been appended to the Actors’ Report as the only immediately practical plan.