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Mission
A lingering rumor in standard theatre history is that a true American drama did not exist before
Eugene O'Neill. Not so. We have an enormous, but neglected, wealth of comedies from the nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries, plays that comprise our folk drama. These comedies of and for the
people contributed to shaping an American identity, and their codes still live in popular culture.
AMERICA-IN-PLAY aims to immerse playwrights in this legacy and strengthen their connection to this
past as a source for contemporary American writing. My design is to initiate conversations between
current writers and those of the past, not for the purpose of resurrection, but rather to enrich
present writing through the grounding and inspiration from long-forgotten plays.
- Lynn M. Thomson, Founder and Artistic Director
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AIP NEWS
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