Maurice Browne

DATE: c1902-1964

LEVEL: Fonds

Correspondence, manuscripts, poetry and dramatic plays by Maurice Browne.

In about 1910, the English actor and producer, Maurice Browne, moved to Chicago to marry an American actress, Ellen van Volkenburg. There they established the experimental Chicago Little Theatre and founded the 'Little Theatre' movement in American cities. By 1927, Browne had returned to England where he was to become a friend and business partner of Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst. Browne was in part responsible for the selection of staff for the early drama programme at Dartington Hall. With the Elmhirsts, he founded Maurice Browne Ltd, a West End theatrical company which put on a variety of plays between 1929 and 1935. Their biggest success was R C Sherriff's 'Journey's End'. Browne may also have served as an advisor to the Globe and Queens Theatres Ltd (c1930-1962), a company established to administer these two London theatres which were largely owned by the Elmhirsts. Browne was also a life long friend of John Cowper Powys who is represented in this collection of letters. He is buried in Dartington village churchyard.

COPYRIGHT: Copyright retained by Jack and Alice Palmer where it exists on those papers pertaining to Maurice Browne and Molly Underwood until the deaths of the donors.

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