author
Sheldon Cheney
1886–1980
A lively early champion of modern theater and art, this American critic and historian helped shape how 20th-century readers understood the stage. He founded Theatre Arts Magazine and went on to write widely read books on theater history and modern art.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Berkeley, California, Sheldon Warren Cheney (June 29, 1886 – October 10, 1980) was an American author, art critic, and theater historian. Sources consistently describe him as an important voice in the modernist movement in American drama, and his career ranged across criticism, editing, and large-scale historical writing.
After early work in his father's real estate business, he moved into theater criticism and founded Theatre Arts Magazine in 1916, editing it in its early years. He later wrote a number of substantial books, including studies of theater history and modern art, which helped introduce broad audiences to both subjects.
Cheney's reputation rests on his ability to make big artistic movements readable and engaging for general readers. A museum profile notes that his writing on theater history influenced figures such as Eugene O'Neill and designer Robert Edmond Jones, which helps explain why he remains a notable name for readers interested in drama, criticism, and the history of modern art.