author
Thomas Wood Stevens
1880–1942
An artist, poet, writer, and theatre director, Thomas Wood Stevens helped shape American drama education while creating pageants, Shakespeare productions, books, and etchings. His wide-ranging career brought together literature, visual art, printing, and the stage.
1 Audiobook
The Duquesne Christmas mystery
by Thomas Wood Stevens
About the author
Thomas Wood Stevens (1880–1942) was an American artist, poet, writer, and theatre director born in Daysville, Illinois. After studying at the Armour Institute of Technology and the Art Institute of Chicago, he founded the Blue Sky Press, taught art, exhibited etchings, and helped establish the Chicago Society of Etchers. His 1913 book The Etching of Cities reflected his interest in both printmaking and urban design.
Stevens became a major force in American theatre education. In 1913, he organized the theatre arts program at Carnegie Institute of Technology, creating what is described as the first degree-granting school of drama in the United States. He later led theatre programs at the Art Institute of Chicago and Stanford University, founded the Globe Players, and headed dramatic arts at the University of Arizona. His published work included Lettering, The Theatre From Athens to Broadway, numerous Shakespeare adaptations, and the narrative poem Westward Under Vega.