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Alexander Woollcott
Overview
Alexander Woollcott (1887–1943) was one of the most prominent American cultural figures of the interwar era: drama critic for the New York Times, radio personality known as “The Town Crier,” founding member of the Algonquin Round Table, author, and the real-life model for the acerbic protagonist Sheridan Whiteside in Kaufman and Hart’s play “The Man Who Came to Dinner” (1939). He was a member of the Hamilton College Class of 1909, and the earliest surviving documentation of his theatrical ambitions comes from the Hamilton Life student newspaper during his undergraduate years.
Relevance to Research
The June 22, 1907 issue of Hamilton Life (Vol. IX No. 31) records Woollcott performing the female lead role “Peggy” in the Class of 1909 production of “The Mice Will Play.” The production was directed and advised by Dr. Shepard and poet Clinton Scollard. As a member of the Class of 1909, Woollcott would have been a freshman or sophomore at the time of this performance. The May 18, 1907 issue of Hamilton Life also references “The Mice Will Play” in the context of Campus Day planning, noting the play was scheduled the night before Campus Day (June 5). Playing a female lead was conventional practice in all-male college theater of this era, but the detail is historically notable given Woollcott’s subsequent career as the leading American drama critic of his generation. This is the earliest documented record of his theatrical involvement.
Notes
Role: Alumnus, Hamilton College Class of 1909 Key events: - Listed in the Class of 1909 at Hamilton College, placing him as a freshman/sophomore in the 1906–07 academic year - Played the female lead character “Peggy” in the Class of 1909 production of “The Mice Will Play” (June 1907) - Production was directed and advised by Dr. Shepard and poet Clinton Scollard - “The Mice Will Play” was performed in connection with Campus Day (scheduled the night before Campus Day, June 5, 1907) - Classmate of Alex Faickney Osborn ‘09 (Hamilton Life EIC 1908–09) - The Hamilton Life 1914–1916 corpus documents continued alumni presence: seen in the stands at the Union football game (fall 1915); Court of Appeals case vs. the Shubert theatrical syndicate reported (1916) - Went on to become drama critic for the New York Times, radio broadcaster (“The Town Crier”), and a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table - The real-life model for Sheridan Whiteside in Kaufman and Hart’s “The Man Who Came to Dinner” (1939)