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ACTORS LAB

Actors laboratory

Location  1455 North Laurel Avenue, Hollywood.

Story 

Morris Carnovsky and his wife Phoebe, theater persons of the East Coast, had founded and headed this course,

which was considered as the West Coast branch of the New York Group Theater ().

The Group Theater had been created during Summer 1931 by young idealists desirous to transform the American

Theater, Lee Strasberg, Harold Clurman () and Cheryl Crawford ()().


They recruited 28 actors to create the company ().

This group theater was conceived as a totally opposite answer to the theater of the 20's, seen as a light and old-fashioned entertainment.

Their vision was the one of a new theater which reflected the Americans existence, who lived through a time of Great Depression.

During its 10 years living and its some 20 productions, their intention not only has been reached, but has also changed the course of the American theater, forever.

The Group Theater presented some works about the life conditions of the disadvantaged people, and took position against capitalism and for the left-wing ideas defense.

The students usually studied plays about the difficulties of the working-men and working-women, allowing a critical discussion about capitalism.

The company had been broken up in 1941 after a decade of activity, but its members continue to insufflate a new vim in the American theater, and during the next 10 years, the Group Theater actors, as Morris Carnovsky and his wife Phoebe, J.Edward Bromberg and Roman Bohnen created the Actors Lab, and carried on teaching actors, and giving a theatrical instruction and making plays for students and public in Los Angeles.

Theater writers, actors and stage directors from Broadway came and presented their work in California.
The Actors Lab was created in 1941 and broke up in 1952.



Link with Marilyn

Marilyn and a few starlets from the Fox were sent there to attend the teaching courses.
In 1947 she attended the course, read some plays (including "Clash by Night" written by Clifford Odets, from which she would play later the part in a movie), studied some scenes, first payed by the Fox, then by her new benefactors John Carroll and his wife Lucille Ryman.

This work pleased a lot to Marilyn, who had been raised in the same environment like the one described in the plays.
Phoebe Brand herself remembered Marilyn as a meticulous student.

She met the most distinguished personalities from the New York theater and was for the first time, in contact with the social and political concerns which would tortment her throughout her life.

Although she had been strongly impressed by the Actors Lab, her shyness kept her from taking an important part in its activities. 

 

                                                                                                                                                               

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