Brooks Atkinson

Brooks Atkinson wrote about plays.

As a boy, he made his own paper. He went to a big school called Harvard. Later, he worked for a famous paper.

He wrote reviews for many stage shows. His words could help a show succeed. He also liked new kinds of plays.

During a war, he left the theater. He went to China to report news. He won a big prize for this.

He came back to write about plays again. He helped make small theaters very popular. He was a very important writer.

Brooks Atkinson was a famous writer for The New York Times.

As a boy, he printed his own newspaper. He went to Harvard University. Later, he became a theater critic. This is a person who watches plays and writes about them. His reviews were very powerful. They could help a play succeed or cause it to close.

Atkinson loved new kinds of theater. He supported the Federal Theatre Project. This was a way to help actors find work during the Great Depression. He also helped make Off-Broadway shows very popular. People called him the "conscience of the theater." This was because he believed plays should talk about important things.

During World War II, Atkinson left the theater. He went to China to report on the war. Later, he worked in Moscow, Russia. For his news work, he won the Pulitzer Prize. This is a very big award for writers. He returned to writing about plays in 1947. He worked there until he retired in 1960. A theater in New York was named after him to honor his life.

Brooks Atkinson was a very important American theater critic.

He worked for The New York Times for many years. People called him the "conscience of the theater." This meant he believed plays should discuss important moral issues. He felt theater could help people think and debate. His reviews were so powerful they could make or break a show. For example, his bad review of Return Engagement caused it to close after only eight shows. He was a major voice for many different kinds of drama.

Atkinson had a very specific way of working and writing. He was known for a witty and direct style. In 1932, he even dropped the "J." from his name to match this style. He loved to see new and different kinds of plays. He traveled to see many different productions across the East Coast. He saw the Harlem "Voodoo Macbeth" directed by Orson Welles. He also saw a play called "Lost Colony" on Roanoke Island. He used his writing to support new theater movements.

His journey into writing started when he was just a young boy. He used movable type to print his own newspaper. He later attended Harvard University and graduated in 1917. He worked at several newspapers like the Boston Evening Transcript. In 1922, he became an editor for The New York Times Book Review. By 1925, he became their official drama critic. He married a writer named Oriana MacIlveen in August 1926. He stayed with the Times until he retired in 1960.

Atkinson did much more than just watch plays during his life. During World War II, he left the theater to report on the war. He went to China to cover the Second Sino-Japanese War. He also served as a correspondent in Moscow, Russia. His great work in Moscow earned him a Pulitzer Prize in 1947. This is a very famous award for journalists. He was also elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1960. He even came out of retirement once to write a review for Man of La Mancha.

Many people in the theater world remember his huge impact. He helped the Off-Broadway movement grow into a major force. He was a strong supporter of the Federal Theatre Project during the Great Depression. This project helped theater workers find jobs when times were very hard. Even famous people like Arthur Miller attended his 80th birthday dinner. A theater in New York was named the Brooks Atkinson Theatre to honor him. He lived a long life and died in Alabama in 1984.

Brooks Atkinson was a highly influential American theater critic. He spent much of his career at The New York Times. From 1922 to 1960, he shaped how people viewed the stage. Many called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of his time." He was also known as "the conscience of the theater." This title reflected his belief in the power of drama. He thought theater should address moral and social issues. He believed it could foster serious public debate.

Atkinson had a very specific way of working and writing. He was famous for a witty and direct style. In 1932, he even dropped the "J." from his byline. This change matched his more streamlined approach to journalism. His reviews were incredibly powerful in the Broadway community. They could determine the success or failure of a show. In 1940, he wrote a negative review of Return Engagement. This single review caused the comedy to close after eight performances. This was surprising because the lead actor's previous comedy lasted over 500 shows.

His passion for drama led him to support many different styles. He was an early admirer of the playwright Eugene O'Neill. He also championed Off-Broadway productions, which were smaller than typical Broadway shows. During the Great Depression, he supported the Federal Theatre Project. This was a part of the Works Progress Administration. It helped unemployed theater professionals find work. It also aimed to create theater that was diverse and responsive to the public. Atkinson traveled extensively to witness these different artistic movements. He saw the Harlem "Voodoo Macbeth" directed by Orson Welles. He also viewed the play "Lost Colony" on Roanoke Island.

Atkinson's journey into journalism began during his childhood. As a young boy, he printed his own newspaper. He used movable type to do this work. He later attended Harvard University and graduated in 1917. He worked for several publications, including the Boston Evening Transcript. He served as an assistant to a drama critic there. In 1922, he became an editor for the New York Times Book Review. By 1925, he took over as the official drama critic for the paper. In 1926, he married a writer named Oriana MacIlveen.

During World War II, Atkinson stepped away from the theater. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, he tried to enlist in the Navy. He was refused, so he requested war coverage instead. The New York Times sent him to China. He reported on the Second Sino-Japanese War until 1945. While in China, he visited Mao Zedong in Yan'an. He described the local political system as an "agrarian or peasant democracy." After the war, he moved to the Soviet Union. He served as a press correspondent in Moscow. This work earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Correspondence in 1947.

Atkinson returned to the drama desk after his time in Moscow. He remained in this role until his retirement in 1960. He is credited with helping Off-Broadway become a major theatrical force. His influence was so unique that it created funny situations. Producer David Merrick once tried to run a spoof advertisement. He hired seven people with the names of famous critics. He could not find anyone named Brooks Atkinson. This was because there was only one Brooks Atkinson in New York City. In 1960, he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Even in retirement, Atkinson remained connected to the arts. He briefly returned to writing in 1965. He wrote a favorable review for the musical Man of La Mancha. This review appeared on the first page of the show's souvenir program. When he turned 80, a tribute dinner was held for him. Famous figures like Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan attended the event. Atkinson eventually moved to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1981. He died at Crestwood Hospital on January 14, 1984. The Mansfield Theatre in New York was named the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in his honor.