J. T. Grein
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Jacob Thomas (J. T.) Grein ("Jack") (October 11, 1862 – June 22, 1935) was a Dutch-born theatre impresario and drama critic who helped establish the modern theatre in London, England.
Born in Amsterdam, he moved to London in 1885 and became a naturalized British subject in 1895. His greatest contribution was founding the Independent Theatre Society in 1891. Their first production was Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts in 1891, held as a private performance since it was not officially licensed by the Lord Chamberlain. In 1892 the Society produced George Bernard Shaw's Widower's Houses, the first production of a Shaw play. Grein married Alice Grein in 1904; she later wrote and edited a biography of him under the pseudonym Michael Orme.
Both J. T. and Alice Grein also worked tirelessly to introduce European drama to London. They founded the German Theatre in London Program in 1900, hosting German actors and directors such as Max Behrend and Hans Andresen in productions of German drama (performed in German). This program lasted, in various forms, through 1908.
References
- Carlson, Marvin. “The Théâtre-Libre, The Freie Bühne, The Independent Theatre: A Comparative Study.” Diss. Cornell University, 1961.
- Schoonderwoerd, N. H. G. J. T. Grein: Ambassador of the Theatre, 1862-1935. A Study in Anglo-Continental Theatrical Relations. Assen: Van Gorcum, 1963.
- Orme, Michael [Alice Grein]. J. T. Grein: The Story of a Pioneer. London: John Murray, 1936.
