Jacob Thomas "Jack" Grein (generally referred to as J. T. Grein; 11 October 1862 – 22 June 1935) was a British
impresario
An impresario (from the Italian ''impresa'', "an enterprise or undertaking") is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film or television producer.
His ...
and drama critic of Dutch origin who helped establish the modern theatre in London.
[Wearing, J. P]
"Grein, Jacob Thomas (1862–1935)"
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, January 2008, accessed 12 March 2013
Biography
Grein was born and raised in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
, Grein moved to London in 1885 and worked for the
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
was
naturalised
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the i ...
as a
British subject in 1895. His greatest achievement was founding the
Independent Theatre Society in 1891, based on the concept of
Andre Antoine 's Naturalistic
Theatre Libre in Paris.
Their first production was ''
Ghosts'' by
Henrik Ibsen in 1891. Their performances were held as "private" subscription performances, which allowed them to present plays that were not officially licensed by the
Lord Chamberlain's Office
The Lord Chamberlain's Office is a department within the British Royal Household. It is concerned with matters such as protocol, state visits, investitures, garden parties, royal weddings and funerals. For example, in April 2005 it organised th ...
.
In 1892, the Society produced ''
Widowers' Houses
''Widowers' Houses'' (1892) was the first play by George Bernard Shaw to be staged. It premièred on 9 December 1892 at the Royalty Theatre, under the auspices of the Independent Theatre Society — a subscription club, formed to escape th ...
'', the first play by
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...
.
[
Grein married the actress Alice Augusta Greeven in 1904; she later wrote and edited a biography of him under the pen name Michael Orme.] She also wrote a number of plays as Michael Orme and as Alix Greeven.
The Greins worked continually to introduce European drama to London. They founded the German Theatre in London Programme in 1900, hosting German actors and directors such as Max Behrend and Hans Andresen in productions of German drama (performed in German). This programme lasted, in various forms, until 1908.["Mr. J. T. Grein", ''The Times'', 24 June 1935, p. 9]
The influences were not all one way: in April 1907, Grein organised a visit by Herbert Beerbohm Tree
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and theatre manager.
Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End, winning praise for adventurous progr ...
's company – based at His Majesty's Theatre – to Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
and Berlin. The visit was made at the personal invitation of the German Emperor
The German Emperor (german: Deutscher Kaiser, ) was the official title of the head of state and hereditary ruler of the German Empire. A specifically chosen term, it was introduced with the 1 January 1871 constitution and lasted until the offi ...
; the imperial railway train transported them from the Hook of Holland
Hook of Holland ( nl, Hoek van Holland, ) is a town in the southwestern corner of Holland, hence the name; ''hoek'' means "corner" and was the word in use before the word ''kaap'' – "cape", from Portuguese ''cabo'' – became Dutch. The English t ...
. Grein and Tree were awarded the Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...
for their successful tour.[Dekker, Nicholas ''The Modern Catalyst:German Influences on the British Stage'' pp.23–4 (Ohio State University, 2007)]
In 1930, he founded 'The People's National Theatre', with Nancy Price
Nancy Price, CBE (3 February 1880 – 31 March 1970), was an English actress on stage and screen, author and theatre director. Her acting career began in a repertory theatre company before progressing to the London stage, silent films, talkies a ...
.
Grein died of a heart attack at his London home in 1935, aged 72.[
]
Notes
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 lice Grein ''J. T. Grein: The Story of a Pioneer''. London: John Murray, 1936.
''Encyclopædia Britannica''
1862 births
1935 deaths
British theatre managers and producers
British theatre critics
Businesspeople from Amsterdam
Dutch emigrants to England
Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom
Presidents of the Critics' Circle
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