Martha Allan
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Marguerite Martha Allan (1895 – April 4, 1942) was the founder of the
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
Repertory Theatre A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...
and co-founder of the
Dominion Drama Festival The Dominion Drama Festival was an organisation in Canada that sought to promote amateur theatre across the country. It lasted, in one form or another, from 1932 until 1978. Founding The Dominion Drama Festival (DDF) was devised in 1932 as a wa ...
. She loathed
amateur theatre Amateur theatre, also known as amateur dramatics, is theatre performed by amateur actors and singers. Amateur theatre groups may stage plays, revues, musicals, light opera, pantomime or variety shows, and do so for the social activity as well as f ...
, but her energies spearheaded the Canadian
Little Theatre Movement As the new medium of cinema was beginning to replace theater as a source of large-scale spectacle, the Little Theatre Movement developed in the United States around 1912. The Little Theatre Movement served to provide experimental centers for the dra ...
at a time when
live theatre Live Theatre, formerly Live Theatre Company, is a new writing theatre and company based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. As well as producing and presenting new plays many of which go on to tour nationally and internationally, it seeks out an ...
in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
and across
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was being threatened by the rapid expansion of the American-influenced
movie theater A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...
. She almost single-handedly laid the groundwork for the development of the professional modern
Canadian theatre Canada's contemporary theatre reflects a rich diversity of regional and cultural identities. Since the late 1960s, there has been a concerted effort to develop the voice of the 'Canadian playwright', which is reflected in the nationally focused ...
scene. In 1935, she received the Canadian Drama Award for outstanding service in the development of the Canadian theatre. At the annual Dominion Drama Festival the ''Martha Allan Trophy'' is awarded in her memory for the best visual performance. She also wrote three plays: ''What Fools We Mortals Be''; ''Summer Solstice''; and ''All Of A Summer's Day'', that won the Sir Barry Jackson Trophy for the best Canadian play at the Dominion Drama Festival in the early 1930s.


Biography

Martha Allan was born in Montreal's
Golden Square Mile / ''Mille carré doré'' , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = List of neighbourhoods in Montreal, Neighbourhood , image_skyline = Ravenscrag.jpg , image_alt = , image_caption = ''Rave ...
. She was the eldest child of Sir Montague Allan of
Ravenscrag, Montreal Ravenscrag is a former mansion that was built between 1860 and 1863 for Hugh Allan (later Sir Hugh Allan) in the Golden Square Mile of Montreal, Quebec. It stands at 1025 Pine Avenue West at the top of McTavish Street, on the slopes of Mount Roy ...
and Marguerite Ethel Mackenzie (1873–1957), daughter of Hector Mackenzie (1843–1901), of Montreal. Both her parents enjoyed theatre. Her father, his cousin, and at least one of her aunts had been members of the Castanet Club of Montreal when they staged a production of ''
The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...
'' in 1886; and her maternal grandfather, Hector Mackenzie, had been President of Montreal
Philharmonic An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...
Society. Allan enjoyed an upbringing of unbridled wealth and privilege. She grew up between Ravenscrag, the Allan family mansion in Montreal's
Golden Square Mile / ''Mille carré doré'' , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = List of neighbourhoods in Montreal, Neighbourhood , image_skyline = Ravenscrag.jpg , image_alt = , image_caption = ''Rave ...
, and ''Montrose'', the Allans' summer house at Cacouna. Her parents out-lived all their children, including Allan, who never married. Allan's two teenage sisters died in the sinking of the ''
RMS Lusitania RMS ''Lusitania'' (named after the Roman province in Western Europe corresponding to modern Portugal) was a British ocean liner that was launched by the Cunard Line in 1906 and that held the Blue Riband appellation for the fastest Atlanti ...
''. Two years later, her only brother Hugh, a Flight Sub-Lieutenant in the
Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...
, was shot down on his first service flight over the
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
. Having trained as a nurse, Allan was injured in the same conflict while driving an
ambulance An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...
that she had purchased in France at her own expense. After recovering in England, she remained there until the end of the war, serving on the staff of a hospital that was being administered by her mother in London. Later, she lived in the Ravenscrag coach-house and held many lively meetings there with theatre types, sinking her energy, money, connections and passion into the task of building a vital theatre industry in Montreal. Edgar Allen Collard of the ''
Montreal Gazette The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...
'' described Allan as, ' Following a serious illness, Allan took a trip with her parents to
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, dying after four weeks, on April 4, 1942. In 1935, her contribution to Canadian drama was recognized when she was given the Canadian Drama Award for outstanding service in the development of the Canadian theatre. Following Allan's death, having lost their leading spirit many feared the collapse of her Montreal Repertory Theatre, but her parents and other influential Montrealers were quick to jump in and the presidency was taken up by Charles Martin, son-in-law of
Richard B. Angus Richard Bladworth Angus (28 May 1831 – 17 September 1922) was a Scottish-Canadian banker, financier, and philanthropist. He was a co-founder and vice-president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, president of the Bank of Montreal, president of the ...
. The MRT continued to run successfully up until 1961, and a trophy was donated in her name.


Montreal Repertory Theatre

Before
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Allan studied theatre in
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and came to know among others the actress
Rita Jolivet Marguerite Lucile Jolivet (25 September 1884 – 2 March 1971), known professionally as Rita Jolivet, was a British actress in theatre and silent films in the early 20th century. She was known in private life as the Countess Marguerita de C ...
, who remained a close family friend and later married Jimmy Bryce Allan, her Scottish cousin. In 1921, along with Rupert Caplan, Akkab was among the founders of the Community Players, with W.A. Tremayne as their stage director. They disbanded after four years and Caplan joined the
Provincetown Players The Provincetown Players was a collective of artists, writers, intellectuals, and amateur theater enthusiasts. Under the leadership of the husband and wife team of George Cram Cook, George Cram “Jig” Cook and Susan Glaspell from Iowa, the Play ...
before returning and becoming a major force in Canadian radio, producing the Radio Theatre Guild with the
Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission The Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (CRBC), also referred to as the Canadian Radio Commission (CRC), was Canada's first public broadcaster and the immediate precursor to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Origins The CRBC was establish ...
. Allan gained a reputation for herself as a successful theatrical producer in various art theatres in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, most notably as the director of the Pasadena Little Theatre, one of the most respected institutions of the kind on the continent. Under Allan's directorship, the Pasadena Playhouse drew such local support that
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 ...
dubbed
Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. Its ...
"the
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
of the West" referring to the city's enthusiasm for community theatre. She returned to
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
in 1929, determined to establish a community theatre there at a time when 'live theatre' seemed in danger of extinction; the 'movies' having by then become the 'talkies'. In 1929, Allan organised a meeting at Montreal to be led by Sir Barry Jackson, director of the
Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre c ...
in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, in which he emphasised the success of the theatres at both
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
and
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
and urged Montrealers to establish their own community theatre.
Margaret Anglin Mary Margaret Warren Anglin (April 3, 1876 – January 7, 1958) was a Canadian-born Broadway actress, director and producer. Encyclopædia Britannica calls her "one of the most brilliant actresses of her day." Biography Anglin was born in Ot ...
, then Canada's best-known stage actress, who happened to be in town performing
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
's ''
Lady Windermere's Fan ''Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman'' is a four-act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first performed on Saturday, 20 February 1892, at the St James's Theatre in London. The story concerns Lady Windermere, who suspects that her husband i ...
'', also spoke in support of local theatre. Allan, of course, spoke too, and one year later, with much local support, particularly from Sir Andrew MacPhail, she founded the Montreal Theatre Guild, which came to be known as the Montreal Repertory Theatre, or the MRT. Montreal's Rialto Theatre was used strictly for opera, and the Theatre Francais had burned down in 1900, as had the
Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia *Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...
in 1927. Jackson's meeting had been held only a few months after Montreal's other main stage theatre,
Her Majesty's Theatre, Montreal Her Majesty's Theatre (also known as His Majesty's Theatre) was a theatre located on Guy Street in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. For nearly 65 years it was one of the most important venues for orchestral concerts, recitals, plays, operas, and ballets i ...
, had been purchased by an American motion-picture chain, Consolidated Theatres. The very week after Jackson's meeting, th
Orpheum Theatre
which had been the traditional stock company theatre in Montreal, was transformed - like many others - into the Popular Talkie Playhouse. These significant sweeping changes to the cultural scene swiftly galvanized Montreal's elite into supporting Allan's initiative. The MRT's opening night performances were packed to the rafters with old Montreal's social elite, all of whom Miss Allan knew intimately, many of them being close friends of, or related to her parents. Other than her parents, among the other principal donators to the establishment of the MRT were
Athanase David Louis-Athanase David (June 24, 1882 – January 26, 1953) was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and businessman. He was a cabinet minister in the Provincial Parliament of Quebec, representing the riding of Terrebonne and serving as Provincial Secret ...
, Madame Athanase David, General Sir Arthur Currie, Sir
Edward Wentworth Beatty Sir Edward Wentworth Beatty (October 16, 1877 – March 23, 1943) was the first Canadian-born president of the Canadian Pacific Railway (1918–1943). He was responsible for building the Royal York Hotel and RMS Empress of Britain, and lat ...
, Lt.-Colonel
Herbert Molson Colonel Herbert Molson (May 29, 1875 – March 21, 1938) was a Canadian politician, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was a former owner of Molson Brewery and a member of the Molson family. Life and career He was born on May 29, 1875, the so ...
, F.E. Meredith and Lord Atholstan. Allan hated to have the word 'amateur' applied to the MRT; "amateur theatricals? I loathe them" she once said. By the mid-1930s, she had almost succeeded in her aim of making the MRT professional, and in its standards, it largely was. Unlike its predecessor, The Community Players, the MRT had established a traditional subscription series of plays, an experimental studio wing, a French section, a school for theatre training, an extensive library collection of theatre books and memorabilia, and an organization magazine - ''Cue'' - that kept subscribers up-to-date with all kinds of theatrical information. Allan was passionate about demanding the highest artistic standards at the MRT, and encouraged other local amateur groups to achieve the same level of artistic consistency. Moreover, the MRT was much more open than other significant Anglo-Montreal controlled institutions of the city, which were still firmly closed to
French-Canadians French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fre ...
,
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
and others. The MRT determined to produce plays in
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
, to make it accessible to all Montrealers, not just in the audience, but on the stage too. The MRT had professional staff for its management and direction and an impressive number of MRT players went on to fame on the professional stage. Leo Ciceri was to be renowned at
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...
and in
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;
Christopher Plummer Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage, and television. He received multiple accolades, inc ...
and
John Colicos John Colicos (December 10, 1928 – March 6, 2000) was a Canadian actor. He performed on stage and television in the United States and Canada. Career Colicos was born in Toronto, Ontario, to a Greek father and a Canadian mother. In 1957 he app ...
both achieved world reputations - Colicos becoming the youngest actor ever to play
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at London's
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. Among many others who became professionals of distinction were the likes of
Richard Easton John Richard Easton (March 22, 1933 – December 2, 2019) was a Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of Brian Hammond in the 1970s BBC serial '' The Brothers''. Life and career Easton was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the son of Mar ...
and
Madeleine Sherwood Madeleine Sherwood (born Madeleine Louise Hélène Thornton; November 13, 1922 – April 23, 2016) was a Canadian actress of stage, film and television. She was widely known for her portrayals of Mae/Sister Woman and Miss Lucy in both the Broadwa ...
.


Modern dance

At the same time that Allan was involved in promoting live theatre in Montreal, she also played a role in supporting modern dance, most notably when she directed dance performances in Montreal by such international artists as
Harald Kreutzberg Harald Kreutzberg (December 11, 1902 – April 25, 1968) was a German dancer and choreographer associated with the Ausdruckstanz movement, a form in which the individual, artistic expression of feelings or emotions is essential. Though largely fo ...
and
Vicente Escudero Vicente Escudero (27 October 1892 in Valladolid, Spain – 4 December 1980 in Barcelona) was a Spanish flamenco dancer. He was closely associated with the avant-garde of his time and brought modernist aesthetics to bear on his theory of dance. Es ...
.


MRT's Guy Street Theatre

In the 1930s, Montreal was in heavy
recession In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...
and despite Allan's best attempts to rally local wealth and political support, the MRT had suffered from never having had a real headquarters. At first, rehearsals had taken place at the Allans' coach-house at Ravenscrag. Plays were performed wherever a hall could be found, usually a
McGill's Moyse HallVictoria Hall
(home of the Montreal Academy of Music), the
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and the
Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
hotels. Unable to purchase an existing theatre or construct a new one, in 1932, the MRT obtained a space in a building o
Union Avenue
but more was needed. The building that the MRT eventually acquired on
Guy Street Guy Street (officially in french: rue Guy) is a north-south street located in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Concordia University's Integrated Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Complex is located on this street, as is the John Mols ...
, had in the 1870s been th
West-End School
and later served as a home for Protestant infants and as a dance academy. When the MRT took over the building it made many changes and constructed a little theatre with about 200 seats. As its productions ran for more than a week, the theatre gave more than a thousand Montrealers a chance to attend. The very smallness of the theatre gave it a sense of intimacy, creating a close bond between actors and audience. When the MRT celebrated its twentieth anniversary with a performance of
W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...
's ''
The Constant Wife ''The Constant Wife'', a play written in 1926 by W. Somerset Maugham, is a comedy whose modern and amusing take on marriage and infidelity gives a quick-witted, alternative view on how to deal with an extramarital affair. A “sparkling comedy o ...
'', Governor-General
Vincent Massey Charles Vincent Massey (February 20, 1887December 30, 1967) was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 18th since Confederation. Massey was the first governor general of Canada who was born in Canada after ...
appeared on the stage between the first and second acts with an impromptu speech: "MRT are three letters which have stood for very great distinction in the Canadian theatre". In 1952, the Guy Street building blew up and all its contents were lost: the theatre, its equipment, the library, the museum, the costumes and the records. The MRT continued as it had done before, renting halls, until it acquired another theatre and headquarters in the old building of the
Navy League of Canada The Navy League of Canada (french: Ligue navale du Canada) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1895 and incorporated in 1918. Originally formed to promote maritime issues to Canadians, the Navy League is the non-governmental partner of the De ...
on Closse Street. On Guy Street, a skyscraper was built over where the characterful little theatre had stood.


Dominion Drama Festival

Allan worked closely with the Governor-General of Canada,
Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough Vere Brabazon Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough, (27 October 1880 – 10 March 1956), was an Anglo-Irish businessman and politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the fourteenth since Canadian Confederation. Born and educated in E ...
, in helping to establish the
Dominion Drama Festival The Dominion Drama Festival was an organisation in Canada that sought to promote amateur theatre across the country. It lasted, in one form or another, from 1932 until 1978. Founding The Dominion Drama Festival (DDF) was devised in 1932 as a wa ...
with Colonel Osborne of
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
. In 1932, she staged
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' in Moyse Hall, Montreal, with Lord Bessborough designing and superintending the stage settings, while his son, Viscount Duncannon, played the lead role. Trophies for the festival were donated by Lord Bessborough, Sir Barry Jackson of
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, and her father's cousin-in-law, Sir
Vincent Meredith Sir Henry Vincent Meredith, 1st Baronet (February 28, 1850 – February 24, 1929), was a Canadian banker and philanthropist. He was president of the Bank of Montreal, the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. He was gover ...
. Meredith was the uncle of J. Stanley Meredith, who in 1932 had founded ''The Meredith Players'' at
London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
, becoming part of the London Little Theatre Company in 1934, and who were permanent fixtures at the Drama Festival. The multi-lingual Allan founded a French theatre as well as the English-speaking MRT. It did so well at the Dominion Drama Festival in 1934 that the adjudicators said they had almost given it the prize. It eventually left MRT, but it had been one of the earlier French-language theatre groups in Montreal. In the finals of 1938, held at London, Ontario, the MRT was presenting '' Father Malachy's Miracle''. The actor who was to play the leading role fell ill en route to London and some recommended that the play should be withdrawn. Allan would not hear of it. She studied the script in the few available hours and went on stage to play the priest. The adjudicator, who was unaware that the role had been learnt by Miss Allan in just a few hours, selected her for special mention. She was said to be an even better director. Thomas Archer of the ''Montreal Gazette'' wrote,


MRT's wartime work

An example of Allan's ability for quick improvisation was demonstrated at the outbreak of the
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Nobody seemed to know what the MRT should do, and many suggested it should be disbanded, but Allan insisted it should go on and made it a branch of the
Canadian Red Cross The Canadian Red Cross Society ()Camp Petawawa Garrison Petawawa is located in Petawawa, Ontario. It is operated as an army base by the Canadian Army. Garrison facts The Garrison is located in the Ottawa Valley in Renfrew County, northwest of Ottawa along the western bank of the Ottawa ...
. The 'Tin Hats' were a forerunner of the famed Army Show. Nevertheless, the war saw a huge decrease of spectator subscriptions, on which the company heavily relied to make money. About a month after Allen's death, the Montreal Gazette reported "Before the war the MRT members bought 1,500 double subscriptions but it is reported that within the last two years this dropped to about half."The Montreal Gazette, May 13th, page 3. The five annual major productions were reduced from six to three representations each.


References


Further reading


Shipping Heiress kept Theatre Alive in Montreal
Montreal Gazette, 2009
Martha Allan's Acting Pleases - Montreal Amateur Scores with Los Angeles Community Playhouse
Montreal Gazette, 1928
Little Theatre only Temporary - Must Eventually become Professional Says Martha Allan in Interview
Montreal Gazette, 1933
Martha Allan, Prominent in Little Theater, Passes
Ottawa Citizen, 1942
Montreal's Great Women - Martha Allan

Setting the Stage: Montreal Theatre 1920-1949

Montreal Repertory Theatre

Origins of the National Theatre School of Canada
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allan, Martha 1895 births 1942 deaths Actresses from Montreal Anglophone Quebec people Theatre patrons Canadian theatre directors Canadian women dramatists and playwrights Canadian socialites Writers from Montreal 20th-century Canadian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Canadian women writers