Study Guide: Theatre from 1915 to 1950

1. Introduction to Theatre (1915-1950)

●​ Period of major social, political, and artistic change.

●​ Influences include World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, and technological
advancements.
●​ Growth of experimental theatre and realism.

2. Major Theatrical Movements

a. Expressionism (1910s-1920s)

●​ Originated in Germany.
●​ Focus on emotional experience rather than realistic representation.
●​ Notable Playwrights: Georg Kaiser (From Morn to Midnight), Ernst Toller (Man and the
Masses).

b. Epic Theatre (1920s-1940s)

●​ Developed by Bertolt Brecht.

●​ Goal: Encourage critical thinking rather than emotional involvement.
●​ Techniques: Alienation effect, direct address, visible stage elements.
●​ Key Works: The Threepenny Opera, Mother Courage and Her Children.

c. Realism & Naturalism (1915-1950s)

●​ Continued dominance in the U.S. and Europe.

●​ Focus on everyday life and psychological depth.
●​ Influenced by Sigmund Freud and social issues.
●​ Key Playwrights: Eugene O’Neill (Long Day’s Journey Into Night), Clifford Odets (Awake
and Sing!)

d. Theatrical Avant-Garde & Absurdism (late 1940s-1950s)

●​ Questioned traditional structures and themes.

●​ Predecessor to Theatre of the Absurd.
●​ Notable Figures: Antonin Artaud (Theatre of Cruelty), Samuel Beckett (Waiting for
Godot, later in the 1950s).

3. Important Playwrights and Their Works

a. Eugene O’Neill (1888-1953)

●​ American playwright, pioneer of modern tragedy.

 ●​ Notable Works: The Iceman Cometh, Mourning Becomes Electra.
●​ Themes: Family dysfunction, psychological realism, existential despair.

b. Tennessee Williams (1911-1983)

●​ Introduced poetic realism.

●​ Notable Works: The Glass Menagerie (1944), A Streetcar Named Desire (1947).
●​ Themes: Desire, mental illness, societal expectations.

c. Arthur Miller (1915-2005)

●​ Known for social and political critiques.

●​ All My Sons (1947) and Death of a Salesman (1949).
●​ Themes: The American Dream, morality, capitalism.

d. Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)

●​ Developed Epic Theatre.

●​ Works: Mother Courage and Her Children, The Good Woman of Setzuan.
●​ Political and social criticism.

4. Theatrical Developments and Innovations

●​ Lighting and Staging: More sophisticated use of lighting and set design.
●​ Acting Methods:
○​ Konstantin Stanislavski’s system influenced realism.
○​ Lee Strasberg developed Method Acting in the U.S.
●​ Theatre Companies:
○​ Group Theatre (1930s) focused on realism and political theatre.
○​ The Federal Theatre Project (1935-1939) provided jobs during the Great
Depression.

5. Theatre During World War II (1939-1945)

●​ Many playwrights and artists fled Europe due to Nazi oppression.

●​ Theatre became a tool for propaganda and morale-boosting.
●​ Post-war theatre reflected existential questions and psychological trauma.

6. Conclusion: Lasting Impact of This Era

●​ Foundations for contemporary theatre.

●​ Growth of political, experimental, and psychological drama.
●​ Emergence of playwrights who shaped post-war theatre.

Study Guide: Theatre of Cruelty & Antonin Artaud

Overview

●​ Developed by Antonin Artaud in the 1930s.

●​ Aimed to transform Western theatre by rejecting its literary tradition.
●​ Inspired by ritualistic and stylized Asian theatre.
●​ Emphasized theatre as a sensory experience rather than a literary one.
●​ Believed theatre should provoke, disturb, and cleanse society.

Key Concepts

1.​ "No More Masterpieces"

○​ Classics should only be performed if relevant to modern audiences.
○​ The text is not sacred; scripts can be reworked for contemporary relevance.
2.​ Sensory Over Language
○​ Theatre should bombard the audience’s senses with lights, sounds, and
movement.
○​ Inspired multimedia presentations and immersive theatre experiences.
3.​ Restructuring Theatre Spaces
○​ Advocated for "found spaces" (warehouses, airplane hangars) instead of
traditional theatre buildings.
○​ Placed the audience at the center of the theatrical experience.
4.​ Acting and Performance
○​ Opposed Stanislavski’s psychological realism.
○​ Encouraged stylized, ritualized, and physical performances.
○​ Influenced by Balinese dance and nonverbal communication.
5.​ Theatre as Catharsis
○​ Saw theatre as a way to purge society’s violent and aggressive instincts.
○​ Compared theatre’s effect to a plague, cleansing modern society.

Antonin Artaud’s Life & Influence

●​ Born in 1896 in France; became involved with Surrealists in the 1920s.

●​ Founded Théâtre Alfred Jarry (1926-1929) with Roger Vitrac and Robert Aran.
●​ Inspired by Balinese dance (1931) and Mexican Tarahumara rituals (1936).
●​ Suffered from mental illness and was institutionalized for nine years (1937-1945).
●​ Theories were largely ignored in his time but influenced experimental theatre in the
1960s.
●​ Major Influences: Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook, and The Living Theatre.

Key Takeaways

●​ Theatre of Cruelty is about experiencing theatre viscerally, not just intellectually.

●​ It challenges conventional theatre structures by breaking the fourth wall and
emphasizing movement, sound, and space over dialogue.
 ●​ Though Artaud rarely staged productions, his theories revolutionized avant-garde
theatre.

Study Guide: European Theatre from 1915

to 1950
Bertolt Brecht and Epic Theatre
●​ Brecht's Legacy:
○​ A controversial yet innovative dramatist and theatre theorist.
○​ Criticized for appropriating work from female collaborators without credit.
○​ Managed finances capitalistically despite being a committed Marxist.
●​ Mother Courage and Her Children (1941)
○​ Setting: Thirty Years' War (1624-1636).
○​ Plot: Anna Fierling (Mother Courage) sells supplies to soldiers but loses her
children due to war and her own greed.
○​ Themes:
■​ War driven by the profit motive.
■​ Critique of capitalism.
■​ Irony of the protagonist’s name ("Courage" despite her lack of valor).
●​ Epic Theatre Techniques in Mother Courage
○​ Historification: Set in the past but reflects contemporary issues (WWII).
○​ Scene Titles: Provide upcoming action to force audience analysis.
○​ Songs: Commentary on themes (e.g., "The Song of the Great Capitulation").
○​ Characters as Symbols: Named by roles (e.g., Chaplain, Cook) rather than
personal names.

European Theatre Developments (1915-1950)

France: Jacques Copeau and Text-Oriented Theatre

●​ Criticized the reliance on realism and stage mechanics.

●​ Focused on theatricality and the essence of drama.
●​ Théâtre du Vieux Colombier: Founded in 1913 to emphasize text and actor-driven
performances.
●​ Influenced future generations of French directors.

Spain: Federico García Lorca and Folk Tragedies

 ●​ Major Works:
○​ Blood Wedding (1933)
○​ Yerma (1934)
○​ The House of Bernarda Alba (1936) – Critique of Spanish oppression under
Franco.
●​ Themes:
○​ Strong female protagonists.
○​ Conflict between individual desires and societal constraints.
○​ Use of traditional Spanish elements.

Italy: Luigi Pirandello and Metatheatre

●​ Key Themes:
○​ Reality vs. illusion.
○​ Subjectivity of truth.
○​ Madness vs. sanity.
●​ Major Works:
○​ Six Characters in Search of an Author (1921) – Fictional characters disrupt a
rehearsal, questioning reality.
○​ Henry IV (1922) – A man pretending to be mad may actually be sane.
●​ Political and Personal Life:
○​ Joined the Fascist Party (possibly for theatre funding).
○​ Won the Nobel Prize for Literature (1934).

Great Britain: Theatre Between the Wars

●​ Highly commercial but saw the rise of independent experimental theatres.

●​ Notable Directors:
○​ Harley Granville-Barker: Modernized Shakespearean staging with simple
settings and a focus on actors.
○​ Tyrone Guthrie: Broke traditional staging, often presenting Shakespeare in
modern dress.
●​ Key Playwrights:
○​ Noël Coward: Witty social comedies (Private Lives, Blithe Spirit).
○​ T.S. Eliot: Revived verse drama (Murder in the Cathedral).
●​ Shakespearean Actors:
○​ Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud – Known for their technical
mastery and range.
○​ Olivier modernized Shakespeare on film (Hamlet, Henry V).

Key Takeaways
 ●​ Brecht's Epic Theatre challenged realism, encouraged critical thinking, and critiqued
capitalism.
●​ Copeau’s Theatre emphasized the importance of text and acting over spectacle.
●​ Lorca's Folk Tragedies used poetic symbolism to critique Spanish society.
●​ Pirandello’s Metatheatre blurred the lines between fiction and reality.
●​ British Theatre balanced commercial success with artistic experimentation.

Study Guide: Key Figures and Topics in 20th Century Theatre

1.​ Laurence Olivier (1907-1989)

○​ Forced into retirement in 1974 due to health issues, but continued acting in films.
○​ Authored Confessions of an Actor (1982) and On Acting (1986).
○​ Married three times: Jill Esmon, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright.
○​ One of England’s greatest actors, rivaled by John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson.
2.​ John Gielgud (1904-2000)
○​ Grandnephew of actress Ellen Terry.
○​ Debuted at the Old Vic in 1921 and was knighted in 1953.
○​ Known for his excellent speaking voice, also a director and theatre manager.
○​ Directed at Queen’s Theatre (1937-1938) and Haymarket Theatre (1944-1945).
○​ Continued performing onstage and in films into the 1990s.
○​ Authored several autobiographies, including Early Stages and Stage Directions.
3.​ Ralph Richardson (1902-1983)
○​ Career began in 1921, known for portraying ordinary men with hidden emotions.
○​ Gained recognition in the U.S. in 1935.
○​ Knighted in 1941.
4.​ Theatre Under Totalitarianism
○​ Totalitarian regimes (Soviet Union under Stalin, Nazi Germany under Hitler) used
theatre for propaganda.
○​ Soviet Union: "Socialist realism" mandated realistic style plays with clear
socialist messages.
○​ Nazi Germany: Melodramas and mass spectacles exalting Nazism, such as
Deutsche Passion (1933), which portrayed Hitler as a Christ-like figure.
○​ Spain: Federico García Lorca’s works, which were critical of oppression, were
banned during Franco’s regime.
○​ The Soviet Union: Censored politically dangerous works, such as The Suicide
by Nikolai Erdman (1928).
5.​ American Theatre: Commercial vs. Noncommercial
○​ Commercial Theatre: Dominated by large producers like David Belasco and the
Shubert Organization, which controlled 75% of U.S. theatres by the mid-20th
century.
○​ Musicals: The 1920s-1930s saw the rise of Broadway musicals with composers
like Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, and George Gershwin.
○​ Notable Musicals: Show Boat (1927), Oklahoma! (1943), integrated music,
dance, and plot.
 ○​ Economic Impact: The Great Depression and the rise of film diminished the
number of commercial productions.
6.​ Eva Le Gallienne (1899-1991)
○​ British-born actress-director committed to serious drama and noncommercial
theatre in the U.S.
○​ Ran the Civic Repertory Theatre in New York (1926-1933), producing classics
and modern plays at affordable prices.
○​ Known for roles in The Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, Hedda Gabler, and
her adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.
○​ Founded the American Repertory Company in 1946.
○​ Published two autobiographies: At 33 (1934) and With a Quiet Heart (1953).
7.​ Playwrights in the U.S. Between the Wars
○​ Elmer Rice: The Adding Machine (1923) explored depersonalization in modern
life.
○​ Thornton Wilder: Our Town (1938) used a narrator to explore small-town life.
○​ Maxwell Anderson: Winterset (1935) attempted a return to poetic drama.
○​ Clifford Odets: Known for a new, vigorous realism.
○​ Lillian Hellman: Wrote The Children’s Hour (1934) and The Little Foxes (1938).
8.​ Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953)
○​ Pioneered serious drama in the U.S., writing in realism, expressionism, and
modern versions of Greek tragedy.
○​ Came from a troubled family background, influencing his deeply personal and
autobiographical works.
○​ Known for plays like Long Day's Journey into Night and The Iceman Cometh.

Thornton Wilder and Our Town

●​ Key Playwright: Thornton Wilder, an influential American playwright of the mid-twentieth

century.
●​ Our Town (1938):
○​ Focuses on the everyday lives of New Englanders.
○​ Non-realistic techniques: inspired by Chinese theatre and other nonrealistic
styles.
○​ Features a narrator who plays minor roles and a bare stage with minimal props.
○​ Emphasizes imagination and simplicity in storytelling.
○​ Original Broadway production: starred Martha Scott, John Craven, and Frank
Craven.

Eugene O'Neill's Life and Work

●​ Early Life:
○​ Expelled from Princeton, worked as a sailor, and struggled with alcoholism.
 ○​ After a suicide attempt, he turned to writing while recovering from tuberculosis.
○​ Studied playwriting at Harvard in George Pierce Baker's course.
●​ Career Highlights:
○​ 1916: Bound East for Cardiff produced by the Provincetown Players.
○​ 1920: First Pulitzer Prize for Beyond the Horizon.
○​ Experimented with various dramatic forms:
■​ Anna Christie (1921) - Realistic, often dealing with the sea.
■​ The Hairy Ape (1922) - Expressionism, explores social depersonalization.
■​ Strange Interlude (1928) - Characters speak their subconscious thoughts.
■​ The Great God Brown (1920) - Used masks in theatre.
●​ Major Works:
○​ Long Day's Journey into Night (1950) - A semi-autobiographical, powerful
realistic drama.
○​ Mourning Becomes Electra (1931) - Combines Greek tragedy with Freudian
psychology.
○​ The Iceman Cometh (1940) - Examines disillusionment and hope.
●​ Later Years:
○​ 1936: Won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
○​ His last plays reflect his own struggles and complex family dynamics.
○​ Long Day's Journey into Night was an exploration of his own family: addiction,
regret, and self-destruction.

American Female Theatre Artists

●​ Underrepresented Groups: Women in American theatre faced significant

marginalization.
●​ Notable Female Playwrights:
○​ Rachel Crothers: Success with plays like He and She (1920).
○​ Zoe Akins: The Old Maid (1934), first Pulitzer Prize-winning play by a woman.
○​ Sophie Treadwell: Machinal (1928) - A feminist play about a woman trapped in a
mechanized world, which leads her to murder.
●​ Susan Glaspell:
○​ Key figure in the "little theatre" movement.
○​ Famous for Trifles (1916), a feminist play about the investigation of a murder in a
cold, loveless marriage.

The "Little Theatre" Movement

●​ Origins: Emerged during World War I as independent, non-commercial theatres.

○​ Inspired the later off-Broadway movement.
●​ Key Theatres:
 ○​ Provincetown Playhouse: Founded in 1915, helped develop new American
drama.
■​ Produced Eugene O'Neill's early works.
■​ Introduced new production styles, such as Robert Edmond Jones’s "new
stagecraft".
○​ Washington Square Players: Founded in 1915, later evolved into the Theatre
Guild.
■​ Introduced experimental plays and production techniques.
■​ Helped establish the Group Theatre and supported O'Neill’s early works.

The Group Theatre

●​ Formation: Founded in 1931 by Lee Strasberg, Cheryl Crawford, and Harold Clurman.
○​ Dedicated to Stanislavski's system and producing socially relevant drama.
○​ Left-wing politically, with a focus on motivating action through theatre.
●​ Dissension within the Group:
○​ Lee Strasberg emphasized emotional memory, while Stella Adler and Harold
Clurman focused more on script analysis and character study.
○​ Strasberg eventually left the Group Theatre in 1935, but his influence continued
through the Actors Studio.
●​ Key Figures:
○​ Stella Adler: Actress and teacher, known for teaching Stanislavski’s system with
an emphasis on script and character analysis.
○​ Elia Kazan and Robert Lewis: Became leading directors after the disbandment
of the Group Theatre.

Stella Adler's Legacy

●​ Background: Born into a family of distinguished actors, particularly in Yiddish theatre.

●​ Stanislavski's System: Studied under Maria Ouspenskaya and Richard Boleslavsky.
○​ Emphasized the study of the text, the character’s motivations, and the
possibilities within the character’s life.
○​ Founded the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in 1949, which became a prominent
institution for teaching acting.

Key Terms to Remember:

●​ Stanislavski System: A method of acting that focuses on realistic portrayals and

emotional depth.
 ●​ Expressionism: A style of theatre that uses distortion to represent emotional
experiences rather than objective reality.
●​ Realism: A style of theatre that portrays everyday life in a detailed and true-to-life
manner.

Study Guide: The Federal Theatre Project and African American Theatre

1. The Federal Theatre Project (FTP):

●​ Established during the Great Depression under the Works Progress Administration
(WPA) by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
●​ Directed by Hallie Flanagan Davis (1935-1939), aimed to employ theater professionals
and revitalize theater across the U.S.
●​ Key Contribution: Development of the Living Newspaper, dramatizations of current
events such as bread lines and unemployment.
●​ Popular production: All-black version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, set in Haiti, directed
by Orson Welles.
●​ Canceled in 1939 due to political pressure, with accusations of communist sympathies.
●​ The FTP remains the closest attempt to establish a national theater in the U.S.

2. College and University Theatres:

●​ Rise of university theater departments in the early 20th century.

●​ Key figures: George Pierce Baker (Harvard), Thomass (Carnegie Institute of
Technology), and Frederick Koch (University of North Carolina).
●​ Goal: Train playwrights, performers, designers, and technicians for both professional and
non-professional theater.

3. African American Theatre:

●​ Early 20th Century:

○​ Great Migration: Thousands of African Americans moved north to work in war
industries, bringing their culture and experiences.
○​ Post-WWI: A period of unity and hope, but also the rise of the Harlem
Renaissance (1920s-1930s), which called for African American theater.
○​ W.E.B. Du Bois advocated for a theater “by us, for us, near us, and about us.”
○​ Key figures: Mariette Bonner (unproduced plays), Angelina Weld Grimké
(Rachel), Langston Hughes (Soul Gone Home).
○​ African American stock companies, like the Lafayette Players, presented over
250 productions before closing in 1932.

4. The Negro Theatre Project:

●​ Part of the FTP during the 1930s.

●​ Established to employ Black artists, directors, writers, and technicians.
 ●​ Shakespeare's Macbeth: An all-black cast production, directed by Orson Welles,
gained significant attention.
●​ Most FTP productions were written by Black playwrights and entirely mounted by Black
artists.
●​ The Negro Theatre Project created a lasting legacy, training many of the Black theater
professionals of the time.

5. Ethel Waters:

●​ Famous Broadway and film singer and actress (1896-1977).

●​ Known for songs like "Taking a Chance on Love," "Cabin in the Sky," and "Am I Blue?"
●​ Early life struggles, but gained recognition after performing in Baltimore and later New
York.
●​ Key performances: Broadway revues like As Thousands Cheer (1933), Mamba’s
Daughter (1941), and Cabin in the Sky (1943).
●​ Appeared in nine films and numerous radio and TV shows.
●​ Known for her performance in Carson McCullers's A Member of the Wedding (1950).

6. African American Theatre in the 1930s and 1940s:

●​ The Depression forced many artists to look for new ways to create theater.
●​ Notable productions: The Green Pastures (1930), Porgy and Bess (1935), Run Little
Children (1933), and Mulatto (1935) by Langston Hughes.
●​ 1941: Stage adaptation of Native Son by Richard Wright, directed by Orson Welles.
●​ 1940: The American Negro Theatre (ANT) founded, offering training to actors,
playwrights, and technicians.
●​ Paul Robeson (1898-1976): Internationally known actor, singer, and political activist.
○​ Key roles in The Emperor Jones (1924) and All God's Chillun Got Wings.
○​ Also performed as a concert singer and influenced theater and music.

7. Key African American Theatre Developments:

●​ Porgy and Bess: A major Broadway production that had an all-Black cast, composed by
George Gershwin, despite not being written by Black artists.
●​ The American Negro Theatre became a significant institution for Black theater
professionals, with key productions like Anna Lucasta (1944).
●​ Paul Robeson became the leading African American theater star, but his career was
often hindered by political controversy.

Study Guide: Paul Robeson, African American Theatre, and Global Theatre
Developments (1915-1950)

1. Paul Robeson’s Contributions

 ●​ First All-Black Music Program: Robeson performed a program of spirituals and work
songs at Town Hall in New York City in 1926. This was the first all-Black music program
ever performed on the New York stage by a solo artist.
●​ Theatre Career (1927-1939): While in England, Robeson appeared in The Hairy Ape,
Stevedore, and Show Boat(where he introduced the iconic song “Ol’ Man River”).
●​ Othello: Robeson’s greatest achievement in England was playing Othello with a
prestigious cast including Peggy Ashcroft and Sybil Thorndike. He later reprised this role
in 1943 on Broadway with Uta Hagen as Desdemona. The production ran for 296
performances, setting a record for Shakespearean plays on Broadway.
●​ Political Views: Robeson was outspoken about racial issues and his admiration for the
Soviet Union. As a result, the U.S. government revoked his passport in 1950, and he
was blacklisted, which reduced his income significantly.
●​ Return to Public Life (1958): Robeson regained his passport after an eight-year
campaign. He performed at Carnegie Hall and then toured internationally, receiving the
Stalin Peace Prize in the Soviet Union.
●​ Later Years: Robeson returned to the U.S. in 1963, living in seclusion until his death in
1976.

2. African Americans in Theatre

●​ Underrepresented: African American theatre artists faced challenges due to limited

recognition. Despite contributions from figures like Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle, Ethel
Waters, and Paul Robeson, they represented a small portion of the theater industry.
●​ Harlem Renaissance: African American playwrights like Regina M. Anderson, Marita
Bonner, Angelina Weld Grimké, and Zora Neale Hurston addressed racial issues but
gained more recognition posthumously.
●​ Post-WWII Attention: Following World War II, there was growing attention to racial
inequality in theatre and calls for correction.

3. Global Theatre Developments

●​ Theatre in Mexico: During the 1920s-1930s, playwrights like Xavier Villaurruits and
Rodolfo Usigli explored avant-garde theatre and social themes.
●​ Theatre in Australia: Indigenous drama began to emerge, and commercial theatrical
syndicates controlled professional productions. However, many “little theatres” added to
the vitality of Australian and New Zealand theatre.
●​ Peking Opera in China: Mei Lanfang (1894-1961) became a renowned performer in
Peking opera, known for his portrayal of female characters. He influenced Western
theatre artists like Bertolt Brecht. Mei toured internationally and helped expand Peking
opera traditions.

4. Additional Developments in Chinese Theatre

 ●​ Post-Revolution Drama: After the 1911 revolution, Chinese playwrights like Cao Yu
(Thunderstorm) and Mao Dun explored social issues. Shanghai became a hub for
modern spoken Chinese drama, with many works reflecting leftist political views.

5. Kathakali in India

●​ Development: Kathakali, a dance drama from southwestern India, became prominent in

the 17th century. It focuses on stories of good versus evil and incorporates intense
dance and pantomime.
●​ Popularity: Originally performed all night, modern kathakali performances now last three
to four hours.

6. Theatre in Japan

●​ Political and Literary Drama: In the 1930s, Japan saw the rise of leftist political dramas
and literary works influenced by French plays and Chekhov. Playwright Kishida Kunio
(1890-1954) helped shape Japanese theatre during this period.

7. Global Theatre Trends (1915-1950)

●​ European Theatre: Anti-realistic movements like expressionism, futurism, and

surrealism influenced European theatre. Theories by Antonin Artaud and Bertolt Brecht
shaped modern theatre practices.
●​ U.S. Theatre: "Little theatres" like the Provincetown Playhouse and the Washington
Square Players reacted against Broadway, promoting new playwrights and innovative
production styles. The Federal Theatre Project, an experiment in government-subsidized
theatre, provided opportunities for African American theatre.
●​ Theatre in Asia: In India, China, and Japan, theatre continued to modernize, influenced
by Western theatre while retaining traditional forms. Notable figures like Mei Lanfang and
Kishida Kunio contributed to global theatre development.

Summary:

●​ Theatre in the period between 1915 and 1950 was shaped by both global movements
and social upheavals, with developments in Europe, the U.S., and Asia. Paul Robeson’s
contributions to African American theatre and his international recognition in Othello
reflect the changing landscape. Across the world, theatre artists like Mei Lanfang and
those in India and Japan pushed traditional boundaries while embracing new ideas.