Melodrama in the Snowy Mountains: Cooma Little Theatre's 1962 Production of Only an Orphan Girl

Authors

  • Janet McGaw University of Sydney

Abstract

Melodrama was prolific in Australia from the mid-nineteenthcentury until the First World war when is was replaced by cinema as a form of mass entertainment. It was resurrected in a caricature version in the 1950s and became hugely popular in capital cities as well as in a number of country centres. This article examines the revival of melodrama in the New South Wales town of Cooma in the context of the impact of the Australian government's post-war mass immigration policies, and the significant social and demographic changes that occurred in Cooma following commencement of work on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme in 1949. It focuses on the early activities of Cooma Little Theatre, with specific reference to the Theatre's 1962 production of Only an Orphan Girl. It considers the role of melodrama during a time of major upheaval and its longer term influence on the theatrical life of the town.


Keywords:  Melodrama, amateur theatre, audiences, immigration, Snowy Mountains Scheme

 

 

Author Biography

Janet McGaw, University of Sydney

Janet McGaw is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Performance Studies, University of Sydney. She is researching amateur theatre in regional New South Wales communities between1945 and 1970. Cooma Little Theatre is one of three case studies that form part of her research.

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Published

2014-09-29

How to Cite

McGaw, J. (2014). Melodrama in the Snowy Mountains: Cooma Little Theatre’s 1962 Production of Only an Orphan Girl. Popular Entertainment Studies, 5(2), 65–78. Retrieved from https://novaojs.newcastle.edu.au/kulumun/index.php/pes/article/view/143

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (2014)

Section

Articles

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