National Sylvan Theater
Encyclopedia
The National Sylvan Theater — often simply the Sylvan Theater — is a public sylvan theater
on the grounds of the Washington Monument
, National Mall
, in Washington, D.C.
, USA. It is located within the northwest corner of the 15th Street and Independence Avenue intersection, about 450 feet (137 m) southeast of the great obelisk of the Washington Monument. A wooden stage is set in a graded depression surrounded by a grove of trees and appears as a sort of natural amphitheater integral to the historic greensward of the monument grounds. A gathering of 10,000 event attendees may stretch from the theater stage back to the base of the monument. The Sylvan Theater was the first federally funded theater in the United States.
(1857–1931), a campaigner, in efforts to transform Washington, D.C. into the nation's cultural capital during the first quarter of the 20th century. She became known for her lavishly produced, artistically executed ballet
s, mime
s, tableaux
, plays
, and other theatrical productions. During the First World War, she persuaded Congress
to approve and fund the construction of a "National Sylvan Theater" at its present site at the Washington Monument in 1916. As the theater's original playwright
, Pike prepared scripts for the first half dozen productions.
It was designed to seat over 8,000 persons. Built and maintained by the War Department
in its administration of the park system of the District of Columbia, performances had to receive the approval of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds. While the Federal government supports the stage, including such areas as lighting, policing, and the management of tickets, other expenses fall upon the company producing the event. Its first director was Col. W. H. Harts, Superintendent of Parks in Washington.
Dedicated on April 4, 1917 in the presence of the President and his Cabinet
, it became the nation's first federally supported outdoor theater. The initial performance was attended by 2,800 with seats arranged so that there were no cross aisles that might obstruct a view. It included a masque
entitled, The Drama Triumphant, written by Mrs. Christian Hemmick. However, an estimated 150,000 people attended two concerts, afternoon and evening, at the Sylvan Theater on July 4 for an American Roots Fourth of July 1993, to listen to American traditional music, which was produced by the National Park Service, the National Council for the Traditional Arts, WETA-FM and Radio Smithsonian.
According to the 2010 National Mall Plan: Summary, a new, high-quality multipurpose facility is being planned to replace the Sylvan Theater. It will provide food service, restrooms, retail space, staff space, and performance space that is better oriented for hillside seating. It will be sited in a wooded area below street level and will offer views of the monument.
The wings of the stage were screened with a heavy planting of forsythia and other shrubbery, which were transplanted from the shores of the Tidal Basin
into beds along the sides of the stage. The entire area of the theater stage was covered with soil and seeded and sodded to insure a good turf for the opening performance which took place on June 2, 1917.
Construction elements also included 1180 cubic yards of rough clay fill, 350 square yards of shrubbery beds, 800 square yards of graded and sodded lawn, plus 900 square yards of graded and seeded lawn. There were 50 linear feet of 8 inches (20.3 cm) and 340 linear feet of 6 inches (15.2 cm) terra cotta
sewer pipe laid; 285 linear feet of flagstone steps were constructed; and 428 deciduous trees and shrubs were transplanted to the theater area.
Today, the site is a popular venue for free military concerts
, musicals, Shakespeare plays, puppet shows and ballet during the spring, summer and fall.
A summer concert series, the Military Band Summer Concert Series is held from June to August, on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday nights at 8 PM at the Sylvan Theater (other venues are used at other times of the year). The bands of each of the four service branches perform (different nights) free al-fresco concerts, typically including military marches
, patriotic numbers
, and some classical music
.
Every August, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture
is performed with real cannon
at the Sylvan Theater by the Presidential Salute Battery of the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard) in what is perhaps the U.S. Army Band
’s most popular regular engagement.
Other uses
The Sylvan Theater is also often used for government or other commemorative ceremonies, rallies and protests, and as a starting or stopping point for organized marches, such as the 2002 protesters coalition to "Stop the War at Home and Abroad".
In 1944, for the second anniversary of the WAVES
, 10,000 Women's Reservists marched in formation and formed up at the Sylvan Theater before sitting down on the grass in their gray uniforms. Martin Luther King addressed 26,000 people at the theater for the 1959 Youth March for Integrated Schools. For the 1963 Great March on Washington
, Nazis
planned to meet at the Sylvan Theater before proceeding into the crowd of marchers, and as the march moved from the Sylvan Theater toward the Capitol Building, Joan Baez
, Judy Collins
, and others sang We Shall Overcome
.
The theater has also been the site for religions services such as an outdoor Mass that featured a sermon by Archbishop
Fulton J. Sheen
, and the public talk of Kirpal Singh
during his 1963 visit to Washington D.C.
Sylvan theater
A sylvan theater—sometimes called a greenery theater —is a type of outdoor theater situated in a wooded setting. Often adorned with classical motifs , a sylvan theater may substitute a simple green lawn for built seating and can include elaborate arrangements of shrubs, flowers and other greenery...
on the grounds of the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
, National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
, in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, USA. It is located within the northwest corner of the 15th Street and Independence Avenue intersection, about 450 feet (137 m) southeast of the great obelisk of the Washington Monument. A wooden stage is set in a graded depression surrounded by a grove of trees and appears as a sort of natural amphitheater integral to the historic greensward of the monument grounds. A gathering of 10,000 event attendees may stretch from the theater stage back to the base of the monument. The Sylvan Theater was the first federally funded theater in the United States.
History
The theater was the idea of Alice Pike BarneyAlice Pike Barney
Alice Pike Barney was an American painter. She was active in Washington, D.C. and worked to make Washington into a center of the arts....
(1857–1931), a campaigner, in efforts to transform Washington, D.C. into the nation's cultural capital during the first quarter of the 20th century. She became known for her lavishly produced, artistically executed ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
s, mime
Mime
The word mime is used to refer to a mime artist who uses a theatrical medium or performance art involving the acting out of a story through body motions without use of speech.Mime may also refer to:* Mime, an alternative word for lip sync...
s, tableaux
Tableau vivant
Tableau vivant is French for "living picture." The term describes a striking group of suitably costumed actors or artist's models, carefully posed and often theatrically lit. Throughout the duration of the display, the people shown do not speak or move...
, plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, and other theatrical productions. During the First World War, she persuaded Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to approve and fund the construction of a "National Sylvan Theater" at its present site at the Washington Monument in 1916. As the theater's original playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, Pike prepared scripts for the first half dozen productions.
It was designed to seat over 8,000 persons. Built and maintained by the War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
in its administration of the park system of the District of Columbia, performances had to receive the approval of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds. While the Federal government supports the stage, including such areas as lighting, policing, and the management of tickets, other expenses fall upon the company producing the event. Its first director was Col. W. H. Harts, Superintendent of Parks in Washington.
Dedicated on April 4, 1917 in the presence of the President and his Cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
, it became the nation's first federally supported outdoor theater. The initial performance was attended by 2,800 with seats arranged so that there were no cross aisles that might obstruct a view. It included a masque
Masque
The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...
entitled, The Drama Triumphant, written by Mrs. Christian Hemmick. However, an estimated 150,000 people attended two concerts, afternoon and evening, at the Sylvan Theater on July 4 for an American Roots Fourth of July 1993, to listen to American traditional music, which was produced by the National Park Service, the National Council for the Traditional Arts, WETA-FM and Radio Smithsonian.
According to the 2010 National Mall Plan: Summary, a new, high-quality multipurpose facility is being planned to replace the Sylvan Theater. It will provide food service, restrooms, retail space, staff space, and performance space that is better oriented for hillside seating. It will be sited in a wooded area below street level and will offer views of the monument.
Design and construction
In early 1917, the National Sylvan Theater was built to the southeast of the Washington Monument, at the foot of the hillside. The filling material used to construct the stage, which is 5 feet (1.5 m) above grade, 80 feet (24.4 m) wide, and 30 feet (9.1 m) deep, combined with two wings, each 30 square feet (2.8 m²), was brought to the siten free of cost to the government. The stage was constructed with three flights of flag steps, which give access to the wings from the lower ground level in the rear. A special electric cable was laid to provide current for a series of larger projector lamps, which when placed on platforms were meant to furnish light for the performances. In lieu of a drop curtain, a difficulty in open-air productions, jets of steam could be piped in along the stage front, not only concealing the performers, but adding a mystical quality.The wings of the stage were screened with a heavy planting of forsythia and other shrubbery, which were transplanted from the shores of the Tidal Basin
Tidal Basin
-External links:*-References:...
into beds along the sides of the stage. The entire area of the theater stage was covered with soil and seeded and sodded to insure a good turf for the opening performance which took place on June 2, 1917.
Construction elements also included 1180 cubic yards of rough clay fill, 350 square yards of shrubbery beds, 800 square yards of graded and sodded lawn, plus 900 square yards of graded and seeded lawn. There were 50 linear feet of 8 inches (20.3 cm) and 340 linear feet of 6 inches (15.2 cm) terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
sewer pipe laid; 285 linear feet of flagstone steps were constructed; and 428 deciduous trees and shrubs were transplanted to the theater area.
Events
ConcertsToday, the site is a popular venue for free military concerts
Military band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
, musicals, Shakespeare plays, puppet shows and ballet during the spring, summer and fall.
A summer concert series, the Military Band Summer Concert Series is held from June to August, on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday nights at 8 PM at the Sylvan Theater (other venues are used at other times of the year). The bands of each of the four service branches perform (different nights) free al-fresco concerts, typically including military marches
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
, patriotic numbers
American patriotic music
American patriotic music is a part of the culture and history of the United States since its founding in the 18th century and has served to encourage feelings of national unity. These songs include hymns, military themes, national songs, and music from stage and screen, as well as songs adapted...
, and some classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
.
Every August, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture
1812 Overture
The Year 1812, Festival Overture in E flat major, Op. 49, popularly known as the 1812 Overture or the Overture of 1812 is an overture written by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1880 to commemorate Russia's defense of Moscow against Napoleon's advancing Grande Armée at the Battle of...
is performed with real cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
at the Sylvan Theater by the Presidential Salute Battery of the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard) in what is perhaps the U.S. Army Band
United States Army Band
Founded in 1922, the United States Army Band – known as "Pershing's Own" – is the premier musical organization of the United States Army. Before 2002, the United States Army Band was the only Washington-based military band to have participated in a theater of foreign combat operations...
’s most popular regular engagement.
Other uses
The Sylvan Theater is also often used for government or other commemorative ceremonies, rallies and protests, and as a starting or stopping point for organized marches, such as the 2002 protesters coalition to "Stop the War at Home and Abroad".
In 1944, for the second anniversary of the WAVES
WAVES
The WAVES were a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. The name of this group is an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" ; the word "emergency" implied that the acceptance of women was due to the unusual circumstances of the war and...
, 10,000 Women's Reservists marched in formation and formed up at the Sylvan Theater before sitting down on the grass in their gray uniforms. Martin Luther King addressed 26,000 people at the theater for the 1959 Youth March for Integrated Schools. For the 1963 Great March on Washington
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was the largest political rally for human rights in United States history and called for civil and economic rights for African Americans. It took place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr...
, Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
planned to meet at the Sylvan Theater before proceeding into the crowd of marchers, and as the march moved from the Sylvan Theater toward the Capitol Building, Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, Judy Collins
Judy Collins
Judith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
, and others sang We Shall Overcome
We Shall Overcome
"We Shall Overcome" is a protest song that became a key anthem of the African-American Civil Rights Movement . The title and structure of the song are derived from an early gospel song by African-American composer Charles Albert Tindley...
.
The theater has also been the site for religions services such as an outdoor Mass that featured a sermon by Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Fulton J. Sheen
Fulton J. Sheen
Servant of God Fulton John Sheen, born Peter John Sheen was an American archbishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio...
, and the public talk of Kirpal Singh
Kirpal Singh
Sant Kirpal Singh was a spiritual teacher who was born in India in the village of Sayyad Kasran, in the western part of the Punjab which now belongs to Pakistan. Further biographical information is available...
during his 1963 visit to Washington D.C.