Dorothy Patten (January 24, 1905 – April 11, 1975) was an American

theatre producer Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communicat ...

and

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

Biography

Born in

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

to a wealthy family, Patten rejected the traditional role of a Southern socialite and hostess and set out for a life on the stage. Following the death of her mother in 1927, she left for New York City and attended the

American Academy of Dramatic Arts The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a Private college, private drama school with two locations, one in New York City and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related ...

, getting her first break on the stage in '' Elizabeth the Queen'' in 1929. Patten was linked romantically with actress

Cheryl Crawford Cheryl Crawford (September 24, 1902 – October 7, 1986) was an American theatre producer and director. Biography Born in Akron, Ohio, Crawford majored in drama at Smith College. Following graduation in 1925, she moved to New York City a ...

in the 1930s, who, together with

Harold Clurman Harold Edgar Clurman (September 18, 1901 – September 9, 1980) was an American theatre director and drama critic. In 2003, he was named one of the most influential figures in U.S. theater by PBS.

and

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American acting coach and actor. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed ...

, formed The Group Theatre in 1931. Patten financed several of the group's shows, and also acted in several of them. Patten and Crawford lived together and visited each other's family homes in Chattanooga and Akron. Patten returned to Chattanooga during WWII to assist her father with his work. After his death, she donated their family home to the

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UT Chattanooga, UTC, or Chattanooga) is a public university in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1886 and is part of the University of Tennessee System. History UTC was founde ...

, and became a philanthropist to arts and theatre organizations in Chattanooga. The University's "Patten Performances", funded by her grant and named for her, have been ongoing for over thirty years. As of 2009, it was reported that they had brought theatre performances to over 100,000 people in Chattanooga and earned almost one million dollars for the University. After the break-up of her relationship with Crawford circa 1937, Patten became linked to Cecelia McMahon, who became her lifelong companion. Patten died in New York in 1975.

Notable productions

* '' Elizabeth the Queen'' * ''Big Night'' * ''Anastasia'' * '' Men in White'' * ''Subway Express'' * '' Success Story'' * ''

Waiting for Lefty ''Waiting for Lefty'' is a 1935 play by the American playwright Clifford Odets; it was his first play to be produced. Consisting of a series of related vignettes, the entire play is framed by a meeting of cab drivers who are planning a lab ...

'' * '' The House of Connelly''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Patten, Dorothy Actresses from Tennessee American stage actresses American theatre managers and producers 1905 births 1975 deaths LGBTQ people from Tennessee American lesbian actresses 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American LGBTQ people

Biography

Notable productions

References

Further reading

External links