The Mercury Theatre

Mercury Theatre, The (New York). Founded by Orson Welles and John Houseman as a repertory company in 1937, its chief aim was to offer “classical plays excitingly produced.” To this end the small, slightly out‐of‐the‐way Comedy Theatre on 41st Street was leased and renamed, and an ensemble formed, which included such later famous performers as Hiram Sherman, Joseph Cotten, and Martin Gabel. During its brief but noteworthy history, the group produced a modern‐dress version of Julius Caesar, The Shoemaker's Holiday, Heartbreak House, and Danton's Death. Away from its main playhouse the group produced Marc Blitzstein's controversial The Cradle Will Rock. By the end of 1938, a combination of financial problems, the desertion of leading players, and pressing demands on others from radio and films caused the group's collapse. Some historians consider the film Citizen Kane as the troupe's last and most enduring achievement.