Walter Prichard Eaton

Eaton, Walter Prichard (1878–1957), critic and author. Born in Malden, Massachusetts, he graduated from Harvard and accepted a position as assistant drama critic on the Tribune before becoming principal drama critic for the Sun and American Magazine. He wrote numerous books on theatre, including The American Stage of To‐Day (1908), At the New Theatre and Others (1910), Plays and Players (1916), The Actor's Heritage (1924), and The Theatre Guild: The First Ten Years (1929). In 1933 he accepted the post of Associate Professor of Playwriting at Yale. Although he consistently argued for a progressive, serious drama, Eaton's views were fundamentally conservative, and he welcomed much that now would be unpalatable. His sharp observations and pleasant style made his criticisms eminently readable.