African Theatres Trust

The African Theatres Trust was a theatrical importing and distributing agency and management company founded by I.W. Schlesinger and A.H. Stodel (Harry Stodel).

Known colloquially as the ATT or The Trust.

For more information pre-1932, see African Consolidated Theatres.

History

Africa's Amalgamated Theatres had been established in 1911 and the Empire Theatres Company (Empire Theatres Company (South Africa) Ltd) by Edgar Hyman in 1912.

In 1913 Isidore W. Schlesinger bought both these companies, as well as several other companies, thereby forming the African Theatres Trust Ltd on 10 April 1913, with A.H. Stodel (Harry Stodel) as partner. The aim was to set up a theatre circuit in South Africa and then import international shows to tour the country.

Schlesinger also formed a film importing and distributing agency called African Films Trust and African Film Productions Ltd (1915), with a studio in Killarney, Johannesburg, thus creating a huge and influential empire that would dominate professional theatre and film in the country for many years under the combined name of African Consolidated Theatres (ACT).

Beginnings with African Theatres Trust (1913-1931)

The African Theatres Trust was founded in 1913 by I.W. Schlesinger and A.H. Stodel (Harry Stodel), with the intention of saving the ailing theatre industry by organizing it nationwide. They pooled their resources to gradually gain control of theatres and cinema halls across the country and set about bringing out dramatic, musical and pantomime companies to tour their circuit.

According to Groom (in Bosman, 1980: p. 435) the Trust first made its presence felt in the country in 1911, though Percy Tucker (1997: ) says it was only founded in 1913.

Productions

1920: The Sleeping Beauty

1921: The Sleeping Beauty

1922: Robinson Crusoe

1923: Robinson Crusoe; Jack and the Beanstalk

1924: Jack and the Beanstalk; Cinderella

1925: Cinderella, Mother Goose

1926: Mother Goose, Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp

1927: Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp

1931: Two Hanekom-Van Zyl Geselskap ("Hanekom-Van Zyl Company") productions: Wie is wie? and Die Silwer Koning

International acts

1913/1921: Frank Benson and his company toured South Africa and Rhodesia twice under the auspices of African National Theatres (African Theatres?), once in 1913, and again in 1921, doing a series of Shakespeare plays/scenes from Shakespeare.

1920s: The Neilson-Terry Company (a British theatrical company formed by Fred Terry and his wife Julia Neilson) toured South Africa under the auspices of ACT.

Sources

D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.): p. 435.

"A History of the South African Film Industry timeline" 1895-2003, South African History Online [1]

"Chapter 4 - Another Victory for Trade Unionism: The 1918 Cape Town Musicians’ Strike", South African History Online[2]

Percy Tucker. 1997. Just the Ticket. My 50 Years in Show Business. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.

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