Cloyd Head
Encyclopedia
Cloyd Head was a Chicago playwright and theatrical director born in Oak Park, Illinois
. He was to spend his entire life in the Chicago theatre community. He graduated from Northwestern University
where he began writing experimental plays. His most well-known piece was a play in verse, The Grotesque Decoration in Black and White , which was produced by Maurice Browne’s Chicago Little Theatre. Head was deeply involved in the Little Theatre
movement and inspired an entire issue of Poetry magazine which was devoted to this play. He also spent a brief stint as business manager of the Goodman Theatre
, but resigned with Thomas Wood Stevens over creative disagreements with the direction of the theatre. In his later life, Head traveled internationally and taught and directed theatre in Miami.
Head married fellow writer and editor of Poetry Magazine Eunice Tietjens
in 1920. The couple had one son, Marshall. After Eunice’s death in 1944, he married Shirley Haycraft.
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
. He was to spend his entire life in the Chicago theatre community. He graduated from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
where he began writing experimental plays. His most well-known piece was a play in verse, The Grotesque Decoration in Black and White , which was produced by Maurice Browne’s Chicago Little Theatre. Head was deeply involved in the Little Theatre
Little Theatre
The Little Theatre in Rochester, New York, commonly known as "The Little" is a movie theatre located on historic East Avenue in downtown Rochester, New York and a modest non-profit multiplex specializing in art film, including independent and foreign productions outside the United States.Founded in...
movement and inspired an entire issue of Poetry magazine which was devoted to this play. He also spent a brief stint as business manager of the Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre
The Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of Chicago theatre, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization...
, but resigned with Thomas Wood Stevens over creative disagreements with the direction of the theatre. In his later life, Head traveled internationally and taught and directed theatre in Miami.
Head married fellow writer and editor of Poetry Magazine Eunice Tietjens
Eunice Tietjens
Eunice Tietjens was an American poet, novelist, journalist, children's author, lecturer, and editor.Born as Eunice Strong Hammond in Chicago on July 29, 1884, she was educated in Europe and travelled heavily....
in 1920. The couple had one son, Marshall. After Eunice’s death in 1944, he married Shirley Haycraft.
External links
- Cloyd Head Papers at Newberry LibraryNewberry LibraryThe Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...