Processional: A Jazz Symphony of American Life (1925) is a four-act modernist

Modernism

Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...

 comedy by the American playwright John Howard Lawson

John Howard Lawson

John Howard Lawson was an American writer. He was head of the Hollywood division of the Communist Party USA. He was also the cell's cultural manager, and answered directly to V.J. Jerome, the Party's New York-based cultural chief...

. It was first produced by the Theatre Guild

Theatre Guild

The Theatre Guild is a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and Theresa Helburn. Langner's wife, Armina Marshall, then served as a co-director. It evolved out of the work of the Washington Square Players.Its original purpose was to...

 at the Garrick Theatre

Garrick Theatre (New York)

The Garrick Theatre was a 910 seat theatre built in 1890 and located on 67 West 35th Street New York. Designed by Francis Hatch Kimball and commissioned by Edward Harrigan, who managed the theatre, originally named Harringan's Theatre, until 1895. Richard Mansfield took over from Harrigan, renaming...

 in New York

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, opening on January 12 1925 in a two-month run. Philip Moeller

Philip Moeller

Philip Moeller was an American stage producer and director, playwright and screenwriter, born in New York where he helped found the short-lived Washington Square Players and then with Lawrence Langner and Helen Westley founded the Theatre Guild.He was educated at New York University and Columbia...

 directed while Mordecai Gorelik

Mordecai Gorelik

Mordecai Gorelik was a theatrical designer who also wrote, produced and directed plays. He was a 1920 graduate of the Pratt Institute, and worked principally as a scene designer. However, he also designed costumes, directed lighting and taught theater...

 designed the sets and costumes. Lee Strasberg

Lee Strasberg

Lee Strasberg was an American actor, director and acting teacher. He cofounded, with directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed as "America's first true theatrical collective"...

 played the minor role of First Soldier in the production; Sanford Meisner

Sanford Meisner

Sanford Meisner , also known as Sandy, was an American actor and acting teacher who developed a form of Method acting that is now known as the Meisner technique....

, too, played a minor part. It was revived in 1937 at the Maxine Elliott Theatre

Maxine Elliott Theatre

The Maxine Elliott Theatre was a Broadway theater located at 109 West 39th Street in New York City. Built in 1908, it was demolished in 1960. The theater was designed by architect Benjamin Marshall of the Chicago firm Marshall and Fox....

.

• Lawson, John Howard. 1925. Processional: A Jazz Symphony of American Life in Four Acts. New York: Thomas Seltzer.