Slovene theatre in Cleveland : Beginnings, flowering and the end

ABSTRACT
In the American “melting pot” the Slovene immigrants sensed a need for a collective identification. The theatre was one of the possibilities for defining their position towards the main stream of the American culture. The first drama performance goes back to the year 1900 when the Cleveland choral society “Sava” staged a play. They were followed by societies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Illinois and elsewhere. In the twenties of the 20th century some theatres reached an enviable level, particularly the theatres “Ivan Cankar” and “Anton Verovšek” in Cleveland.