Performing Conquest: California History on Stage

Chelsea K. Vaughn
History
UC Riverside

Early twentieth-century dramatizations of California history produced portrayals of race, gender, and nationhood that celebrated the United States’ conquest of California and that ultimately argued for U.S. expansion into the Pacific. The dissertation examines two such productions: Tampala (1921) and Drake (1925). Both originally staged at the Mt. Tampalais Theater in Marin County, California in the 1920s, these plays shaped audience attitudes about the United States’ colonial ventures. A close reading of the materials connected to Tampala and Drake–including their scripts, promotional materials, and oral history interviews–offers an understanding of period sentiments and their influence upon national and international policies.