In particular, the Little Theatre enjoyed a close relationship with writer Eudora Welty, who premiered her stage version of The Ponder Heart simultaneously at the Little Theatre and at Le Petite Theatre du Vieux Carre, in association with Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, between October 17 and 27 of 1956. The Little Theatre also encouraged playwrights from among their membership. Most of the seasons were filled with light comedies ( The Goose Hangs High by Lewis Beach) or suspense thrillers ( Angel Street by Patrick Hamilton), but some experimental or controversial plays ( Where the Cross Is Made by Eugene O’Neill and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams) were also selected. Such practical considerations as availability of performance rights for more recent hits also determined the final play list. A list of proposed plays would be sent out to all members, and the final selections would be made by committee. Since the membership of the Little Theatre was by subscription only, the plays that were performed reflected the tastes of that membership. Casting auditions, however, were not limited to Little Theatre members. In the early years, most of the people joining the membership of the Little Theatre shared duties on the board of directors, behind the scenes and on the stage, and as directors of the plays. For many years, the mission statement of the Little Theatre was as follows: "a non-profit organization, the purpose of which is to cultivate, advance, and promote education in dramatic literature, dramatic expression, and dramatic art." The new theatre raised funds by advance ticket sales to a limited number of patrons, and to many of those, by invitation only. She organized the Little Theatre Players of Jackson in 1925. This movement reached Jackson in 1924 in the person of Margaret P. Fifty more little theatres had been organized across the country by 1917. An outgrowth of a similar European theatre movement of the 1880s and 1890s, the little-theatre movement had its genesis in 19 with the formation of theatres in Boston, Chicago, and New York City. The Little Theatre (1925-1978) of Jackson, Mississippi, was inspired by the American little-theatre movement.
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