Archives & Special Collections Gallery Talk- Consuming Divas: Legacies of Fan Culture in American Theatre
Event box
Hear directly from curator Victoria LaFave, University of Pittsburgh Department of Theatre Arts PhD candidate, about the exhibit "Consulming Divas: Legacies of Fan Culture in American Theatre"!
Who is your favorite celebrity – for better or worse? Are you consuming their art, or have you gone a step further by following them on social media? We might think contemporary fan culture is a unique phenomenon with the creation of social media and the 24-hour news cycle. However, actors, singers, and it-girls have always captured the attention of admirers with passion and fervor. As material goods became mass produced and more accessible after the Industrial Revolution, fans in the 1890s-1920s had a new way of feeling close to their favorite celebrities: collecting them.
The average fan could now collect affordable ephemera such as cabinet cards, sheet music, and even cigar boxes with their favorite diva on the front, even if they could not attend every show. Both “low brow” vaudeville performers and respected Shakespearean actors were featured on material goods, making performers accessible beyond the stage, and ushering in a new era of fan culture.
This exhibit is curated by Victoria LaFave, University of Pittsburgh Department of Theatre Arts PhD candidate and University of Pittsburgh Library System Graduate Student Assistant for Academic Year 2023-2024
Email Megan Massanelli mam687@pitt.edu for requests for accomodations.
