Rachel Crothers

American Dramatist

December 12, 1878 to July 5, 1958

Born in Bloomington, Rachel Crothers’ parents were Dr. Eli Kirk Crothers and Dr. Marie Louise (de Pew) Crothers. Her mother was one of the first woman physicians in Central Illinois. 

Rachel graduated from University High School in 1891 and Illinois State Normal School (now Illinois State University) in 1892. She studied dramatic art in Boston and New York City, and acted professionally in New York City.  She broke new ground by directing, staging, and casting most of her own plays. She also directed several plays written by others. Rachel’s plays often dealt with social themes and moral problems affecting women in the 20th century, including issues such as the double standard, trial marriages, divorce, Freudianism.

She established a number of philanthropic groups to improve the welfare of her theatrical colleagues: the United Theatre Relief Committee, the Stage Relief Fund, the Stage Women’s War Relief Fund, and the American Theatre Wing for War Relief. According to her biography on Literature Online, Rachel “distinguished herself as one of the most significant American playwrights of the early twentieth century and as an influential force in the development of modern American drama….”

On April 25, 1939, Rachel Crothers was awarded the Chi Omega sorority national achievement award by Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt. This national achievement gold medal award is given “to an American woman of notable accomplishments in the professions, public affairs, art, letters, business and finance, or education.” (Pantagraph, April 26, 1939)

She died in her Danbury, Connecticut home on July 5, 1958.

Plays Written by Rachel Crothers

Rachel Crothers wrote 37 plays. The plays listed below are owned by the Bloomington Public Library. They are shelved in the Illinois Collection.

  • As Husbands Go (812CRO)
  • Expressing Willie; Nice People; 39 East: Three Plays (812CRO)
  • A Man’s World (812CRO)
  • Old Lady 31 (812CRO)
  • Six One-Act Plays (812CRO)  Includes the plays:
    • The Importance of Being Clothed
    • The Importance of Being Nice
    • The Importance of Being Married
    • The Importance of Being a Woman
    • What TheyThink
    • Peggy
  • Susan and God (812CRO)
  • The Three of Us (812CRO)
  • When Ladies Meet (812CRO)
  • He and She (812.5CRO)
  • Let Us Be Gay (812.52CRO)

Other Work by Rachel Crothers

“The Construction of a Play” found in The Art of Playwriting: Lectures Delivered at the University of Pennsylvania on the Mask and Wig Foundation,  1928, p. 115-134. (Illnois Collection 808.2ART)

Books

  • Home Town in the Corn Belt: a Source History of Bloomington, Illinois 1900 - 1950 in Five Volumes, compiled by Clara Louise Kessler
  • Articles
    • Volume I:  “East Washington Street” by Grace
      Cheney Wight, pp. 112-114.
    • Volume III:  “The Story of Rachel Crothers” by Henry James Forman,  pp. 21-27.(977.3529HOM)
      Locked case
  • Rachel Crothers by Lois C. Gottlieb (Illinois Collection 812.09CRO)
  • Rachel Crothers: a Research and Production Sourcebook by Colette & James Lindroth (Illinois Collection  812CRO)
  • Contemporary Authors, Volume 194 (R 920CON V. 194)
  • Twentieth Century Literary Criticism Volume 19 (R 809TWE V. 19)
  • The New Encyclopedia Britannica V. 3 Volume 3, p. 757
    (R 031NEW 2007)

Other Print Resources

  • Illinois Collection Clippings File
    Heading: “Authors-Crothers”
    The library has a number of envelopes of newspaper articles, playbills, and other information on Rachel Crothers in the clippings file in the Illinois Collection. The material does not check out, and copies may be made. There are also a number of pictures of Rachel in the library’s Illinois Picture File.
  • Daily Pantagraph microfilm
    Check the Pantagraph card index for article and date information.

Resources at
Other Local Libraries

Online Resources

  • Biographies Plus
    Biographical coverage of notable, famous and historical figures in over 56,000 profiles, articles and essays. Includes 20,000 images.