[Ads-l] Antedating of "off-off-Broadway"

[Ben Zimmer]

Even earlier...

---
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-off-off-broadwa/130945666/
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Feb 27, 1954, p. 2, col. 4
"Off-Broadway" plays have been numerous and stimulating this theatrical
season -- and now the first "off-off-Broadway" production has cropped up in
Brooklyn.
---

--bgz

On Wed, Aug 30, 2023 at 3:00 PM Bill Mullins <amcombill at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Slightly earlier:
>
> 1954 Shreveport Times 7 Mar 4B/7  www.newspapers.com
>
> Circle-in-the-Square, the off-off-Broadway theater, may extend its
> operations 'way off Broadway indeed -- London, to be exact.
>
> https://www.newspapers.com/image/211329824/?terms=%20broadway%22&match=2
>
>
> Quote is from a Dorothy Kilgallen column which ran as early as 4 March in
> some markets. However, the quote is found in in a very short paragraph
> which appears to edited out of the column in most newspapers, presumably
> for space reasons.  But the quote could be found a few days earlier if a
> paper ran the column in its entirety.
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> On Behalf Of
> > Steven Losie
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2023 12:51 PM
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Subject: Antedating of "off-off-Broadway"
> >
> > Off-off-Broadway.
> > OED3 cites the New York Times on May 5, 1957. Here are two earlier
> > citations:
> >
> > [begin quote]
> > Audrey Hepburn's understudy in "Ondine," a young lady named Eva Stern,
> > quit her job last week for a real part in what might, under the right
> > circumstances, be referred to as an off-off-Broadway production.
> > [end quote]
> > Source: New York Daily News, Mar 9, 1954, p.15C, col.4 Article title:
> French
> > 'Mutiny' Stars; R&H Ahead of Schedule
> > Author: Douglas Watt
> > Database: ProQuest Historical Newspapers
> >
> > [begin quote]
> > One church group is having off-off-Broadway tryouts of its shows, sending
> > them to out of town churches before bringing them in.
> > [end quote]
> > Source: Chicago Tribune, Mar 27, 1955, p.K4, col.1 Article title: A True
> Actor
> > Can't Be Kept from Theater
> > Author: John Chapman
> > Database: ProQuest Historical Newspapers
>

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