Mormon Literature Database

Notice: The Mormon Literature & Creative Arts database has moved to mormonarts.lib.byu.edu.

Drama \| View all Works in this Category	203 total items.
Description The Mormon Literature database attempts to include records of any dramatic productions written by or about Mormons, provided these are either published or else have been produced. This includes community theater productions, commercial productions, pageants, etc., but generally excludes amateur dramatic productions such as roadshows, or dramatic performances that are part of Mormon worship services. Performances by Mormons of non-Mormon theatrical productions are generally excluded, but plays and productions with any Mormon content are included.
Associated Genres Comedy, Drama (Film), Film, Musical,
Genre History Mormons have a long history of producing and writing plays and musicals, especially amateur productions mounted in Mormon congregations (wards) and communities (stake or citywide productions). In the 1840s plays were mounted in Nauvoo, Illinois, and when the Mormons moved west, Brigham Young established the Salt Lake Theater almost immediately. There is an extensive history of Mormon outdoor pageants, as well, which are typically devoted to historical and scriptural themes and are performed adjacent to significant Mormon historical sites. Beginning in the 1970s with Saturday's Warrior, the Mormon musical became a very popular dramatic genre. In some ways Mormon drama has paved the way for Mormon cinema. For an excellent overview of Mormon drama up through 1976, see "Mormon Shakespeares: A study of Contemporary Mormon Theatre"