Tryout

Tryout was an amateur press journal published from 1914 to 1946 by Charles W. Smith of Haverhill, Massachusetts. It was connected to the National Amateur Press Association.

Smith (1852-1948) was a friend and correspondent of H. P. Lovecraft; Tryout was the first outlet for the H. P. Lovecraft short stories "The Cats of Ulthar" (November 1920), "The Terrible Old Man" (July 1921), "The Tree" (October 1921), and "In the Vault" (November 1925). Smith provided the plot idea for "In the Vault".

Tryout also published non-fiction articles and several poems by Lovecraft. The publication was noted for its typographical errors, which Lovecraft referred to as "tryoutisms".

References

Tryout (theatre)

Tryout is staging a legitimate theatre performance at an off-site venue for evaluation and possible revision before going to Broadway or the West End. The Shubert Theatre (New Haven) is an example of a theatre specializing in such tryouts in Broadway.

Popular tryout locations

New Haven, Connecticut (Oklahoma!, The King and I, My Fair Lady, 1776 (musical))

Philadelphia (Street Scene (opera), Kiss Me, Kate, A Raisin in the Sun)

Boston (Porgy and Bess, Follies, La Cage aux Folles (musical))

Detroit (Hello, Dolly! (musical), Sweet Charity, Seesaw (musical))

Washington, D.C. (Show Boat, West Side Story, 42nd Street (musical)

San Diego (Rumors, Thoroughly Modern Millie (musical), Jersey Boys

Los Angeles (Peter Pan (1954 musical), The Happy Time (musical), Brighton Beach Memoirs)

Seattle (Hairspray (musical), The Light in the Piazza (musical), Catch Me If You Can (musical)

A tryout can also be the final rehearsal of a theatrical performance or the showing of a motion picture to a test audience and/or the press, preceding the premiere.