World War II and the Weathervane

Cj's Mission

The focus of my World War II and the Weathervane research was to investigate how the wartime conditions affected the Weathervane productions and community around those involved.

1940

On September 16th 1940 Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act.
November 4th: Bundles for Britain Cash Only night at the Weathervane during "Margin For Error"
Red Room Coffee free of charge after the shows, compliments of Acme Stores
- Coffee served in the Red Room was a tradition after Weathervane shows for people to meet the cast and to see local art. To learn more click here to read a blog post about the red room.

1941

Japan bombs Pearl Harbor on December 7th and enters the United States in WWII
As mentioned in the playbill for "Skylark," "Out of the Frying Pan" was supposed to open on December 8th, 1941. The show still went on and opened on the 8th, despite being a day after the Pearl Harbor attacks

1942

Defense Stamps bought during annual Weathervane meeting among members that were invited
Cancellation of Red Room Coffee due to war time conditions featured in "Busman's Honeymoon" on October 12th
First Mention of Weathervane in Service in "Busman's Honeymoon" program
- Weathervane in Service was included in programs to show the names of people who were involved with productions that had enlisted or been drafted in WWII. There is more about the Weathervane in Service in the special focus section below.
Tire Town Topics regarding war time production in Akron that featured the Weathervane Players in November
- Tire Town Topics was a show that was put on once a year in the winter to highlight and promote moral among Akronites. To read more about these shows, click here.

1943

"Abie's Irish Rose" opens May 13, 1943 which was the last Weathervane production directed by Grace Hower Crawford.

1944

D-Day Invasion on June 6th, 1944
"Jason" opens on June 15, 1944 which features the Weathervane in Service, including Killed in Action members, and mentions an extended welcome to men and women in the service to Weathervane Shows

1945

"Heaven Can Wait" opens on January 11th, 1945 and the coffee in the red room after the show returns. The event also served as an exhibit by Raphael Gleitsman who at the time was serving overseas in France.
The European Theater ends on May 8th, 1945
The Pacific Theater ends on September 2nd, 1945

Despite being at war, the Weathervane still received numerous bills over for their utilities and purchases. All of the bills have some mention of the war on them or symbols which promote victory of the allies. Click on the pictures below to see the full documents in the digital archives.

Gas Bill mentioning War Bonds

Ice delivery bill with use of the V for Victory in the Logo

Gas Bill mentioning the Navy recruitment effort for WAVES

Just a Sailor from Akron

Special Focus: Robert Burgoon

Robert Burgoon was a name lost in an archival scrapbook until his past with the Weathervane was uncovered. After having his picture taken in a Navy Dress Uniform, his involvement in the Weathervane was through acting in "Busman's Honeymoon" and being mentioned in the Weathervane in Service portions of the programs. You can read more about his story by clicking here.

Gender Roles on the Homefront

During the war it was assumed that women took over all of the male roles on the home front. Using the digitized playbills of the 7th - 10th seasons that were uploaded by the UnClass, the bar graph on the right was made. This graph does not represent every show put on in the seasons, but a majority of them. This is due to missing programs that have not been digitized.

All of the archival documents found on this page are held/can be viewed in The University of Akron Archives and Special Collections within the Weathervane Collection

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