Florence Bean James photograph collection, circa 1920s-1955

Florence Bean James, along with her husband Burton W. James, were founders of the Seattle Repertory Playhouse and played a central role in the city’s theatrical life for nearly 30 years. They arrived in 1923, coaxed west from New York to teach drama and produce plays at the Cornish School. They established the Repertory Playhouse (not to be confused with the Seattle Repertory Theatre) five years later. Their reputation was tarnished and their theatre forced out of business after they became targets of the Washington State Legislative Committee on Un-American Activities, headed by Representative Albert Canwell, in 1948. After Burton’s death in 1951, Florence James accepted a position as a drama instructor at the Saskatchewan School of the Arts. In 1953, she joined the Saskatchewan Arts Board as drama consultant, holding that position until 1968. She was instrumental in the founding of the acclaimed Globe Theatre in Regina, Saskatchewan. She was much honored for her work in Canada, receiving, among other awards, the Legion of Honor Medal, the Queen’s Silver Medal, and the Diplôme d’Honneur from the Canadian Conference of the Arts. She died in Regina on January 18, 1988, at age 95.