A Thief in the Theater

A Thief in the Theater
The cover of A Thief in the Theater.
Kit's Series
Published	2008
Author	Sarah Masters Buckey
Illustrator	Jean-Paul Tibbles
ISBN	1593692943
Setting	August, 1935
In relation to Kit's Series	After the events of Danger at the Zoo

A Thief in the Theater is a Historical Character Mystery that is part of Kit's books.

Characters

From the Central Series

• Kit Kittredge
• Stirling Howard
• Louise Howard
• Millie Morrison
• Jack Kittredge
• Margaret Kittredge
• Hendrick Frosbythe
• Mr. Bell

Introduced

• Rose Burns
• Graham Walker

Only in A Thief in the Theater

• Daphne Dumont
• The Hobart Brothers
• Roland Fairchild
• Cecilia Smith
• Gunner
• Sven
• Christina Tucker
• Mrs. Tucker

Mentioned

• Mr. and Mrs. Maggiano
• Vinnie

Chapter By Chapter Summary

Looking Back

Discusses theater and the entertainment industry in the 1930s. Topics covered:

• America's eagerness to forget their troubles, such as listening to the radio or attending theaters
• The length entertainers went to attract audiences due to lack of money
• How theaters managed to stay in business, such as lowering ticket prices and offering promotions
• Common theater entertainment, such as matinees, newsreels, and serials for children, and bingo nights, crockery giveaways, and cash raffles for adults
• The popularity of radio as free entertainment
• Common radio entertainment such as variety shows, westerns, and audio adaptations of movies and plays
• Competition between radio, movies, and theater
• The struggles faced by live theater, prompting President Roosevelt to create the Federal Theater Project
• The Federal Theater Project's role in helping unemployed workers in the entertainment industry, including Orson Welles' critically acclaimed production of Macbeth at Lafayette Theater
• The story of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, and the changes Orson Welles made in his production of the play, such as moving the setting from Scotland to Haiti
• Theater-related superstitions, such as telling an actor to "break a leg" instead of wishing them good luck
• The popularity of Macbeth, despite actors and directors never referring to Macbeth by name and calling it "the play" or "the Scottish play"