The plaquette bears two female figures standing on pedestal; cloaked figure in back and holding mask of tragedy in outstretched arm to left, nude figure in front holding mask of comedy in outstretched arm to right. Along bottom, PASADENA PLAYHOIUSE; signed in tiny letters under pedestal, N.TOOR
The Pasadena Playhouse was started in 1916 when actor-director Gilmor Brown began producing a series of plays at a renovated burlesque theatre with his troupe "The Gilmore Brown Players." Brown established the Community Playhouse Association of Pasadena in 1917 that would later become the Pasadena Playhouse Association, which necessitated a new venue for productions.
The community theatre organization quickly grew and in May 1924, the citizens of Pasadena raised funds to build a new theatre in the city center at 39 South El Molino Avenue. Completed in 1925, the theatre was designed in a Spanish Colonial Revival style by Pasadena artist and architect Elmer Grey, with a fire curtain painted by Pasadena artist Alson S. Clark.
This little plaquette is a real gem. When you first look at the plaquette from a distance without knowing its subject, it almost seems to be a religious design. The female figures, probably representing the muses of Tagedy and Comedy, are posed such that they create yjr shape of a cross. The nude figure could be taken for Christ on the cross
Nishan Toor is only known to have made this one medal, which is a real shame because I would have liked to see more of his work.
The plaquette measures 42.4mm x 63.2mm and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.
References: MACo 1939-036
