The Profession of the Playwright: British Theatre, 1800 1900

ISBN-13: 9780521259132 / Angielski / Twarda / 1992 / 276 str.

John Russell Stephens

Opis

This is the first book to examine the working world of the playwright in nineteenth-century Britain. It was often a risky and financially uncertain profession, yet the magic of the theater attracted authors from widely different backgrounds--journalists, lawyers, churchmen, civil servants, printers, and actors, as well as prominent poets and novelists. In a fascinating account of the frustrations and the rewards of dramatic authorship, Stephens uncovers fresh information on the playwright's earnings, relationships with actors, managers, publishers, and audience, and offers a new perspective on his growing status as a professional. Further chapters focus on the struggle for copyright reform and the complexities of dramatic publishing. A large number of major and minor authors are discussed, among them Planche, Fitzball, Boucicault, Pinero, Grundy, Gilbert, Jones, and Shaw.

Recenzje

"...Stephens has produced another will-researched, well-sritten book on the Victorian stage." John W. Stedman, Victorian Periodicals Review

Spis treści

Preface; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; 1. The smell of lamps and orange peel; 2. 'A devil of a trade'; 3. The profit-sharing revolution; 4. Piracy and the defence of dramatic property; 5. Booksellers and dramatic publishing; 6. From wings to centre stage; 7. The new professionals; Appendixes; Notes; Bibliography; Index of plays and playwrights; General index.