The Profession of the Playwright: British Theatre, 1800-1900
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 Planché, Fitzball, Boucicault, Pinero, Grundy, Gilbert, Jones, and Shaw.
1111975770
The Profession of the Playwright: British Theatre, 1800-1900
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 Planché, Fitzball, Boucicault, Pinero, Grundy, Gilbert, Jones, and Shaw.
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The Profession of the Playwright: British Theatre, 1800-1900

The Profession of the Playwright: British Theatre, 1800-1900

by John Russell Stephens
The Profession of the Playwright: British Theatre, 1800-1900

The Profession of the Playwright: British Theatre, 1800-1900

by John Russell Stephens

Hardcover

$120.00 
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Overview

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 Planché, Fitzball, Boucicault, Pinero, Grundy, Gilbert, Jones, and Shaw.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780521259132
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication date: 01/30/1992
Pages: 276
Product dimensions: 5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.75(d)

Table of Contents

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.
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