The Profession of the Playwright: British Theatre, 1800 1900

By John Russell Stephens

Book 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 Planch , Fitzball, Boucicault, Pinero, Grundy, Gilbert, Jones, and Shaw.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521034434
• ISBN13: 9780521034432
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"