Representative Plays by American Dramatists E-Book

Various

• Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

"Representative Plays by American Dramatists" serves as an anthology that showcases the evolution of American theatre, celebrating a diverse range of voices and styles from notable playwrights. The collection encapsulates the struggles, societal norms, and individual aspirations that shaped the American experience through a dramatic lens. By featuring works that span various dimensions of American life'Äîincorporating elements of realism, modernism, and experimental forms'Äîthe anthology invites readers to appreciate the rich tapestry of cultural narratives that have influenced the theatrical landscape. Each play is meticulously selected for its literary merit and historical significance, offering insights into the zeitgeist of its time. The anthology's curation reflects the collaborative effort of scholars and practitioners who have devoted their careers to studying American drama and its contextual relevance. By blending classic and contemporary voices, the contributors emphasize themes of identity, social justice, and cultural heritage, drawing connections between historical context and modern-day relevance. This meticulous selection showcases the impact of American playwrights in shaping narrative forms while addressing critical moral and philosophical questions. For readers and theatre enthusiasts alike, "Representative Plays by American Dramatists" is an invaluable resource that not only highlights pivotal works but also invites a deeper analysis of cultural heritage. By engaging with these representative plays, readers will gain profound insights into the complexities of American society, making this anthology an essential addition to any literary or theatrical collection.

Leseprobe

Various

Representative Plays by American Dramatists

1765-1819

Published by Good Press, 2019

[email protected]

EAN 4064066175610

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF GENERAL WORKS

INDIVIDUAL BIOGRAPHIES FOR PLAYS.

INTRODUCTION

Table of Contents

The present collection of "Representative Plays by American Dramatists" is the first of its kind to be offered to the general reader. In its scope, it covers a period from 1765–1911, and in its plan of selection, it strives to show the advance in playwriting during successive periods of American history.

Because of this scheme, the choice of plays for the Colonial and Revolutionary sections necessarily includes several which, while written for the stage, are not authentically located as far as production is concerned. There is no indication that Robert Rogers's "Ponteach" was ever accepted by any of the theatrical companies of the time, and there is no positive proof that Mrs. Mercy Warren's "The Group" was ever done, although there are casual references to the fact that performances were given at Amboyne. Nor have we any right to believe that Samuel Low's "The Politician Out-witted" received other than scant treatment from the managers to whom it was submitted; it was published rather to please the readers of the closet drama. Nevertheless, it has been thought essential to include these plays because they are representative of the spirit of the times, and help to give a more comprehensive view of the subjects which were treated in dramatic form by the early American playwrights.

From the moment the American writer ceased to be an Englishman, and became fully aware of his national consciousness, American drama, following the trend of the development of American literature, began to feel its way for the proper expression of national characteristics.

And so, in the second and third volumes of this series, the reader will find plays which, while not wonderful in their literary value, are, nevertheless, very distinctive, as reflecting the theatrical tastes of the time, and the very crude, but none the less sincere, technical effort of the playwrights. All the dramas included in the second and third volumes have had their stage productions, and are thus representative of characteristics which mark the abilities of certain actors, whose claims to originality are found in the special types they created.

It has been the present editor's object so to arrange the successive order of these plays that the reader may not only be able to judge the change in stagecraft and technique, but, likewise, may note the change in social idea and in historical attitude toward certain subjects. For example, "The Contrast" contains the first American Stage Yankee—a model for a succession of Stage Yankees to follow. But, whereas Royall Tyler's Jonathan was not especially written to exploit the peculiar abilities of Mr. Wignell, the comedian, most of the Yankee plays of a later date were written to exploit the peculiar excellences of such actors as G. H. Hill and James H. Hackett.

In no way can the reader better sense the change in social customs and ideals than by reading a series of plays written in successive generations and reflecting the varying customs of the time. In some respects "The Contrast" may be considered our very earliest drama of social manners, even though Royall Tyler was not over-successful in stamping the small talk of his women as being distinctively American. Rather is it the direct imitation—without the brilliancy—of the small talk in "The School for Scandal." But, nevertheless, "The Contrast" does attempt to deal with society in New York before the nineteenth century, and in Mrs. Mowatt's "Fashion," in Mrs. Bateman's "Self," in Bronson Howard's "Saratoga" (which has been published), in Clyde Fitch's "The Moth and the Flame," and in Langdon Mitchell's "The New York Idea," we are given a very significant and sharply defined panoramic view of the variations in moral and social attitudes.

The plays included in this series have very largely been selected because of their distinct American flavour. The majority of the dramas deal directly with American subjects. But it seemed unwise and unrepresentative to frame one's policy of selection too rigidly on that score. Had such a method been adhered to, many of the plays written for Edwin Forrest would have to be omitted from consideration. It would have been difficult, because of this stricture, to include representative examples of dramas by the Philadelphia and Knickerbocker schools of playwrights. Robert T. Conrad's "Jack Cade," John Howard Payne's "Brutus," George Henry Boker's "Francesca da Rimini," and Nathaniel P. Willis's "Tortesa, the Usurer," would thus have been ruled from the collection. Nevertheless are they representative plays by American dramatists. Another departure from the American atmosphere is in the case of Steele Mackaye; here in preference to "Hazel Kirke," I have selected "Paul Kauvar," farthest away from American life, inasmuch as it deals with Nihilism, but written at a time when there was a Nihilistic fever in New York City.