The Profession of the Playwright

British Theatre, 1800–1900

Bibliographic Data

ID19916218
AuthorsJohn Russell Stephens (corresponding author)
Year1992
Publication date1992-01-30
Open AccessYes
TypeBOOK
VenueThe profession of the playwright (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherCambridge University Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1017/cbo9780511597572
OpenAlexW4248072246
Open LibraryOL7715069M
ISBN9780511597572
LanguageEN
Citations received8

This book examines the working world of the playwright in nineteenth-century Britain. It was often a risky and financially uncertain profession, yet the magic of the theatre 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 information on the playwright's earnings, relationships with actors, managers, publishers and audience, and offers a 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

Art · Civil servants · Economics · MAGIC (telescope) · Management · Media studies · Minor (academic) · Perspective (graphical) · Political science · Politics · Publishing · Sociology · Visual arts · Irish and British Studies · Law · Literature Analysis and Criticism · Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Literary Criticism · 19th century · Drama · English drama · English drama, history and criticism · Great britain · History · History and criticism · Theater · Theater and society

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