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Full Description
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.
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.
