Description
Book SynopsisThe London theatres arguably were the central cultural institutions in England during the Romantic period, and certainly were arenas in which key issues of the time were contested. While existing anthologies of Romantic drama have focused almost exclusively on "closet dramas" rarely performed on stage,
The Broadview Anthology of Romantic Drama instead provides a broad sampling of works representative of the full range of the drama of the period. It includes the dramatic work of canonical Romantic poets (Samuel Coleridge's
Remorse, Percy Shelley's
The Cenci, and Lord Byron's Sardanapalus) and important plays by women dramatists (Hannah Cowley's
A Bold Stroke for a Husband, Elizabeth Inchbald's
Every One Has His Fault, and Joanna Baillie's Orra). It also provides a selection of popular theatrical genres—from melodrama and pantomime to hippodrama and parody—most popular in the period, featuring plays by George Colman the Younger, Thomas John Dibdin, and Matthew Gregory Lewis. In short, this is the most wide-ranging and comprehensive anthology of Romantic drama ever published.
The introduction by the editors provides an informative overview of the drama and stage practices of the Romantic Period. The anthology also provides copious supplementary materials, including an Appendix of reviews and contemporary essays on the theater, a Glossary of Actors and Actresses, and a guide to further reading. Each of the ten plays has been fully edited and annotated.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements
A Note on the Text
Introduction
A Bold Stroke for a Husband
Hannah Cowley
Every One Has His Fault
Elizabeth Inchbald
Blue-Beard
George Colman the Younger
Timour the Tartar
Matthew Lewis
The Quadrupeds of Quedlinburgh
George Colman the Younger
Orra
Joanna Baillie
Remorse
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Harlequin and Humpo
Thomas John Dibdin
The Cenci
Percy B. Shelley
Sardanapalus
Lord Byron
Appendix: Contemporary Reviews and Commentary
Glossary of Actors and Actresses
Suggested Readings
