Nineteenth Century Plays

The World's Classics #533

by George Rowell

This vintage book contains a collection of notable nineteenth century plays. The purpose of this volume is to assemble a representative selection of the plays which served as acceptable material in that century. The nineteenth century saw the emergence of the modern stage as we understand a stage framed by the proscenium arch, lit by electricity, and boxed by canvas flats; and the evolution of this stage cannot be followed without a reference to the plays that were written for it. The plays contained herein Black Eyed Susan, Money, Masks and Faces, The Colleen Bawn, Lad Audley's Secret, The Ticket-Of-Leave Man, Two Roses, The Bells, and A Pair of Spectacles. Many antiquarian texts such as this are increasingly hard-to-come-by and expensive, and it is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a new prefatory biography of the author.

1060 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

George Rowell was a British theatre historian, lecturer and authority on the 19th century.

Reviews

[olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really wish I could see the plays in person. A lot of the liveliness and humour was lost in text form. Did find some radio plays to accompany Money but other than that I really hope somebody re-animates these works!!!

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read Jerrold's Black-Ey'd Susan for a class (not from this anthology, apparently the one I own doesn't exist on Goodreads). It's a nautical melodrama with no character development, only a semblance of a plot, and one of the most abrupt endings I've ever read. Basically, I now understand why 19th century British drama is, with the exception of Gilbert and Sullivan, largely ignored by pretty much everyone who reads and/or goes to the theater.

Harsh generalization, I know. Maybe the other plays I have to read will redeem this period/genre for me, though I'm not optimistic.