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Blood on the Stage, 1800 to 1900
Milestone Plays of Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem
By (author)
Amnon Kabatchnik
Genres:
Theatre studies, Dance & other performing arts, Reference works, Literary studies: plays & playwrights
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Synopsis
The history of theater is rife with tales of crime, suspense, and murder. The nineteenth century was no exception. Notable hallmarks of transgression drama during this century included the introduction of the melodrama, the first American musical, the debut of stage detectives, and the emergence of several hit plays focusing on real-life murderers (including the infamous Sweeney Todd).
In Blood on the Stage, 1800 to 1900: Milestone Plays of Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem, Amnon Kabatchnik completes his seven-volume exploration of theater's darkest works with an overview of more than fifty blood-splattered plays of the nineteenth century. Among the plays discussed here are many literary adaptations, including theatrical versions of Uncle Tom's Cabin, East Lynne, Lady Audley's Secret, The Woman in White, Frankenstein, and several featuring Sherlock Holmes appearances. Many of the era's most notable playwrights are represented here, including Emile Zola, Honore de Balzac, Wilkie Collins, Anna Katharine Green, and William Gillette, as well as plays by authors better known for their other works, including Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Pere, Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, and Robert Louis Stevenson.
This volume cites works by writers from all over the world, including England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Russia, Norway, and the United States. Each entry is presented chronologically and includes plot synopsis, production data, opinions by critics and scholars, and biographical sketches of playwrights and key actors. Blood on the Stage, 1800 to 1900 will be of interest to theater scholars, researchers, and theater lovers alike. New & Used
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What Reviewers Are Saying
Kabatchnik continues his 'Blood on the Stage' series, here focusing on 19th-century plays from the United States and Europe. Extensive synopses, playwright information, and review quotes from the period highlight works of 'murder, mystery and mayhem.' The plays are presented in chronological order, and theatrical premieres are examined along with their initial reception and later revivals. Kabatchnik provides succinct profiles of selections such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Leo Tolstoy's The Power of Darkness, and Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, placing them in historical context and considering their importance. The book also highlights adaptations from classical literature, such as Jane Eyre, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Sherlock Holmes. Appendixes include a discussion of plays involving poison, trial plays, and classic revenge tragedies. Bibliographical notes at the end of each entry feature reference material for theater historians. Libraries need not own the whole series, as each volume details a different era.
Verdict: This specialty resource offers a window into the theatergoing experience of the time. Recommended for academic libraries and larger public libraries seeking to develop their theater history collections. * Library Journal * This volume is a completion of a seven-volume series on this topic: theater's scariest and bloodiest plays from the dawn of time to the year 2000. This volume covers the nineteenth century. Fifty-one dramas are described, from Holcroft's A Tale of Mystery (1802) through Gillette's Sherlock Holmes (1899). The author, a retired professor of theater, provides fairly complete historical and plot descriptions of each of the dramas. Six appendixes are included: 'Lethal Poison,' 'Early Trial Plays,' 'Classic Revenge Tragedies,' 'Arden of Faversham (1592), by Anonymous (England),' 'The Witches of John Masefield and Arthur Miller,' and 'Modern Versions of 'Jane Eyre.'' All of the books in this series would be appropriate for any undergraduate/graduate academic library and for most academic theater programs. * American Reference Books Annual * Mr. Kabatchnik is truly a master writer and has offered an extraordinary gift to all lovers of theater. His research for this book leaves us in awe. It's hard to imagine you'll find a single source as detailed and thorough as his book. We are truly inspired by his dedication and commitment to the arts! Kabatchnik provides detailed synopses, background, and fascinating anecdotes for each of the fifty-one plays. * Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine *
Verdict: This specialty resource offers a window into the theatergoing