The Profession of the Playwright

This is the first book to examine the working world of the playwright in nineteenth-century Britain. It was often a risky and financially uncertain profession yet the magic of the theater 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 fresh information on the playwright''s earnings relationships with actors managers publishers and audience and offers a new 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 Planch Fitzball Boucicault Pinero Grundy Gilbert Jones and Shaw.