Item – Thèses Canada

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Numéro d'OCLC
46524699
Auteur
Yzereef, Barry Peter,1957-
Titre
The art of gentlemanly melodrama : charles Kean's production of "The Corsican Brothers."
Diplôme
Ph. D. -- University of Victoria, 1995
Éditeur
Ottawa : National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1996.
Description
5 microfiches.
Notes
Includes bibliographical references.
Résumé
Melodrama was one of the most popular forms of theatrical entertainment during the 19th century. Innocent heroines, stalwart heroes, and dastardly villains, were all familiar images when melodrama was performed for Victorian audiences. In 1852, Charles Kean provided a more genteel exploration of the standard melodramatic themes when he presented The Corsican Brothers at the Princess's Theatre. This play showed a villain that was a refined gentleman (rather than the standard bad aristocrat of earlier melodrama), and a hero that was not only brave, noble, and intelligent, but also a gentleman that came from an old landed family. This new way of presenting standard melodramatic characters was called "Gentlemanly Melodrama," and it would have a great influence on stage history. It is not the purpose of the present study to define "Gentlemanly Melodrama" as a literary genre, but to demonstrate how Kean staged this type of play. Literary criticism is the usual criteria for studying plays, but for this thesis, I will present background information about the work and the leading actors that performed in it. Following this, I will give a narrative account of the stage action as it was described by critics, actors, and audiences of the day. The use of original promptbooks, scenic designs and music also provide excellent material for giving the reader an idea of the colours, sounds and actions that were taking place on stage. By presenting the thesis in this form, it is hoped that scholars will have a better sense of the excitement generated by the production, and understand why theatre patrons, such as King Edward VII, said that the play that made the most lasting impression was The Corsican Brothers.
ISBN
0612137279
9780612137271