Early American Drama (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Jeffrey H. Richards (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0140435883 | ISBN-13: 978-0140435887 | Publication Date: August 1, 1997

This unique volume includes The Gladiator and seven other early dramas that mirror American literary, social, and cultural history: Royall Tyler's The Contrast (1787), a Sheridian satire about fashion-conscious New Yorkers; William Dunlap's Andre (1798); James Nelson Barker's telling of the Pocahontas story, the Indian Princess (1808); William Henry Smith's The Drunkard (1844); Anna Cora Mowatt's Fashion (1845), the most successful nineteenth-century play by a female American playwright; George L. Aiken's 1852 dramatization of Uncle Tom's Cabin; and The Octoroon (1859), Dion Boucicault's tragedy concerning a young woman doomed by her racial heritage.

Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140435883
• ISBN-13: 978-0140435887
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,578 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Anthologies

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An indispensable collection, November 6, 2000

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Early American Drama (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

In "Early American Drama," editor Jeffrey H. Richards has assembled eight important American plays, all written between 1787 and 1859. The plays include "The Contrast," Royall Tyler's satire of financial and sexual politics; "The Indian Princess," James Nelson Barker's musical retelling of the legend of Pocahontas; "The Gladiator," Robert Montgomery Bird's tragedy of slavery in ancient Rome; "Fashion," Anna Cora Mowatt's witty comedy about life in New York; and four other gems.

Richards has not only written an insightful introduction for the entire anthology, but provides informative separate introductions to each play. He shares relevant details about each author's life and about the cultural context in which the play was written and performed. Extensive bibliographic material further adds to this book's value as a scholarly resource.

Richards has also made an excellent selection of plays. These literary works brilliantly illuminate the social, political, and cultural issues which impacted the United States from the late 18th to mid 19th centuries. As the editor says in his introduction to the collection, these texts "will still reward the careful reader." Whether one is interested in images of the Native American, substance abuse, racial anxieties, gender politics, or abolitionist thought, one will find plenty of relevant material in "Early American Drama."

I used this book as a class text when I taught a course in early American literature at the University of Pittsburgh some time ago. Some of our best class sessions were spent with the students assuming roles in scenes from these plays and performing these scenes. It was marvelous to hear these classic texts come to life. These are not just texts to be studied by scholars; these plays are a vibrant part of the cultural heritage of the United States. Read, critique, learn, and enjoy.