Dion Boucicault
Irish Identity on Stage
- Author: Deirdre McFeely, Trinity College, Dublin
- Date Published: July 2015
- availability: Available
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9781107534278
Paperback
Other available formats:
Hardback, eBook
Looking for an examination copy?
This title is not currently available for examination. However, if you are interested in the title for your course we can consider offering an examination copy. To register your interest please contact collegesales@cambridge.org providing details of the course you are teaching.
-
Deirdre McFeely presents the first book-length critical study of Dion Boucicault, placing his Irish plays in the context of his overall career. The book undertakes a detailed examination of the reception of the plays in the New York-London-Dublin theatre triangle which Boucicault inhabited. Interpreting theatre history as a sociocultural phenomenon that closely approximates social history, McFeely examines the different social and political worlds in which the plays were produced, demonstrating that the complex politics of reception of the plays cannot be separated from the social and political implications of colonialism at that time. The study argues for a shift in focus from the politics of the plays, and their author, to the politics of the auditorium and the press, or the politics of reception. It is within that complex and shifting field of stage, theatre and public media that Boucicault's performance as playwright, actor and publicist is interpreted.
Read more- Provides a detailed examination of the reception of Boucicault's Irish plays in New York, London and Dublin, presenting analysis in light of the plays' social, cultural and political complexity
- The only full critical study on the playwright, the book acts as an ideal point of entry for readers new to his works, and will also appeal to experienced scholars in the field due to its new approach and new information
- Brings Boucicault into wider debates concerning Irish theatre, including internationalisation and ethnicity
Reviews & endorsements
"This is a wonderfully well-researched and discerning book, placing Boucicault as a much more politically motivated playwright than previous critics have ever suggested."
--Irish TimesSee more reviews"The results of her re-contextualization are revealing, and the book is filled with surprising archival detail. For example, McFeely gives a magisterial reassessment of Arrah-na-Pogue, showing how Boucicault created an enduring myth that all or part of this play was banned. McFeely also throws light on overlooked scripts such as The O'Dowd and The Rapparee, and her analysis is persuasive, with plot and language examined in order to make judgements about artistic quality and political imperative." -Times Literary Supplement
"There is much to like in this well-researched study, which illuminates the international reception of some of Boucicault's best-known work. … students of Boucicault will find it a rich resource."
Nicholas Daly, Victorian StudiesCustomer reviews
Not yet reviewed
Be the first to review
Review was not posted due to profanity
×Product details
- Date Published: July 2015
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9781107534278
- length: 230 pages
- dimensions: 230 x 153 x 13 mm
- weight: 0.35kg
- contains: 5 b/w illus.
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Becoming Boucicault
2. Nationalism, race and class in The Colleen Bawn
3. Music, myth and censorship in Arrah-na-Pogue
4. Alternative readings: The Rapparee and Daddy O'Dowd
5. The politics of exile: The Shaughraun in New York
6. 'Audiences are not political assemblies': The Shaughraun in London
7. Supporting the Land League: The O'Dowd
Conclusion: towards an Irish national drama.
Sorry, this resource is locked
Please register or sign in to request access. If you are having problems accessing these resources please email lecturers@cambridge.org
Register Sign in» Proceed
You are now leaving the Cambridge University Press website. Your eBook purchase and download will be completed by our partner www.ebooks.com. Please see the permission section of the www.ebooks.com catalogue page for details of the print & copy limits on our eBooks.
Continue ×Are you sure you want to delete your account?
This cannot be undone.
Thank you for your feedback which will help us improve our service.
If you requested a response, we will make sure to get back to you shortly.
×