Difference between revisions of "Our American Cousin"
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| − | ''[[Our American Cousin]]'' can refer to one of two stage works: | + | '''<big>''[[Our American Cousin]]''</big> can refer to one of two stage works:''' |
| − | ''Not to confused with the Canadian film ''My American Cousin''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_American_Cousin] (1985)'' | + | ''Not to confused with the Canadian film '''My American Cousin'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_American_Cousin] (1985)'' |
=''[[Our American Cousin]]'' farce in three acts by Tom Taylor (1858)= | =''[[Our American Cousin]]'' farce in three acts by Tom Taylor (1858)= | ||
| − | Also | + | Also found as '''''[[Lord Dundreary]]''''' or '''''[[Lord Dundreary, or The American Cousin]]''''' |
==The original text== | ==The original text== | ||
| − | + | Written by Tom Taylor (1817-1880)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Taylor], the play tells of the introduction of an awkward, boorish, but honest American, Asa Trenchard, to his aristocratic English relatives when he goes to England to claim the family estate. | |
| − | The play premiered at Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, in 1858, with "Asa Trenchard" played by Joseph Jefferson and "Lord Dundreary" by Edward Askew Sothern. | + | The play premiered at Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, in 15 October 1858, with "Asa Trenchard" played by Joseph Jefferson and "Lord Dundreary" by Edward Askew Sothern (1826-1881)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Askew_Sothern], and wnet on to a long and successful run of 496 performances at the Haymarket Theatre in 1861. |
| − | + | Sothern's exaggerated performances caused the supporting role to become a leading one and the play was henceforth often billed as ''[[Lord Dundreary]]'' or ''[[Lord Dundreary, or The American Cousin]]''. | |
| − | The play is often best remembered in modern times as the play that Abraham Lincoln was attending in Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., in 1865, on the night he was assassinated. | + | The play is often best remembered in modern times as the play that Abraham Lincoln was attending in Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., in 1865, on the night he was assassinated. |
==Translations and adaptations== | ==Translations and adaptations== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sothern's interpretation not only turned the "Dundreary" into a leading role, but made him a recurring character in a number of subsequent spin-offs and sequels, including ''[[Our American Cousin at Home, or Lord Dundreary Abroad]]'' (a sequel by Charles Gayler, 1860), ''[[Dundreary Married and Done For]]'' (H. J. Byron), and ''[[Brother Sam]]'' (by John Oxenford, 1862) (1862; revived in 1865), a play about Dundreary's brother. The 2008 opera, ''[[Our American Cousin]]'' (Sawyer and Shoptaw), is another kind of homage to the play (see below). | ||
| + | |||
| + | There is also a one act play entitled ''[[My American Cousin, or A Slight Misunderstanding]]'' said to be "a Petite New Drama in 1 Act, written expressly for [[Mrs Tellett]] by [[a Gentleman of Cape Town]]". No further information is available on the play or the author, though it may possibly have been inspired by Taylor's play (or at least the title of the play). The one act play was in fact performed by Mrs Tellett and her company in the [[Theatre Royal]], Cape Town, on 23 June, 1862, as an afterpiece to ''[[Madeleine, or The Daughter of the Regiment]]'' (Stirling). | ||
== Performance history in South Africa == | == Performance history in South Africa == | ||
| − | + | 1876: Performed as ''[[Lord Dundreary, or The American Cousin]]'' by the [[Disney Roebuck Company]], under the management of [[C. Wilstone]], in the [[Theatre Royal]], Burg Street, Cape Town, on 16 October, as a benefit for [[J.B. Howe]]. | |
| + | 1876: Performed as ''[[Lord Dundreary, or The American Cousin]]'' by the [[Disney Roebuck Company]], under the management of [[C. Wilstone]], in the [[Theatre Royal]], Burg Street, Cape Town, on 17 and 19 October, with ''[[The Irish Emigrant]]'' (Brougham). | ||
=''[[Our American Cousin]]'' an opera in three acts by Sawyer and Shoptaw (2008)= | =''[[Our American Cousin]]'' an opera in three acts by Sawyer and Shoptaw (2008)= | ||
| Line 29: | Line 34: | ||
Written by American composer Eric Sawyer, with libretto by John Shoptaw, the opera recounts the assassination of Abraham Lincoln t Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865. | Written by American composer Eric Sawyer, with libretto by John Shoptaw, the opera recounts the assassination of Abraham Lincoln t Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865. | ||
| − | For more about the opera, see the '''Wikipedia''' at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_American_Cousin_(opera) | + | The premiere of the full opera was on June 20, 2008, at the Academy of Music Theater, in Northampton, Massachusetts. |
| + | |||
| + | '''''For more about the opera, see the '''Wikipedia''' at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_American_Cousin_(opera)''''' | ||
= Sources = | = Sources = | ||
| Line 39: | Line 46: | ||
[[D.C. Boonzaier]], 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in ''SA Review'', 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in [[F.C.L. Bosman|Bosman]] 1980: pp. 374-439.) | [[D.C. Boonzaier]], 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in ''SA Review'', 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in [[F.C.L. Bosman|Bosman]] 1980: pp. 374-439.) | ||
| − | [[F.C.L. Bosman]]. 1980. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912''. Pretoria: [[J.L. van Schaik]]: pp. | + | [[F.C.L. Bosman]]. 1980. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912''. Pretoria: [[J.L. van Schaik]]: pp.343, 347-8 |
Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]] | Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]] | ||
Latest revision as of 05:30, 23 August 2020
Our American Cousin can refer to one of two stage works:
Not to confused with the Canadian film My American Cousin[1] (1985)
Contents
Our American Cousin farce in three acts by Tom Taylor (1858)
Also found as Lord Dundreary or Lord Dundreary, or The American Cousin
The original text
Written by Tom Taylor (1817-1880)[2], the play tells of the introduction of an awkward, boorish, but honest American, Asa Trenchard, to his aristocratic English relatives when he goes to England to claim the family estate.
The play premiered at Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, in 15 October 1858, with "Asa Trenchard" played by Joseph Jefferson and "Lord Dundreary" by Edward Askew Sothern (1826-1881)[3], and wnet on to a long and successful run of 496 performances at the Haymarket Theatre in 1861.
Sothern's exaggerated performances caused the supporting role to become a leading one and the play was henceforth often billed as Lord Dundreary or Lord Dundreary, or The American Cousin.
The play is often best remembered in modern times as the play that Abraham Lincoln was attending in Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., in 1865, on the night he was assassinated.
Translations and adaptations
Sothern's interpretation not only turned the "Dundreary" into a leading role, but made him a recurring character in a number of subsequent spin-offs and sequels, including Our American Cousin at Home, or Lord Dundreary Abroad (a sequel by Charles Gayler, 1860), Dundreary Married and Done For (H. J. Byron), and Brother Sam (by John Oxenford, 1862) (1862; revived in 1865), a play about Dundreary's brother. The 2008 opera, Our American Cousin (Sawyer and Shoptaw), is another kind of homage to the play (see below).
There is also a one act play entitled My American Cousin, or A Slight Misunderstanding said to be "a Petite New Drama in 1 Act, written expressly for Mrs Tellett by a Gentleman of Cape Town". No further information is available on the play or the author, though it may possibly have been inspired by Taylor's play (or at least the title of the play). The one act play was in fact performed by Mrs Tellett and her company in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, on 23 June, 1862, as an afterpiece to Madeleine, or The Daughter of the Regiment (Stirling).
Performance history in South Africa
1876: Performed as Lord Dundreary, or The American Cousin by the Disney Roebuck Company, under the management of C. Wilstone, in the Theatre Royal, Burg Street, Cape Town, on 16 October, as a benefit for J.B. Howe.
1876: Performed as Lord Dundreary, or The American Cousin by the Disney Roebuck Company, under the management of C. Wilstone, in the Theatre Royal, Burg Street, Cape Town, on 17 and 19 October, with The Irish Emigrant (Brougham).
Our American Cousin an opera in three acts by Sawyer and Shoptaw (2008)
Written by American composer Eric Sawyer, with libretto by John Shoptaw, the opera recounts the assassination of Abraham Lincoln t Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865.
The premiere of the full opera was on June 20, 2008, at the Academy of Music Theater, in Northampton, Massachusetts.
For more about the opera, see the Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_American_Cousin_(opera)
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_American_Cousin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_American_Cousin
D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.343, 347-8
Go to ESAT Bibliography
Return to
Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays
Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays
Return to PLAYS III: Collections
Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances
Return to South African Festivals and Competitions
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