The Social Play 1849

The Social Play 1849

There are two French playwrights who take the next step toward realism* by developing the content* of social problems in the form of the well-made play*. The characters in Scribe*'s There are two French playwrights who take the next step toward realism* by developing the content* of social problems in the form of the well-made play*. The characters in Scribe*'s

Since subject matter based on the "S" word hasn't been used on the stage, the new plays are real shockers. Adultery, free love and prostitution, especially when found hidden by hypocrisy and deceit in outwardly respectable society, are favorite subjects. The main characters are either courtesans* or demimondaine*. These terms need a little explanation since they are peculiar to European high society.

Essentially a courtesans* is a fashionable kept woman who has the education and refinement of a well-born lady. Since there is no respectable way in which upper class women can support themselves, many aristocratic but poor widows and daughters of officers killed in the Napoleonic wars turn to amorous entaglements and what are called "doubtful" enterprises. These women are intelligent and have great capacity for delicacy and devotion which enable them to bring their brilliant social gifts to benefit the men who support them financially. They serve best as social companions rather than mere sexual toys. A courtesan seems to differ from a demimondaine* in having more freedom to associate with a number of admirers and having a higher social status. A demimondaine* is basically a kept woman on the fringes of respectable society.

1849 - Emile Augier* (1820-89) comes out with Gabrielle* attacking adultery. He tends to be more realistic than his contemporaries, showing the prostitutes and courtesans as they really are. He has a more angry reception (than Dumas fils*) from audiences who prefer a touch of romanticism on their social lessons. We will take note of some of his better known works as they come out.

Alexander Dumas fils* (1824-95), the illegitimate son of the romantic writer Alexander Dumas, pere*, is rapidly moving from the romantic to the realistic. In 1847 he had written a novel, La Dame aux Camelias*. Later, in 1849, he turns the novel into a play with the same title. For two and a half years the French censors rant and rave over whether or not to let the play go on the stage. It had been OK to have plays and operas about courtesans when they were treated romantically, that way they didn't seem very real. But, treating the subject of a courtesan frankly, in this new realistic style where characters talked and moved like real people - Well! - it's downright immoral!

Enter political expediency. The first minister of France (the Duc de Morny) under Louis Napoleon* has a notion that such a controversial play could be a terrific help in distracting the public's attention from the current political dirty tricks that are causing a lot of agitation. He (the Duc de Morny*) gives the production his full support.

1850 The United States welcomes California as the 31st state this year. However, there is trouble brewing over the question of slavery. This year the government comes up with the Compromise of 1850* which tries to fix how new states stand in relation to the slavery question. The Compromise doesn't work and things are going down hill. It doesn't help anything that President Taylor* dies this year and Millard Fillmore * (1800-74) becomes the 13th president. Daniel Webster* (1782-1852) becomes his Secretary of State, but even this doesn't help.

By this time the Industrial Revolution is pretty much accomplished in England. It's about ten years into it in France and just beginning in Germany. America will be a little late getting into it (because of the up coming Civil War), but when they get rolling it will be awesome.

Meanwhile, Hawthorne* is publishing his masterpiece, The Scarlet Letter* This year Elizabeth Barrett Browning* (she married in 1846) comes out with her Sonnets

from the Portuguese*. Her husband, Robert Browning*, is busy writing poetry too. He is a master of the dramatic monologue.

1850 - This year, up in Christiania, Norway, a very important playwright, Henrik Ibsen* (1828-1906) publishes his first drama, Catilina*. Norway is busy trying to establish a national identity and break the last political ties holding it to Denmark. This nationalistic climate will stimulate Ibsen* to write historical and nationalistically romantic plays, mainly in verse, for this, his earliest period. We will take a closer look at him and his plays in the next chapter. For now we need to pick up the main events in his education as a playwright.

1850 - In England the most popular kind of theatre is burlesque-extravaganza* (lots of low comedy, broad take-offs on popular plays, operas, myths and fairy-tales). These will have a twenty year run as top entertainment until the comic operas (see 1870s) begin to take their audience away.

The actor-manager, Charles Kean*, decides to manage a theatre and leases the Princess Theatre* in London. It will now begin a period of glory under Kean*'s management, bringing fashionable audiences back to the theatre. He begins his performances with a short curtain raiser (to help with the problem of fashionably late arrivals streaming in). This will become the way to go for regular plays. He also starts taking out all that incidental music and variety acts move, almost entirely, to the music halls. His repertory of plays include a number of fairly high quality melodramas, like those by Boucicault*. He will develop antiquarianism to

a fare-thee-well (see 1852). 1850 - In America the resident stock company is the main theatrical organization for the next

twenty years. The country is so big that each center of population has its own theatre groups, although "stars" come to play with these companies from time to time.

1851 - This year An Italian Straw Hat* (also variously called: Un Chapeau de paill d'Italie, The Wedding Guest, Haste to the Wedding and Horse Eats Hat) is a big success. It is written by Eugene Labiche* (1815-88) who raises French farce to a new height with more than 150 light comedies between 1831-77.

Ibsen* (up in Norway) is invited by the violinist and patriot, Ole Bull (1810-80) to work as "dramatic author" at the new Norwegian Theatre* at Bergen, Norway. The purpose of the new theatre is to get out from under the Danish cultural influence and do plays by, for and with Norwegians. Ibsen* will stay here through 1857, writing and producing five of his own plays and helping out with 145 productions. He is learning by doing.

1851 The political dirty tricks in France turn into a coup in December as Louis Napoleon*, supported by powerful conservatives, dissolves the legislative assembly. He starts whipping out a new constitution.

In Australia there is a big Gold Rush* which will last into 1853. This will stimulate immigration and settling the land down under.

Hawthorne* comes out with The House of Seven Gables*. Italy is still struggling to become united, led by Gieseppe Garibaldi (1807-82), a one-time

republican who is now throwing his support behind Victor Emanuel II*, the king of Sardinia. The American, Herman Melville*, comes out with his most famous work, Moby Dick*.

Nobody thinks much of his work now, but he will be rediscovered in 1920 and this work will come to be regarded as one of the greatest novels ever written.

This year the Italian, Giuseppe Verdi* comes out with his dramatic and melodic opera, Rigoletto*.

The Hungarian composer, Franz Liszt* (1811-86) has been teaching most of the major pianists of the next generation as well as composing this year six Paganini Etudes (other works include concertos, 20 Hungarian Rhapsodies, sonatas and symphonic poems).

This year Uncle Tom's Cabin* by Harriet Beecher Stowe* 1811-96) comes out. This will fan the flames of antislavery and provide the theatre with a real favorite piece (see Below 1852).

1852 - In Great Britain, Charles Kean* puts on a production of Shakespeare*'s King John* with every detail of costume, set and props researched and reproduced with antiquarian care and attention, including a list for the audience of sources he has consulted. Unfortunately he couldn't stop his leading actress (his wife, Ellen Tree*, 1806-80) from wearing hooped skirts under her costumes. He helps establish the director as the primary artist in the theatre.

1852 - Finally, this year, Alexander Dumas fils*' La Dame aux Camelias* is allowed to go on stage at the Theatre du Vaudevill* in Paris. This work will come to be known in English as Camille* and it doesn't make as much use of the techniques of the well-made play* as later authors will. Dumas* does, however, make a big step in the direction of a really good realistic play. Camille* will have the biggest effect on English and American realistic social drama of any nineteenth-century French play. The actors (Eugenie Doche and Charles Fechter) who play the leading roles give sensitive, realistic portrayals which helps the impact of the play. The first two acts of the play are based on Dumas' personal experiences with a well-known Parisian courtesan (Marie Duplessis) who was adored by many of the most illustrious personages of her day. Their love affair lasted two years (1844-46) until shortly before her death. The last three acts are strongly affected by Dumas* knowledge of the contemporary stage, especially Scribe*'s Adrienne Lecouvreur*.

1852 - In America we can see the beginning of the long run which will gradually change the theatre production system. This year George L. Aiken*'s (1830-76) Uncle Tom's Cabin* (From the novel by H. B. Stowe*) begins a run of 300 consecutive performances. This is not typical, since the average run of a regular play is between 14 and 40 performances. However, Uncle Tom's Cabin* will be the most popular play of the period and be adapted by a lot of other authors.