The Abbey Theatre: Ireland's National Theatre : The First 100 Years

by Fitz-Simon, Christopher

• ISBN13: 9780500284261
• ISBN10: 0500284261
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-09-01
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc

Summary

Dublin's Abbey Theatre opened its doors to the public on December 27, 1904. Over the course of the past century, it has survived fire, riot, and perpetual artistic disagreement to become one of the greatest theaters in the world, presenting over 740 new plays by some of the greatest Irish writers of the modern age, including W. B. Yeats, J. M. Synge, Sean O'Casey, and Brian Friel. Christopher Fitz-Simon celebrates the Abbey Theatre's centenary by offering a witty chronological survey of the company's distinguished and colorful history. Beautifully illustrated with cartoons, sketches, and production photographs, The Abbey Theatre: The First 100 Years provides an overview of the great actors, directors, and playwrights of twentieth-century Irish theater, as well as detailing the company's long and illustrious relationship with American theaters and playwrights. It also contains a complete list of plays produced at the Abbey Theatre since 1904 and features a preface by its current artistic director, Ben Barnes. 200 illustrations, 20 in color.

Table of Contents

preface	6	(2)
introduction	8	(8)
1 remote, spiritual and ideal	16	(12)
2 fiery and magnificent and tender	28	(12)
on tour abroad	38	(2)
3 commercial realities	40	(16)
4 our theatre seems indestructible	56	(16)
shakespeare at the abbey	68	(4)
5 theatre of ideas or populist theatre?	72	(18)
plays in the irish language	86	(4)
6 the full stream of national life	90	(10)
7 a grim, grey similarity	100	(16)
european drama at the abbey	112	(4)
8 two new theatres	116	(18)
american plays at the abbey	130	(4)
9 a wider world	134	(18)
10 theatrical aristocrats	152	(14)
abbey plays in overseas productions	164	(2)
11 ministry of all the talents	166	(10)
12 all art is a collaboration	176	(18)
essential reading	194	(1)
first productions 1904-2003	195	(9)
acknowledgments & picture credits	204	(1)
index	205