|
Title |
[Broadside for Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, "Antony & Cleopatra"] |
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Date |
1833-11-21 |
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Contributor |
W. Wright Printer |
|
Production |
Antony & Cleopatra, Masaniello |
|
Character roles |
Mr. Macready (Marc Antony); Mr. King (Octavius Caesar); Mr. Brindal (M. Emilius Lepidus); Mr. Cooper (Domitius Enobarbus); Mr. Diddear (Sextus Pompeius); Mr. G. Bennett (Eros); Mr. Mathews (Philo); Mr. Wood (Thyreus); Mr. Fenton (Alexas); Mr. F. Cooke (Demetrius); Mr. Thompson (Canidius); Mr. Henry (Dolabella); Mr. Cathie (Gallus); Mr. Younge (Menas); Mr. Howell (Proculeius); Mr. Honner (Mardian); Miss Phillips (Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt); Mrs. Lovell (Octavia); Miss Kenneth (Charmian); Miss Somerville (Iras) |
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Artistic roles |
William Charles Macready (Actor) |
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Genre |
Shakespeare tragedy |
|
Theme |
Shakespeare; Popular Venues |
|
Places |
London (United Kingdom) |
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Item description |
Broadside for London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane for the evening of Nov. 21, 1833. The broadside is letterpressed on rag paperstock and lists two pieces. The first piece is Shakespeare's 'Antony & Cleopatra' starring William Charles Macready (1793-1873) as Marc Antony. The second piece is the opera 'Masaniello.' The broadside contains the cast list for each piece. |
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Object narrative |
This Theatre Royal, Drury Lane broadside advertises the evening's entertainment for Thursday, Nov. 21, 1833. The bill states that Their Majesties' Servants will revive Shakespeare's Historical Play of Antony & Cleopatra. In the title role of Marc Antony was William Charles Macready. William Charles Macready (1793-1873) was a popular actor in England at this time, having first appeared in one of his father's theatres in 1810 as Romeo. The season of 1833-1834 was a difficult one for Macready. A new manager by the name of Alfred Bunn had taken charge of Drury Lane and Covent Garden in May of 1833, and while an experienced stage-manager and journalist, he was also known as having little education, no literary culture, a shady private character. . .[and] a fine stock of ingenuous snobbishness (Archer, Macready 86). Bunn demanded that Macready play multiple roles with little time off between performances and insufficient rehearsals, leading to many bouts with illness for Macready. Between October 5th and October 30th, Archer records that Macready appeared fifteen times in as many as eleven different roles. By Monday, November 18, Macready's doctors were demanding him to rest for a few days, but Bunn would not hear of giving Macready a break without reducing his salary. A devoted father and husband, Macready continued to work. He performed 'Antony & Cleopatra' on Thursday while hoarse, feeling pain in his heart, and considerably weak. His diary recounts the events of that day, including being approached by Bunn to discuss a production of King Lear, but Macready was so wretchedly low, fretted and exhausted, that I could not speak to him. . .I acted what shall I say? As well as I could under the circumstances; was raw, efforty and uncertain in the scenes of passion, but had just taken precaution enough to make my pauses, although not to make use of them it was not a performance to class with what I have lately done (Toynbee Vol. 1 80). Bunn's insistence on mounting 'Antony & Cleopatra' regardless of the health of his lead actor is understandable. Great expense had been taken in preparing the revival, as the broadside indicates that new and extensive scenery had been prepared, as well as new songs and dances composed. The set locations are featured more prominently on the broadside than the members of the cast, and include: A Splendid Hall in Cleopatra's Palace, GARDEN of CLEOPATRA'S PALACE, and Portico attached to the House of Octavius Caesar, with the Capitol in the distance, among others. The broadside also indicates that the evening would conclude with 'Auber's Grand Opera of 'Masaniello,'' for which it lists the cast, and advertises the shows for the rest of the week. |
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Type |
Text |
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Original format |
Playbills/broadsides |
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Original publisher |
[Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified] |
|
Language |
en |
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Contributing institution |
Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries |
|
Source collection |
MSS255 Robert C. Hansen Performing Arts Collection |
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Series/grouping |
1.1.2.2: Programs -- Theatre Programs -- International Theatre Programs -- UK |
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Box |
50 |
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Finding aid link |
http://library.uncg.edu/info/depts/scua/collections/manuscripts/ead/mss255.xml |
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Preferred citation |
[Identification of item], Robert C. Hansen Performing Arts Collection, 1753-2006 (MSS255), Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives and Manuscripts, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC, USA. |
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Rights statement |
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/ |
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Additional rights information |
NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES. This item has been determined to be free of copyright restrictions in the United States. The user is responsible for determing actual copyright status for any reuse of the material. |
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Object ID |
MSS255.B50.008 |
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Digital publisher |
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University Libraries, PO Box 26170, Greensboro NC 27402-6170, 336.334.5304 |
|
OCLC number |
872280862 |
Hansen Performing Arts Collection
