A Sourcebook of Interdisciplinary Materials in American Drama: JK Paulding," the Lion of the West." Showcasing American Drama
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 236 723 CS 504 421 AUTHOR Jiji, Vera M., Ed. TITLE A Sourcebook of InterdisciplinaryMaterials in American Drama: J. K. Paulding, "TheLion of the West." Showcasing American Drama. INSTITUTION City Univ. of New York, Brooklyn, N.Y.Brooklyn Coll. SPONS AGENCY National Endowment for the Humanities(NFAH), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 83 NOTE 28p.; Produced by the Program for Cultureat Play: Multimedia Studies in American Drama,Humanities Institute, Brooklyn College. Print is smalland may not reproduce well. Cover title: AHandbook of Source Materials on The Lion of the West by J. K. Paulding. AVAILABLE FROMMultimedia Studies in American Drama, Brooklyn College, Bedford Ave. and Ave. H,Brooklyn, NY 11210 ($2.00). PUB TYPE Guides Non-Classroom Use (055) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS American Studies; *Drama; HigherEducation; Integrated Activities; InterdisciplinaryApproach; *Literary History; *Literature Appreciation;Research Skills; *Resource Materials; SecondaryEducation; *United States History; *United StatesLiterature IDENTIFIERS *Lion of the West (Drama); Paulding (JamesK) ABSTRACT Prepared as part of a project aimed atredressing the neglect of American drama in college andsecondary school programs in drama, American literature, and Americanstudies, this booklet provides primary and secondary sourcematerials to assist teachers and students in the study of James K.Paulding's nineteenth century comedy, "The Lion of the West." Thefirst part of the booklet contains (1) a discussion of the Yankeetheatre, plays written around a character embodyinguniquely American characteristics andfeaturing specialist American actors;(2) a review of the genesis of the play; (3) its production history;(4) plot summaries of its various versions; (5) its early reviews;(6) biographies of actors appearing in various productions; and (7) adiscussion of acting in period plays. The second part of the bookletdeals with the real people depicted in the play, specifically DavyCrockett and Mrs. Frances Trollope. In addition, this sectiondiscusses the place of the play in American literary history and offersquestions to promote class discussion. 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If A HANDBOOK OF SOURCEMATERIALS ....-i!ri- ..::....,-....-41k.--.,-..-_-.:-.-. -.--1,1,......L.,J, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION rifrr;t7s7Trf:Mtrs, CENTER tERICI This document has been reproduced as : I. \ received lion; the person orOf gaf,ILIfl,),1 originating it Minot i:hanpes have been made to 15iFIjit reproduction quality 'Ponts of viewOf 01,1111011f,stated in this doca, ment do not necessarily represent official NIE position or policy ; i I . .. hilrg"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY if.7 Vera Jiji TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." Vera Jiji, Editor Produced by the Program for Culture atPlay: Multimedia Studies in American Drama Humanities Institute, Brooklyn College,Brooklyn, N.Y. 11210 2 "That time will assuredly come when that samefreedom of thought and action which has givensuch a spur to our genius in other respects will achievesimilar wonders in will be literature. It is then that our early specimins sought after with avidity, and that those wholed the way in the rugged discouraging path willbe honoured as we begin to honour the adventurous spiritswho first sought, explored, and cleared this western wilderness." James K. Paulding A SOURCEBOOK OF INTERDISCIPLINARYMATERIALS IN AMERICAN DRAMA: J.K. Paulding, The Lion of the West Edited by Vera M. Jiji. Page INTRODUCTION: To the Reader 2. PART THE PLAY THEN AND NOW: THEATRICAL CONSIDERATIONS 2. A: Yankee Theatre by Marilyn Miller 4. B: Dramatic Form 6. C: Production History 7., D: Plot Summaries: First and Second Versions 8. E: Early Reviews: 1831 & 1833 10. F: The Players: Hackett, Wheatley & Gibbs 11. G: Acting in Period Plays by Glenn Loney 13. H: Scenic Design in Nineteenth Century America 14. I: Acting Out a Scene PART II: THE REAL PEOPLE DEPICTED INTHE PLAY: American Life in Another Time. Primary & Secondary ResourceMaterials 15. A: Davy Crockett, the Man by FlorencePolatnick 18. B: J.K. Paulding, "The American People" Identity 18. C: The Lion of the West: A Text for National by Gerald E. Warshaver D: Daniel J. Boorstin, "Heroes or Clowns? ComicSupermen from a Subliterature" 21. Domestic Manners of 21. E: Frances Trollope, Selections from the Americana 23. F: Questions for students 24., G: Notes and references inside cover H: Contributors, Credits & glossary Copyright, © 1983 This sourcebook is made possible by a grantfrom the National Endowment for the Humanities. PART I: THE PLAY THEN & NOW:THEATRICAL CONSIDERATIONS INTRODUCTION: To the Reader Like any art form, the drama reflects, dissects, and frequently affects theculture of which it is a part. This is as true of the plays performed. in nineteenth centuryAmerica as in this century.However, while many people tliday knew of Death of a Salesman, or can recall the desperate, haunted heroineof A Streetcar Named Desire, or morerecently, the two roommate's in The Odd Couple,they would be hard pressed to name a nativeAmerican play of the nineteenth century,miuch less amajor ..1:1".1-1111-44111"all, character in it. Yet such plays not only existed, they flourished. The purpose of CULTURE Al' PLAY: MULTIMEDIA STUDIES IN AMERICAN .17/a /r// f DRAMA is.to showcase neglected dramasfrom the //;Atelor ./C// ye, American past so that you may pludythem for /ore!) . it what,'Lliey aro: revelations in some ways of eternal Wuman qualities, yes, butprimarily of- Scene from The Contrast (1787) Americans as they saw themselves at a particular historical moment, andinterpreted their actions both to themselves andto. others. The play that has been chosenhere is The YANKEE THEATRE Lion of the West. Written in 1831 by J. R. Paulding, a brother-in-law of thenovelist Marilyn Miller Washington Irving, it is a typicallyAmerican completed his play The lord who attempts When Royall Tyler comedy about a bogus English Contrast in 1787,little did he know that he to marry a young Americanheiress for her money. character--Yankee Jonathan-7 cousin, was introducing a Luckily, the young woman's country who, in his variousincarnations, would Colonel Nimrod Wildfire (the lionof the title), dominate American theatre for muchof the next rescues her from thefortune hunter's clutches. Jonathan's stage entrance also made But while this main plot isdeveloping, the century. he became the the play centers another kind of history in that real interest and substance of first in an uninterrupted lineof folkloric on the sub-plot: the Colonel's New York characters--among them, backwoodsmanNimrod encounter with Mrs. Wollope, anEnglish woman Fink, city-Irish self-appointed task is to Wildfire, riverboatman Mike of refinement, whose Bunyan-- colonies and to firefighter Mcse, and lumberman Paul transport "culture" to the who appeared on the Americanstage. And not rugged frontiersmen like theColonel. because he seemed this play, this only was he the'first, but To aid your study of to summarize the Americancharacter'to Ameri- sourcebook has been assembled. In it you will became, until the materials as pictures cans themselves', he find such primary source twentieth century, the mostimportant of these of some of the actors whoperformed in early The numerous plays West, stage Yankee stage presences. productions of The'Lion of the written around the character ofYankee Jonathan designs of the period, actualreviews of per- actors con- contemporary performed by specialist American formances here and in England, stitute what theatre historians nowcall Yankee descriptions of the acting stylesof the his char- bits, too), and theatre.1 Moreover the evolution of principals (with biographical of his ascendency star had to say acter throughout the period what the playwright and the discloses much about the shiftingvalues, about their vehicle. preoccupations, and self-appraisalsof Ameri- In addition, since TheLion of the West prominent cans. -parodies two real-and historically. The significance of YankeeJonathan does the Englishwoman, Mrs. Frances For not only did he inspire people: celebrated book about not end here. Trollope, author of a American playwrights, heradically altered the American characterbased on her travels in American and English frontiersman, Davy the relationship between this country, and the actors; before him, -theonly actors who counted Crockett, parts of herDomestic Manners of the English; after him, with 'some of his on the American stage were Americans are excerpted along comedy, dominated . (contained in the American actors, at least in autographical statements their own theatres. How these cnanges were article about him) contains some accomplished makes a fascinating story. But This sourcebook also Initially, he secondary resource materialconcerning various first, who was Yankee Jonathan? Don't try to read it appeared as a young boy or manfrom the country, aspects of the play. speaking in a New from beginning to end. Each article is self- wearing rustic dress, and play from a different England dialect. This early Jonathan dis- contained, and treats the earthy sense