The Career of John Baldwin Buckstone
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
This dissertation has been 64—7016 microfilmed exactly as received GRESSMAN, Malcolm George, 1923- THE CAREER OF JOHN BALDWIN BUCKSTONE. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1963 Speech—Theater University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan THE CAREER OF JOHN BALDWIN BUCKS TONE DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Malcolm George Gressman, B. A., A. M. The Ohio State University 1963 Approved by "1/ <^Adviser Department of Speech AC KNOWLEDGMENTS This study was made possible chiefly by the excellent research resources of the Ohio State University Theatre Collec tion which is especially rich in microfilms of prompt books of the nineteenth century. I am indebted to many individuals who helped me during the study and preparation of this dissertation. Most particularly I should like to thank Dr. John H. McDowell, Professor of Speech and Director of the Ohio State University Theatre Collection, who proved to be a most helpful and encouraging adviser. His sugges tions for the organization and development of materials and his counsel and guidance throughout the study have been of great value. I should also like to express my appreciation and thanks to Dr. Charles Ritter who served as a reader and provided much technical assistance. Finally, I want to extend my grateful thanks to Dr. Roy H. Bowen, Director of Theatre and chairman of my committee, and Dr. Walter S. Dewey, both of whom served as readers and helpful advisers for this study. CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................................................................ ii FIGURES ......................................................................................................... viii INTRODUCTION. ............................. 1 General Purposes ........................................................... 2 Importance and Significance of the S tudy ............... 3 The Form of the Study .................................................. 5 M a te ria ls .............................................. ...................... 5 M ethod ............................................................................ 5 Organization ............................................ ................... 7 The limitations of the study ................................... 8 General Staging Practices of the English S ta g e .................................................................................. 9 Chapter L THE THEATRE IN LONDON FROM 1800 TO 1850 . 19 The State of the D ram a ........................................ 19 The Patent Theatres ........................................................ 24 The Minor Theatres ........................................ 26 The Players of the Period ........................................ 30 The Audience R esponse ................................ 32 II. BIOGRAPHY OF BUCKSTONE......................................... 37 Early Years (1802-1829).......................... 38 iii C hapter Page Middle Years (1830-1852)........................................... 49 Later Years (1853-1879)............................................... 62 HL AN ANALYSIS OF LUKE ’FEE LABOURER.................. 78 The Story of the P la y .............................................. 78 Historical and Critical Comments .............................. 81 The Significance of the P la y . ........................ 86 Aspects of Staging ................. 90 The nature and placement of scenery. ............... 90 Act I, Scene 1 ........................................................ 91 Act I, Scene 2 . ............................................ 94 Act I, Scene 3 ................................ 96 Act I, Scene 4 . ....................... 97 Act I, Scene 5 ........ .................... 99 Act H, Scene 1 ................................. 101 Act H, Scene 2 ..................................................... 103 Act H, Scene 3 ................................ 103 Act H, Scene 4 ..................................................... 105 Act H, Scene 5 ..................................................... 105 Act H, Scene 6 ................................ 105 Depths of scenes and types of alternations . 108 Lighting and special effects .............. 110 Conclusions....................... I l l IV. AN ANALYSIS OF THE FLOWERS OF THE FOREST................. 113 History of the Play ............ 113 Story of the P l a y ............................... 115 Aspects of Staging . „ .................... 118 iv Chapter Page The nature and. placement of scenery .................. 118 Act I, Scene 1 ........................................ .............. 119 Act I, Scene 2 ......................................... ............. 119 Act I, Scene 3 ........................................... 121 Act I, Scene 4 . 122 Act II, Scene 1.................................................. 123 Act n , Scene 2.................................................. 125 Act n, Scene 3.................................................. 125 Act II, Scene 4 . ....... 126 Act n, Scene 5 ................................ 127 Act II, Scene 6 . 127 Act n, Scene 7 .................... ..................... 128 Act m, Scene 1 .............. •. 129 Act IE, Scene 2 .................. 130 Act m, Scene 3 .......... ..................... 130 Act HE, Scene 4 . 130 Act m, Scene 5 ...... ................................ 131 Depths of scenes and types of alternations . 131 Lighting and special effects ........................ 133 Music and sound ........................ 134 Other cues .................... 135 Conclusions............................................................. 136 V. ASPECTS OF BUCKSTONE'S STAGING OF TWELFTH NIGHT ................................ 138 The nature and placement of scenery. ...... 138 Act I, Scene 1 ................. 139 Act I, Scene 2 ................. 139 Act I, Scene 3 ........................................ 143 Act I, Scene 4 .............. 144 Act I, Scene 5 . «, ................ 144 . Act I, Scene 6 ................. 144 . Act H, Scene 1 . ................. 145 Act H, Scene 2 • 145 Act II, Scene 3. ’. ............................................... 148 v C hapter Page Act 3H, Scene 1 .................................................... 149 Act m, Scene 2 . 149 Act IH, Scene 3 ......................... .......................... 151 Act in , Scene 4 ......... ...................... 151 Act IV, Scene 1 ......... ...................... 151 Act IV, Scene 2 .... ..................................... 152 Act IV, Scene 3 .................................................... 155 Act IV, Scene 4 . ......................... 155 Act V .................................................................. 157 Depths of scenes and types of alternations . 160 Wings and borders .......................... 160 Lighting and special effects .......................... 161 Summary and conclusions..................................... 161 VL CONCLUSIONS AND EVALUATION ............ 163 Summary of Conclusions from the Prompt B o o k s ............................. ............................................... 163 The nature of the scenery ............................. 164 The placement of scenery ..................................... 165 Types of alternations of scenes 165 Types of special effects ................. 166 The use of furniture . ........................................... 166 Evaluation of Buckstone's Career........... 166 A PPEN D IX ES............................................................................................... 173 1 ............................. ................. 174 n. ....................................................................................... 182 vi Page APPENDIXES EX ................. 184 1 7 . ................................................. 187 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................... 189 AUTOBIOGRAPHY................. 196 v i i FIGURES Figure Page 1. A Typical Groove Plan of the English Stage ................... 13 2. Arrangement of Scenery for Three Scenes ...................... 16 3. Placement of Flats and Wings for the First Two Scenes at the Start of the Play . 92 4. Placement of Flats and Wings for Scene 2 and Scene 3 .................................................................................. 95 5. Placement of Flats and Wings for Scene 3 and Scene 4 ......................... ........................... .......................... 98 6. Placement of Flats and Wings for Scene 4 and Scene 5 ..................................................................... 100 7. Two Possible Placements of Flats and Wings for Act II, Scene 1. ............................. 102 8. Two Possible Placements of Flats and Wings for Act II, Scene 3...................................................................... 104 9. Placement of Flats and Wings for Act II, Scene 5 . 106 10. Placement of Flats and Wings for Act n, Scenes 5 and 6 .............................................. 107 11. Schematic Plan of Flats and Wings in the Staging of Luke the Labourer ................................... 109 12. Placement of Flats and Wings for Act I of The Flowers of the Forest ................... '................. 120 13. Placement of Flats and Wings for Act II of The Flowers of the Forest. .................... 124 viii Figure Page 14. Placement of Flats and Wings for Act HE of The Flowers of the Forest .............. 129 15. Schematic Plan of Flats, Wings, and Drop Used in the Staging of The Flowers of the F o re st ................. 132 16.