The Renaissance movement in the Irish theatre, 1899-1949 Item Type Thesis Authors Diehl, Margaret Flaherty Download date 06/10/2021 20:08:21 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10484/4764 THE :RENAISSANCE HOVEMENT IN THE IRISH THEATRE 1899... 1949 A Thesis Presented'to TheF~culty of the Department of English Indiana. state Teachers College >" , .. .I 'j' , ;I'" " J' r, " <>.. ~ ,.I :;I~ ~ .~" ",," , '. ' J ' ~ " ") •.;.> / ~ oj.. ., ". j ,. ".,. " l •" J, , ., " .,." , ') I In Partial Fulfillment of the ReqUi:tements for th.eDegree Mast~rofArts in Education by Margaret Flaherty' Diehl June- 1949 i . I .' , is hereby approved as counting toward the completion of the Maste:r's degree in the amount of _L hOUI's' credit. , ~-IU~~~....{.t.}.~~~f...4:~:ti::~~~'~(.{I"''-_' Chairman. Re:prese~ative of Eng /{Sh Depa~ent: b~~~ , ~... PI ACKf.iIUvJLJIDG.fI1:EThTTS The author of this thesis wishes to express her sincere thanks to the members of her committee: (Mrs.) Haze~ T. Pfennig, Ph.D., chairman; (Mrs.) Sara K. Harve,y, Ph.D.; George E. Smock, Ph.D., for their advice and assistance. She appreciates the opportunities fOr research "itlhich have been extended to her, through bo'th Indiana State Teachers College Librar,y and Fairbanks Memoria~ Librar,y. The writer also desires to thank Lennox Robinson and Sean a'Casey fOr their friendly letters" She is espeCially indebted for valuable information afforded her through correspondence with Denis Johnston. Margaret Flaherty Diehl TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I.. BEGINNING OF THE DRAMA IN IRELAND ••••• .. ". 1 Need for this study of the Irish Renaissance .. 1 The English theatre in Ireland • • e' • • " ." 1 Foupding of the Gaiety Theatre .. ~ • • • • •• 1 Politics hindered literature • • • eo. • • 2 Jrrish Literary Renaissance • • • • • • e • 2 Revival of Gaelic .. Gaelic League • • (I ..~ I' • • 3 English translation of Gaelic poetr,y Cl •. • " 0 :3 The Fays aDd the new European theatre • e • C" .. 4 New interest in folk tales and mythology o • • 5 Yeats t dramas and their source legends . " .. 6 II. TEE IRISH LITERARY THEATRE 6 Ideas 'behind the Irish Literary Theatre .. 6 The letter to secure guarantors .. • " " • " • 0 6 FiDding a theatre eo the license .. promotors " " 7 First performance .. English actors o eo. 0 • 8 Pla;y-s of 1900... 1901 Cl"..... GI " ,. 41 •• ., o. 8 Firf.3tp+~ by Dublin a.:mateurs ... " Cl ., ., I> ... 8 Epii;,Et]lh of the ,Irish Literal'jl' Theatre Cl .. • •• 9 . .. .. .. .. 10 TI1eatr~ ~ocie~y The, Irish 1\fatio1'1al .. 4< • " .. 10 The Fay brothers - Ormond Dramatic Society • 10 "W.Fay>~1":,:~;:" .,'" :~;- '.met',:, ,- ." Yeats .. combined interests I> ., • " 10 ~ - i, I c; '." - :\ v Yea~s recognized the National Dramatic SOQiety- 10 Personnel of Irish 1'fat:i6nal Theatre Society " 11 First :play in stet Teresa's Hall ... cast " " o. 11 Camden street Hall ... plays .. 0' 0' • " 12 The Abbey ,Theatre ... amat.enrstanding .. • • • • 12 Early dramatists: Synge, Yeats, Colum, Lady Gregor,y "".,,,. " " 0 • " .' • .. " • .. ,,(I 12 Lo,ndontrips ... 1903, 1904 ... plays eo Mise Horniman " .' " " 13 The Apbey • • • • .' " " If • .' .' • " .. " .. • .. 13 Miss Hornimam provided a theatre .. " .. " 13 The Abbey grant " " " ., • " 0 0 " .. .. " "" .. 14 Abbey ac-toI's at St. Louis Fair " " " " " 0 •• 14 Opening of Abbey Tlleatre .. .. (I) " .. «J " • 0 .. ~ 15 William Boyle, 4ramatist ., .. If) " " " ?int:tncee o£ the Abbey" 15 ,Reorg$l.t1i2ja.t1on ... The NatioJutl Theatre ComJ?arJY .. 15 Directors and stockholdera " . " " .. " " . " British tour ,'. - ,-." " -',' 'b; " " .' .. .. .' iii • ", " "0 " • .." 16 FElYlSleave;th~A'bbey " " " • " 'II • ,. " .. " " " 1'7 '~~;,1.~an.,;v:~ars., J.90~:",1~14 "".... it .. " .. .." 17 >R()biD;!Sc>n,asmant;tger ... "Lady: Greg()ry" pJ.a~s ~ •• 17 18 <The ShewinS3m,ot; Blanoo Posnet " " ! • • • • 18 ~ \1 :11 vi CHAPTER Yeats and Lady Gregory buy the Abbey ....... 19 Miss Horniman's British pride •• e e • • • • 19 ~ Yeats' pension. o • • • • • • • .. • G e 20 The American tour, trouble with Ih! P1~ybol .. ~ 20 Nugent Monck's school of ac.ting .. .. 0 ... .. .21 The new "People'sfl theatre • • 8 • • " C • • 21 The Abbe,y during the revolution years, 1916-1921 22 Easter Week trouble .. ,. • .. • .. • .. • • 0 & e 22 Keogh as manager .. .. 22 Robinson returns to the Abbey " .. .. o .. " .. • & 23 Abbe,y sUbsidy .. .. • .. • .. " .. .. .. 0 .. " • " .. 23 The prosperous years • .. .. .. .. .. • •• • 23 Sean Q'Casey's pl~s - other dramatists 23 :Peacock Theatre for play try... outs .. iii .. .. • 24 Lady Gregory's death .... .. .. 0 " .. .. .. .. .. .,.. 24 The American tour, 1934 .. ... .. • • • • .. .. .. .. <I 25 The Irish Acad~ of Letters ........ .. .. • .. .... 25 The Abbe,y Theatre Festival ......... .. .. .. .. .... 26 Traveling theatre companies during the war' .. .. .. 26 M.oderntrends in the Abbey • •••• 0' • • & .. • 26' The Players' Theatre •• 0 ••• • • • .. ••• 27 Present board of directors .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 28 Ria Mooney as producer .. .. .. .. " .. .. •• • o. 28 Complacency in the Abbey ."" " .. " .. .. " ... 28 Future of the Abbe,y • • • • • • • • • • •• • 29 : ) J !) vii )- ..., ~ , CHAJ?TER 1 -~­ PAaH: i , i I it IV 0 'lIRE GATE THEATRE ••• 0 .. • .. • .. .. .. • .. 0 • 0 30 I It Beginning of the Gate Theatre ••••••••• 30 Division in the Gate Theatre o. 0 • 0 • • •• 31 Gate Theatre Productions ••••••••••• 31 Longford Productions .. • .. • 32 The-Symposium of 1942 . 33 Finances and subsidies 0 • 0 0 • • 0 • .. 0 0 0 33 V. OTHER SYlALL THEATRES IN IRELAND • . .. • • • • • 35 The Irish - speaking theatre •• .. ••• • • .. 35 Little theatre movements in Ireland . 37 VI. EARLY SPONSORS OF 'lTHE IRISH :NATIONAL THEATRE . .. 3S Abbey's freedom from commercialism • II ., • •• ,38 Leaders in the Irish Literar,y Theatre 0 .0. 0 39 W.B.Yeats ... • e- .' • • • • • • e • • '0 .. .. 0 .. 39 Lady Gregory ... 0 .. .. • • • .. • II .. • II • co Cl 40 Lennox Robinson • e • 0 0 • • • • • 0 ~ • • • 41 e • .. 0- ••• • • • .' •• • • •• $' " 42 ]'!Liss Horniman • o • • • • •• • • • • • • .. 42 VII. ,ACTORS OF THE IRISH l\fATIONAL THEATRE .. .. .. .. 44 Qualities of '.Abbey acting • • • 0 • • • c • 0 44, Yeats' essentials of good acting •••• e- • e 45 Changes in actor personnel at the Abbey • • • • 4t5 1 J" Politibsin the Abbey .. • '11, • I> .. • • • • • • 0 • 47 Roles created by actors • • • • 0' 0 " 0 .. .' . ., 48 C011ii emporary actors in the Irish theatres o • .. 49 ~ 'I· :I, I ,I ,I t ;,-,I viii 'CHAPTER VIII.. PLAYS AND PLAYWRIGHTS OF THE IRISH NATIONAL TlIEATBE .. 0 0 0 • .. .. .. .. • 0 • .. • •• • .. 0 50 Early dramatists of the Irish national theatre 50 Poetic and folk dramatists • .. .. o 0 50 WoB.Yeats •••••' •••••.••••• ft\I' 50 J .M.Synge • .. .. •• .. 0' • 0 o .. • .. o· • • 51 Lady Gregory •• .. 0 .. .. " .. .. o • • • « 52 Padraic Colum. •••••• ••• 00 ••• 53 0 0 0 George Fitzmaurice .. " ... ..o, f' • Realistic dramatists o .. .. .. .. .. .. .. o " o .. 54 Lennox Robinson • .. • • • .. • .' • e 6 • • 54 T.. C.Murr~ '.... .. .. " " .. .. • 0 • e 54 Seumas O'Kelly . .. .. .. " • • .' .. " .. 55 Sir-John Ervine • • •• e • e • • 0.0. 55 Brinsley MacNamara._ 0 It .. .. .. to • 4& • • 56 " .' Sean O'Case,y .. " • 0' • • .. .' 0 .' • ct .' .' 56 Comedy writers .. .. .. .. - .. .. .. .. .. .,.. .. .. • e 58 F!'ed Ryan, Yeats, and Lady Gregol'7 .. " " .' 5.8 William: Boyle o •• 0 • 0 • • • • •. 6 • • 58 W.F"Casey .0.· ... 0· •••• 00 ••• Edward McNulty • 0.." . " • II • • 59 George Shiels ..... It .. .. .. " .. " .. c .. " 59 ix CHAPTER PAGE Symbolists of the Irish theatre • .. .. •• ... 59 Lord Dunsany .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. • .... 60 Edward Martyn .. • • • • • .. .. • • • • .. .. .. 60 Political propaganda pl~s .. •• 60 Social problem plays ..... • .. .. • .. •• "" 61 Modern drama • • .. • .. • ,e •• • • • .. 6 .. 61 Dramas of famous persons' lives .. • .. .. .... 62 Social problem plays ~2 Poetic and 1egendar,y trends in drama .. .. .. '64 E:tBtIQGRA.F.HY • 0 ••• «) ••••• e _ ..... 0, •••• 64 .AJ?PEl\fDI.XES • • • • • • • 0 0 •••••• • 0 ~ • •• ?O A. Plays produced by the Abbey Theatre Company and its predecessors, with dates of first perfor.man- ces. ••• • • .• it .,. ~ • • • .0 6 • 0: •• _ 71 ~roductions, List of first with casts ..... 0 .. 74 c. Abbey Theatre Festival Programme • • • b • 0 • 80 ,Ooples of letters from Irish dramatists • • c 0 82 I I i1 li L II II I ,L. ,I ..., I j CHAl?TER I ;, i DEVELOJP1vlENT OF THE DRAMA IN IREI..A1W During the past, fifty years many accounts have been written Of the Irie:fi Renaissance :Movement in the theatre, but altiTays of fragmentary character, with certain points stressed and other points slighted 01' omitted.. The cont'emporary nature Of themovem.ent has tended to render tnese ac'counts out... of.. date wi th~n a few years after publicati:oIl.. This study has 'been an endeavor to e,ssemble' the data into a,s orderly and complete chronoJ.ogy as possible, and to present a comprehensive review of the beg:Lnnil1ge C and evolution of the Iri~l~, ~~i:~~,t~5,~:·~o:t:~:t:5i'.ii:.::· , ",." I ), ," ' ~ ), ." • oJ '" Jirelai1d had lon~f b,e~n torn::'b3r·. W~i::SSl both e:x:ternal and -, " 4 •• .....4" ~ 4 _'.' -: irit~rnal, and' divided by pol.itical. religious,aitd economic differences; and yet, vii thittthe past fifty years this small countfy has made important contributions to the world's cIr~tieart.. Th.roughthe nineteenth century,Ireland. was a,ptb'Vinclaloutpost for English touring companies, although Irelaila: had'601'hEilmtedi ma..nY fineactOrs I!md playwrights