Dion Boucicault
Encyclopedia
Dionysius Lardner Boursiquot (26 December c. 1820 – 18 September 1890), commonly known as Dion Boucicault, was an Irish
actor
and playwright
famed for his melodrama
s. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most successful actor-playwright-managers then in the English-speaking theatre. The New York Times
heralded him in his obituary as "the most conspicuous English dramatist of the 19th century."
. His mother was Anne Darley, sister of the poet and mathematician George Darley
, thus there was literary aptitude on his mother's side. The Darleys were an important Dublin family influential in many fields and related to the Guinnesses by marriage. The identity of his father is questionable. He was probably the son of Dionysius Lardner
, a lodger at his mother's house at a time when she was recently separated from her husband, and who supported him financially until about 1840. He went to London and was enrolled at University College School
at the age of 13 and also studied for a year at the University of London
.
. He joined William Charles Macready
while still young, and made his first appearance upon the stage with Benjamin Webster at Bristol
, England. Soon afterwards he began to write plays, occasionally in conjunction.
His first play, A Legend of the Devil's Dyke, opened in Brighton
in 1838. Three years later he found immediate success as a dramatist with London Assurance
. Produced at Covent Garden
on 4 March 1841, its cast included such well-known actors as Charles Mathews
, William Farren
, Mrs Nesbitt and Madame Vestris
.
He rapidly followed this with a number of other plays, among the most successful of the early ones being The Bastile [sic], an "after-piece" (1842), Old Heads and Young Hearts (1844), The School for Scheming (1847), Confidence (1848) and The Knight Arva (1848, all at Her Majesty's Theatre
), as well as his very successful The Corsican Brothers (1852, for Charles Kean
) and Louis XI (1855). The last two plays were adaptations of French plays.
In his play The Vampire (1852), Boucicault made his début as a leading actor as the vampire 'Sir Alan Raby'. Although the play itself had mixed reviews, Boucicault's characterization was praised as "a dreadful and weird thing played with immortal genius". In 1854 he wrote and played the title character in Andy Blake; or, The Irish Diamond.
From 1854 to 1860, Boucicault resided in the United States
, where he was always a popular favorite. Boucicault and his actress wife, Agnes Robertson, toured America. He also wrote many successful plays there, acting in most of them. These included the popular Jessie Brown; or, The Relief of Lucknow in 1858.
. There on 5 December 1859, he premiered his new sensation, the anti-slavery potboiler The Octoroon
, in which he also starred. This was the first play to treat seriously of the Black American population.
On his return to England
, he produced at the Adelphi Theatre
a dramatic adaptation of Gerald Griffin's novel, The Collegians, entitled The Colleen Bawn
. This play, one of the most successful of the times, was performed in almost every city of the United Kingdom and the United States. Although it made its author a handsome fortune, he lost it in the management of various London theatres.
After his return to England, Boucicault was asked by the noted American comedian
Joseph Jefferson
, who also starred in the production of Octoroon, to adapt Washington Irving
's Rip van Winkle
. He obliged and produced a version of the beloved American classic in 1866 that would make Jefferson one of the most famous and well-respected comedians of his age.
Boucicault's next marked success was at the Princess's Theatre, London
in 1864 with Arrah-na-Pogue. He played the part of a County Wicklow, Ireland carman. This, and his admirable creation of "Conn" in his play The Shaughraun
(first produced at Wallacks Theatre, New York City, in 1874, then at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
in 1875), won him the reputation of being the best "stage Irishman"
of his time.
In 1875 Boucicault returned to New York City
and finally made his home there. He wrote the melodrama Contempt of Court (poster, left) in 1879, but he paid occasional visits to London, where his last appearance was made in his play, The Jilt, in 1885. The Streets of London and After Dark were two of his late successes as a dramatist.
Boucicault was an excellent actor, especially in pathetic parts. His uncanny ability to play these low-status roles earned him the nickname "Little Man Dion" in theatrical circles. His plays are for the most part adaptations, but are often very ingenious in construction. They have had great popularity.
(1859–1929); Patrice Boucicault (1862–?); Nina Boucicault
(1867–1950); Aubrey (1868–1913); three of whom became distinguished actors in their own right. His granddaughter Rene Boucicault (1898–1935), Aubrey's daughter, became an actress and also acted in silent films.
Between 11 July and 8 October 1885, Boucicault toured Australia, where his brother Arthur lived. Towards the end of this tour, he suddenly left Agnes to marry Josephine Louise Thorndyke (c. 1864–1956), a young actress, on 9 September 1885, in Sydney. This aroused scandal on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, as his marriage to Agnes was not finally dissolved until 21 June 1888, by reason of bigamy with adultery. The rights to many of his plays were later sold to finance alimony payments to his second wife.
Boucicault died in 1890 in New York City, and was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.
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Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
famed for his melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
s. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most successful actor-playwright-managers then in the English-speaking theatre. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
heralded him in his obituary as "the most conspicuous English dramatist of the 19th century."
Biography
Dionysius Lardner Boursiquot was born and educated in Dublin where he lived on Gardiner StreetGardiner Street
Gardiner Street is in Dublin, Ireland and stretches from the River Liffey at its southern end via Mountjoy Square to Dorset Street at its northern end...
. His mother was Anne Darley, sister of the poet and mathematician George Darley
George Darley
George Darley was an Irish poet, novelist, and critic.He was born in Dublin, and educated at Trinity College. Having decided to follow a literary career, in 1820 he went to London, where he published his first poem, Errors of Ecstasie . He also wrote for the London Magazine, under the pseudonym of...
, thus there was literary aptitude on his mother's side. The Darleys were an important Dublin family influential in many fields and related to the Guinnesses by marriage. The identity of his father is questionable. He was probably the son of Dionysius Lardner
Dionysius Lardner
Dionysius Lardner , was an Irish scientific writer who popularised science and technology, and edited the 133-volume Cabinet Cyclopedia.-Early life in Dublin:...
, a lodger at his mother's house at a time when she was recently separated from her husband, and who supported him financially until about 1840. He went to London and was enrolled at University College School
University College School
University College School, generally known as UCS, is an Independent school charity situated in Hampstead, north west London, England. The school was founded in 1830 by University College London and inherited many of that institution's progressive and secular views...
at the age of 13 and also studied for a year at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
.
Work as actor and playwright
After a year in London, Boursiquot/Boucicault left to pursue acting in CheltenhamCheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
. He joined William Charles Macready
William Charles Macready
-Life:He was born in London, and educated at Rugby.It was his intention to go up to Oxford, but in 1809 the embarrassed affairs of his father, the lessee of several provincial theatres, called him to share the responsibilities of theatrical management. On 7 June 1810 he made a successful first...
while still young, and made his first appearance upon the stage with Benjamin Webster at Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England. Soon afterwards he began to write plays, occasionally in conjunction.
His first play, A Legend of the Devil's Dyke, opened in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
in 1838. Three years later he found immediate success as a dramatist with London Assurance
London Assurance
London Assurance is a five-act comedy by Dion Boucicault. It was the second play that he wrote, but his first to be produced. Its first production, from March 4, 1841 at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden was Boucicault's first major success...
. Produced at Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
on 4 March 1841, its cast included such well-known actors as Charles Mathews
Charles Mathews
Charles Mathews was an English theatre manager and comic actor, well-known during his time for his gift of impersonation and skill at table entertainment...
, William Farren
William Farren
William Farren , English actor, was born the son of an actor of the same name, who played leading roles from 1784 to 1795 at Theatre Royal, Covent Garden.-Life:...
, Mrs Nesbitt and Madame Vestris
Lucia Elizabeth Vestris
Lucia Elizabeth Vestris was an English actress and a contralto opera singer, appearing in Mozart and Rossini works. While popular in her time, she was more notable as a theatre producer and manager...
.
He rapidly followed this with a number of other plays, among the most successful of the early ones being The Bastile [sic], an "after-piece" (1842), Old Heads and Young Hearts (1844), The School for Scheming (1847), Confidence (1848) and The Knight Arva (1848, all at Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
), as well as his very successful The Corsican Brothers (1852, for Charles Kean
Charles Kean
Charles John Kean , was born at Waterford, Ireland, the son of the actor Edmund Kean.After preparatory education at Worplesdon and at Greenford, near Harrow, he was sent to Eton College, where he remained three years...
) and Louis XI (1855). The last two plays were adaptations of French plays.
In his play The Vampire (1852), Boucicault made his début as a leading actor as the vampire 'Sir Alan Raby'. Although the play itself had mixed reviews, Boucicault's characterization was praised as "a dreadful and weird thing played with immortal genius". In 1854 he wrote and played the title character in Andy Blake; or, The Irish Diamond.
From 1854 to 1860, Boucicault resided in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he was always a popular favorite. Boucicault and his actress wife, Agnes Robertson, toured America. He also wrote many successful plays there, acting in most of them. These included the popular Jessie Brown; or, The Relief of Lucknow in 1858.
Work as theatre manager and producer
In the summer of 1859, Boucicault took over as manager of Burton's New Theatre (originally Tripler's Theatre) on Broadway just below Amity Street. After extensive remodeling, he renamed his new showplace the Winter Garden TheatreThe Winter Garden Theatre (1850)
The first theater in New York to bear the name The Winter Garden Theatre had a brief but important seventeen-year history as one of New York's premier showcases for a wide range of theatrical fare, from Variety shows to extravagant productions of the works of Shakespeare...
. There on 5 December 1859, he premiered his new sensation, the anti-slavery potboiler The Octoroon
The Octoroon
The Octoroon is a play by Dion Boucicault, which opened in 1859 at The Winter Garden Theatre. Boucicault adapted the play from the novel The Quadroon by Thomas Mayne Reid . It concerns the residents of a Louisiana plantation called Terrebonne. The play was very popular in its day, and sparked...
, in which he also starred. This was the first play to treat seriously of the Black American population.
On his return to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he produced at the Adelphi Theatre
Adelphi Theatre
The Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiving house for a variety of productions, including many musicals...
a dramatic adaptation of Gerald Griffin's novel, The Collegians, entitled The Colleen Bawn
The Colleen Bawn
The Colleen Bawn, or The Brides of Garryowen is a melodramatic play written by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault. It was first performed at Miss Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, on 27 March 1860 with Laura Keene playing Anne Chute and Boucicault playing Myles na Coppaleen. It was most recently...
. This play, one of the most successful of the times, was performed in almost every city of the United Kingdom and the United States. Although it made its author a handsome fortune, he lost it in the management of various London theatres.
After his return to England, Boucicault was asked by the noted American comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Joseph Jefferson
Joseph Jefferson
Joseph Jefferson, commonly known as Joe Jefferson , was an American actor. He was the third actor of this name in a family of actors and managers, and one of the most famous of all American comedians....
, who also starred in the production of Octoroon, to adapt Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
's Rip van Winkle
Rip Van Winkle
"Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving published in 1819, as well as the name of the story's fictional protagonist. Written while Irving was living in Birmingham, England, it was part of a collection entitled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon...
. He obliged and produced a version of the beloved American classic in 1866 that would make Jefferson one of the most famous and well-respected comedians of his age.
Boucicault's next marked success was at the Princess's Theatre, London
Princess's Theatre, London
The Princess's Theatre or Princess Theatre was a theatre in Oxford Street, London. The building opened in 1828 as the "Queen's Bazaar" and housed a diorama by Clarkson Stanfield and David Roberts. It was converted into a theatre and opened in 1836 as the Princess's Theatre, named for then Princess...
in 1864 with Arrah-na-Pogue. He played the part of a County Wicklow, Ireland carman. This, and his admirable creation of "Conn" in his play The Shaughraun
The Shaughraun
The Shaughraun is a melodramatic play written by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault. It was first performed at Wallack's Theatre, New York, on 14 November 1874. Boucicault played Con in the original production...
(first produced at Wallacks Theatre, New York City, in 1874, then at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
in 1875), won him the reputation of being the best "stage Irishman"
Stage Irish
Stage Irish is a stereotyped portrayal of Irish people once common in plays. The term refers to an exaggerated or caricatured portrayal of supposed Irish characteristics in speech and behaviour...
of his time.
In 1875 Boucicault returned to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and finally made his home there. He wrote the melodrama Contempt of Court (poster, left) in 1879, but he paid occasional visits to London, where his last appearance was made in his play, The Jilt, in 1885. The Streets of London and After Dark were two of his late successes as a dramatist.
Boucicault was an excellent actor, especially in pathetic parts. His uncanny ability to play these low-status roles earned him the nickname "Little Man Dion" in theatrical circles. His plays are for the most part adaptations, but are often very ingenious in construction. They have had great popularity.
Family life
Boucicault was married three times. He married Anne Guiot at St Mary Lambeth on 9 July 1845, and he claimed that she died in a Swiss mountaineering accident later in the same year. In 1853, he eloped with Agnes Kelly Robertson (1833–1916) to marry in New York. She was Charles Kean's ward; the juvenile lead in his company and an actress of unusual ability. She would bear Dion six children: Dion William Boucicault (1855–1876); Eva Boucicault (1857–1909); Dion Jr.Dion Boucicault Jr.
Dion Boucicault Jr. was an actor and stage director. Son of the well-known playwright, Dion Boucicault, he followed his father into the theatrical profession and made a career as a character actor and a director...
(1859–1929); Patrice Boucicault (1862–?); Nina Boucicault
Nina Boucicault
Nina Boucicault was an English actress born to playwright Dion Boucicault and his wife, actress Agnes Kelly Robertson. She had three brothers, Dion William , Dion Boucicault Jr. and Aubrey Boucicault...
(1867–1950); Aubrey (1868–1913); three of whom became distinguished actors in their own right. His granddaughter Rene Boucicault (1898–1935), Aubrey's daughter, became an actress and also acted in silent films.
Between 11 July and 8 October 1885, Boucicault toured Australia, where his brother Arthur lived. Towards the end of this tour, he suddenly left Agnes to marry Josephine Louise Thorndyke (c. 1864–1956), a young actress, on 9 September 1885, in Sydney. This aroused scandal on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, as his marriage to Agnes was not finally dissolved until 21 June 1888, by reason of bigamy with adultery. The rights to many of his plays were later sold to finance alimony payments to his second wife.
Boucicault died in 1890 in New York City, and was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.
Selected works
- London AssuranceLondon AssuranceLondon Assurance is a five-act comedy by Dion Boucicault. It was the second play that he wrote, but his first to be produced. Its first production, from March 4, 1841 at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden was Boucicault's first major success...
(1841) - The Bastile [sic] (1842)
- Old Heads and Young Hearts (1844)
- The School for Scheming (1847)
- Confidence (1848)
- The Knight Arva (1848)
- The Corsican Brothers (1852)
- The Vampire (1852)
- Louis XI (1855)
- The Poor of New York (1857)
- The Octoroon or Life in LouisianaThe OctoroonThe Octoroon is a play by Dion Boucicault, which opened in 1859 at The Winter Garden Theatre. Boucicault adapted the play from the novel The Quadroon by Thomas Mayne Reid . It concerns the residents of a Louisiana plantation called Terrebonne. The play was very popular in its day, and sparked...
(1859) - The Colleen Bawn or The Brides of GarryowenThe Colleen BawnThe Colleen Bawn, or The Brides of Garryowen is a melodramatic play written by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault. It was first performed at Miss Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, on 27 March 1860 with Laura Keene playing Anne Chute and Boucicault playing Myles na Coppaleen. It was most recently...
(1860) - Arrah-na-Pogue (1864)
- Rip van Winkle or The Sleep of Twenty Years (1866)
- After Dark: A Tale of London Life (1868)
- The ShaughraunThe ShaughraunThe Shaughraun is a melodramatic play written by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault. It was first performed at Wallack's Theatre, New York, on 14 November 1874. Boucicault played Con in the original production...
(1874) - The Jilt (1885)
External links
- A list of his works at www.scholars.nus.edu.sg
- The Fawkes Boucicault Collection at the University of KentUniversity of KentThe University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
- The Dion Boucicault Theatre Collection at the University of South FloridaUniversity of South FloridaThe University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
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