Irish Theater in America: Essays on Irish Theatrical Diaspora

For over 150 years, Irish playwrights, beginning with Dion Boucicault, have been celebrated by American audiences. However, Irish theater as represented on the American stage is a selective version of the national drama, and the underlying causes for Irish dramatic success in America illuminate the cultural state of both countries at specific historical moments. Irish Theater in America is the first book devoted entirely to the long history of this transatlantic exchange.

Born out of the conference of the Irish Theatrical Diaspora project, this collection gathers together leading American and Irish scholars, in addition to established theater critics. Contributors explore the history of Irish theater in America from Harrigan and Hart, through some of the greatest and most disappointing Irish tours of America, to the most contemporary productions of senior Irish playwrights such as Brian Friel and younger writers such as Martin McDonagh and Conor McPherson. Covering the complexity of the relationship between Irish theater and the United States, this volume goes beyond the expected analysis of plays to include examinations of company dynamics, analysis of audience reception, and reviews of production history of individual works.

Contents include:
Mick Moloney, Harrigan, Hart, and Braham: Irish-America and the Birth of the American Musical
Nicholas Grene, Faith Healer in New York and Dublin
Lucy McDiarmid, The Abbey, Its 'Helpers, ' and the Field of Cultural Production in 1913
Christina Hunt Mahony, 'The Irish Play' Beyond the Generic

Author: John Harrington
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
Published: 02/28/2009
Pages: 248
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 9.20h x 6.20w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780815631699

Review Citation(s):
Chronicle of Higher Education 05/15/2009 pg. 23
Choice 09/01/2009
Reference and Research Bk News 08/01/2009 pg. 280

About the Author
John P. Harrington is dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York. He is author of several books including The Irish Beckett and The Life of the Neighborhood Playhouse on Grand Street, also published by Syracuse University Press.