Includes bibliographical references (pages 217-223).
Contents:
Introduction -- Richard Brinsley Sheridan and Pizarro : a brief chronology -- A note on the text -- Pizarro : a tragedy in five acts -- Appendix A. Deleted "Diego" scene -- Appendix B. Historical sources on the Spanish conquest of Peru -- Appendix C. The Spanish invasion of Peru in British theatre -- Appendix D. Reviews of the first production of Pizarro -- Appendix E. Critiques of Pizarro -- Appendix F. Sheridan's speeches, Rolla's address, and the Address to the people.
Summary:
"Richard Brinsley Sheridan's last play, an adaptation of August Von Kotzebue's Die Spanier set in Peru and first performed in 1799, was one of the most popular of the entire century. Set during the Spanish Conquest of Peru, Pizarro dramatized English fears of invasion by Revolutionary France, but it is also surprisingly and critically engaged with Britain's colonial exploits abroad. Pizarro is a play of firsts: the first use of music alongside action, the first collapsing set, the first production to inspire such celebratory ephemera as cartoons, portraits, postcards, even porcelain collector plates. Pizarro marks the end of eighteenth-century drama and the birth of a new theatrical culture. This edition features a comprehensive introduction and extensive appendices documenting the play's first successful performances and global influence. It will appeal to students and scholars of Romantic literature, theatre history, post-colonialism, and Indigenous studies."-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.