This is the first book of its kind to examine early American theatre from the perspective of its place in American literature rather than from the medium of the stage. Centering its attention on the distinctly American qualities of theme, technique and, most importantly, character, the book covers the sixty-year period of native theatre between Royall Tyler’s The Contrast (1787) and Anna Cora Mowatt’s Fashion (1845). Of the 150plays surveyed, Havens has chosen 15representative plays for in-depth examination and analysis.
Daniel F. Havens is Associate Professor of American Literature at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville.