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A Tale of Mystery
The first British melodrama by Thomas Holcroft opened at Covent Garden. It had short scenes, music, a moral story, a villain, a maiden done wrong and a hero which are all characteristics of a melodrama. -
Anthony Street Theatre
Theatres where popping up in the United States as going to plays grew in popularity. This was most true in New York. The Anthony Street Theatre opened first (1812), then the Chatham Garden Theatre (1824), followed by the Lafayette Theatre (1826), the Bowery Theatre (1826), the Opera House (1833) and the Franklin Theatre (1835). Finally, the Broadway Theatre opened in 1847. -
Romanticism
Beginning with Victor Hugo's drama Hernani, romanticism ruled in Paris for 50 years. Characteristics of romanticism are that it is subjective, irrational, imaginative, spontaneous, emotional and visionary. -
Eliza Vestris
The first female actor-manager in London was Eliza Vestris. She began managing the Olympic Theatre in 1830. The former singer, dancer and actor stared in many of the Burlesques. -
The Astor Place Riot
In 1849 a rivalry between American Edwin Forrest and Englishmen William Charles Macready came to blows at The Astor Place Riot. Forrest was an actor who opened an acting school which taught actors, grand gestures and speech to appeal to the audience. Macready was in New York to play Macbeth. The Riot left 22 people dead -
The Little Glass Slipper
In January of 1855 Cinderella, also known as The Little Glass Slipper opened on Broadway. It was produced by Pyne Harrison Troupe and presented by EA Marshall. Cinderella is still enjoyed by viewers of all ages today. -
Aladdin
Another production still popular today is Aladdin, but it was first preformed in June of 1864. The original was produced by Mrs. John Wood and the music was by Thomas Baker. Baker also wrote music for many other plays during this time including The Fire Fly and The Seven Sisters. -
Photography on Broadway
Photography helped to expand the theatre. In 1866 Napoleon Sarory opened a photography studio on Broadway. For the next several years he photographed almost all of the actors and actresses from the New York stage. -
Cup and Saucer Drama
In 1867, Caste, a Cup and Saucer Drama by Tom William Roberson took the stage. This was a different type of play known as a "problem play". It addressed marriage between different classes of people and prejudices toward moving social classes. Performers behaved like the audience and didn't act. The actors talked "Normal" and the plays addressed "ordinary" situations. -
Special Effects
Advances in technology and machinery made special effects possible. The special effects along with realistic reproductions of the real world attracted theatre goers. In 1899, that was the case for Ben-hur. The chariot race which included live horses was a favorite.