• Home
  • Search
  • Browse Collections
  • My Account
  • About
  • DC Network Digital Commons Network™
Skip to main content
Digital Commons @ University of South Florida
  • USF Home
  • USF Research
  • USF Libraries

Digital Commons @ USF > USF Libraries > USF Digital Collections > Tampa Digital Collections > Tampa Special Collections > Irish Studies > Boucicault > Robert Emmet

Robert Emmet
 

Robert Emmet

Despite several successes through his career, Dion Boucicault found himself in dire financial straits in 1884. While in London that summer, Boucicault was given a manuscript for a play which had been commissioned for another playwright to produce, but ultimately had been abandoned. Boucicault therefore took the manuscript and rewrote it, and the tale of Robert Emmet, a historic Irish rebel, was born. However, by the time in Boucicault’s career, many of his tried and true stylistic choices were becoming old hat.

On the opening night of the play, in Chicago, it was met with a poor house and poor reception. Some consider the fact that the play opened on November 5th (coinciding with the election of President Grover Cleveland) may have had an effect on the opening night. Nonetheless, Boucicault himself writes that the play was a disaster, with actors coming on and off the stage at the wrong times, cues for gunfire coming at the wrong time, props being missing, and pregnant pauses between scene changes and acts. In the end, Robert Emmet was a financial failure. Upon closer inspection, the writing of the play itself does not seem to be the cause for the failure, but rather a culmination of many external factors which ultimately dealt Boucicault a bad hand.

Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing.

Follow

Switch View to Grid View Slideshow
 
  • Robert Emmet: a 4 act drama by Dion Boucicault

    Robert Emmet: a 4 act drama

    Dion Boucicault

    A promptbook for the play "Robert Emmet" including extensive notes.

  • Robert Emmet: a 4 act drama [Transcript] by Dion Boucicault

    Robert Emmet: a 4 act drama [Transcript]

    Dion Boucicault

    A promptbook for the play "Robert Emmet" including extensive notes.

 
 
 

Search

Advanced Search

  • Email Notifications and RSS

Browse By

  • All Collections
  • Author
  • USF Faculty Publications
  • Open Access Journals
  • Conferences and Events
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Textbooks Collection

Useful Links

  • Visit the Dion Boucicault Exhibit
  • My Account
  • Rights Information
  • SelectedWorks
  • Submit Research
 
Digital Commons

Home | About | Help | My Account | Accessibility Statement | Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Privacy Copyright

USF Libraries