The Shaughraun

The Shaughraun was one of the most successful plays of Boucicault’s career. The play is set during the Fenian insurrection of 1866, and presents a comic drama based around the lives of familiar Irish characters. It opened at Wallack’s in New York on November 14, 1874. To appeal to American audiences, Boucicault took the advice of playwright and theatre manager Augustin Daly and presented the play, not with historical seriousness, but for those wishing to “escape the financial depression,” and “be made to laugh not think.” Despite this delivery type, there are many deep historical events and feelings still touched upon. Both the Anglo-American and Irish-American public were receptive to The Shaughraun, however the Irish-American audience most likely identified with the semblance of alienation apparent amongst the play’s main Irish characters. One character, Robert, a well-loved Irishman, is deported falsely by the English, and must dodge the corrupt powers that be to return home. His sister Claire, left in the wake of his deportation, and scrounging to get by, has seen her family estate turned into touristic ruins. Boucicault himself played the lovable vagabond character of Conn, who, throughout various acts of cunning compares himself to a resourceful fox, and, in the end, is the reliable Irish male needed to save the town from the hands of a crooked Irish tyrant. The Irish community of New York presented Boucicault with honors for his services to Irish drama, and later Boucicault was moved to write to the British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, demanding that Irish prisoners in Britain and Australia be released.

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Bibliography of Dion Boucicault and The Shaughraun

Nancy Cole

Compiled by Nancy Cole. Title supplied by cataloger.
The Shaughraun (Stage Directions)

Adam Belvo

An explanation of the abbreviations used in the stage directions for Shaughraun promt books, with a listing of the page numbers on which they appear.
Acknowledgments

Nancy Cole

A list of individuals and institutions that assisted in the preparation of materials for the Dion Boucicault collection online or who gave permission to reprint material. Compiled by Nancy Cole.
Shaughraun by Dion Boucicault

Nancy Cole

An analysis of The Shaughraun, with biographical information on Boucicault and historical information on the Fenian movement in Ireland, referred to in the play. By Nancy Cole.
Shaughraun

Dion Boucicault and University of South Florida -- Tampa Library.|Special Collections Dept]

A transcription of the handwriting in promptbook 2 of Boucicault's Shaughraun, made by the University of South Florida Tampa Library's Special Collections Dept.
Shaughraun

Dion Boucicault

Contains handwritten text of play, but is different handwriting than that in promptbook 2. Has differences in dialogue from the other promptbooks and more explicit stage directions. Does not contain the speech by the character Conn that ends the play in the other promptbooks. Includes some hand drawings of stagings. Digitized from two physical volumes, with the first ending with act II, scene II.
Shaughraun

Dion Boucicault and Matthew Somerville Morgan

Handwritten text of the play with notes on staging. Text not in Boucicault's hand, although some notes appear to be. Has some differences from promptbook 1. Could be the basis for the staging at Drury Lane in London in 1875. Clippings in back of promptbook contain illustrations by Matthew Somerville Morgan, published in London illustrated news.
Shaughraun

Dion Boucicault and Wallack's Theatre

Promptbook containing the printed script with handwritten notes and markings. Handwriting may be from four different people. Some notes appear to be in Boucicault's handwriting. Wallack's Theatre was where the first production of The Shaughraun was staged; the exact source of the printed play remains unidentified.