William Dunlap

American artist, critic, theatrical producer and playwright. Born 19 February, 1766 in Perth Amboy, N.J. Died New York 28 September, 1839

Stage Works

All were first performed in New York.

  1. The Father, or American Shandyism. Comedy, 5 acts. Published 1789. Produced John Street Theatre, Sept. 7, 1789. Early version of The Father of an Only Child.

  2. Darby's Return. Comic sketch, 1 act. Published 1789. Produced John Street Theatre, Nov. 24, 1789.

  3. Leicester. Tragedy, 5 acts; verse. Published 1806. Produced, John Street Theatre, Apr. 24, 1794, as The Fatal Deception or The Progress of Guilt.

  4. Fontainville Abbey. Tragedy, 5 acts; verse. Published 1806. Pro­duced John Street Theatre, Feb. 16, 1795.

  5. The Archers, or The Mountaineers of Switzerland. Opera, 3 acts. Published 1796. Produced John Street Theatre, 1796. Music: Benjamin Carr.

  6. Ribbemont, or The Feudal Baron. Tragedy, 5 acts. Produced 1796, as The Mysterious Monk.

  7. Tell Truth and Shame Devil. Comedy, 2 acts. Published 1797. Pro­duced John Street Theatre, Jan. 9, 1797. Adapted from A.-L.-B. Robi­neau's Jérôme Pointu.

  8. André. Tragedy, 5 acts; verse. Published 1798. Produced Park Theatre, Mar. 30, 1798.

  9. Lovers' Vows. Play, 5 acts. Published 1814. Produced Park The­atre, Mar. 11, 1799. Adapted from August von Kotzebue 's Kind der Liebe.

  10. The Italian Father. Comedy, 5 acts. Published 1810. Produced Park Theatre, Apr. 15, 1799. Based on Thomas Dekker's The Honest Whore.

  11. The False Shame, or The American Orphan in Germany. Comedy, 4 acts. Published in 1940. Produced Park Theatre, Dec. 11, 1799. Adapted from Kotzebue's Falsche Scham.

  12. The Wild Goose Chase. Play, 4 acts. Published 1800. Produced Park Theatre, Jan. 24, 1800. Adapted from Kotzebue's Der Wildfang.

  13. The Virgin of the Sun. Play, 5 acts. Published 1800. Produced Park Theatre, Mar. 12, 1800. Adapted from Kotzebue's Die Sonnenjungfrau.

  14. Pizarro in Peru, or The Death of Rolla. Play, 5 acts. Published 1800. Produced Park Theatre, Mar. 26, 1800. Adapted from Kotzebue's Die Spanier in Peru.

  15. Fraternal Discord. Drama, 5 acts. Published 1809. Produced Park Theatre, Oct. 22, 1800. Adapted from Kotzebue's Die Versöhnung der Bru­derzwist.

  16. Abaellino, the Great Bandit. Dramatic romance, 5 acts. Published 1802. Produced Park Theatre, Feb. 11, 1801. Adapted from Heinrich Zschokke's Abd/lino, der Grosse Bandit.

  17. Peter the Great, or The Russian Mother. Play, 5 acts. Published 1814. Produced Park Theatre, 1802. Adapted from Joseph Marius von Babo's Die Strelizen.

  18. The Voice of Nature. Drama, 3 acts. Published 1803. Produced Park Theatre, Feb. 4, 1803. Adapted from L.-C. Caigniez's Le jugement de Salomon.

  19. The Good Neighbor. Interlude, 1 act. Published 1814. Produced Feb. 28, 1803. Adapted from the German of August Wilhelm Iffland.

  20. The Glory of Columbia: Her Yeomanry! Play, 5 acts. Published 1817. Produced Park Theatre, July 4, 1803. Adapted from André.

  21. The Wife of Two Husbands. Drama, 5 acts. Published 1804. Pro­duced Park Theatre, Apr. 4, 1804. Adapted from Guilbert de Pixérécourt's La femme d deux maris.

  22. The Father of an Only Child. Play. Published 1806. Revision of The Father, or American Shandyism.

  23. Yankee Chronology, or Huzza for the Constitution! Musical inter-lude, 1 act. Published 1812. Produced Park Theatre, Sept. 7, 1812.

  24. Thirty Years, or The Gambler's Fate. Play, 3 days. Published 1940. Produced Bowery Theatre, Feb. 22, 1828. Adapted from Trente ans, ou La vie d'un joueur, by Prosper Goubaux and Victor Ducange.

  25. A Trip to Niagara, or Travellers in America. Farce, 3 acts. Published 1830. Produced Bowery Theatre, Nov. 28, 1828.

Play Attributed to Dunlap

Rinaldo Rinaldi, or The Great Banditti (pub. 1810).

EDITIONS

  • Dramatic Works, 2 vols., New York, 1806—1815;
  • False Shame and Thirty Years, ed. by O. S. Coad, America's Lost Play, vol. II, Princeton, N.J., 1940—1941.
  • André. Published in Representative American Plays from 1767 to the Pres­ent Day, ed. by A. H. Quinn, 7th ed., rev. and era., New York, 1953.

CRITICISM

  • O. S. Coad, William Dunlap: A Study of His Life and Works and of His Place in Contemporary Culture, New York, 1917;
  • R. H. Canary, William Dunlap, New York, 1970.

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