George Alexander and the Work of the Actor-Manager

Lucie Sutherland

$107.95 $86.53

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Springer Nature Switzerland AG
04 July 2020

Theatre: individual actors & directors

Series: Palgrave Studies in Theatre and Performance History

In the first book-length study of the work and legacy of West End actor-manager George Alexander since the 1930s, George Alexander and the Work of the Actor Manager examines the key part this figure played in presenting new drama by authors including Oscar Wilde and Henry James. The book sheds new light on the figure of the actor-manager, assessing in detail the influence of Alexander within and beyond his time. At the St. James’s Theatre in London between 1891 and 1918, through a range of strategies including the support of new writers, and adaptation of fiction to the stage, Alexander sustained professional status through practices that continue to be reflected in the cultural industries today. A range of evidence is employed including production reviews, anecdotal accounts, financial records, and personal correspondence, to reveal how he operated as a business entrepreneur as well as an artistic innovator.

By: Lucie Sutherland
Imprint: Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Country of Publication: Switzerland
Edition: 2020 ed.
Dimensions: Height: 210mm, Width: 148mm,
Weight: 562g
ISBN: 9783030409340
ISBN 10: 3030409341
Series: Palgrave Studies in Theatre and Performance History
Pages: 297
Publication Date: 04 July 2020
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Introduction.- 2. George Alexander and the St. James’s ‘brand’.- 3. The actor-manager system: autonomy and collaboration.- 4. The actor-manager system: the role of the playwright.- 5. Managing risk: cross-sector adaptation.- 6. The Legacy of Alexander at the St. James’s Theatre.

Lucie Sutherland is Assistant Professor in Drama at the University of Nottingham, UK, based within the School of English. As a researcher, she is particularly concerned with British, commercial theatre from the late-nineteenth century to the present day.

Reviews for George Alexander and the Work of the Actor-Manager

“Sutherland’s book captures an important period in the development of the West End. In tracing the web of interrelations between audience and stage and by exploring the wider creation of a burgeoning consumer culture and Alexander’s tight management of actors, playwrights, and gentlemanly financial backers, the author helps us to understand the complexities of James’s career in the theater. … The literary playwright would find his home more easily today.” (Sarah Chambré, The Henry James Review, Vol. 42 (2), 2021)