User:Bishonen/Second War of the Theatres

Other subpages: User:Bishonen/WIP Vanbrugh

The phrase War of the Theatres usually refers to a conflict between playwrights Thomas Dekker/John Marston and Ben Jonson around 1600, which took the form of mutual satirical plays, Dekker/Marston's Histriomastix and Satiromastix, and Jonson's Poetaster. The second pitched battle of the London theatre world, a century later, was a conflict between theatre companies. It could also be regarded as a labour conflict, where the battle lines were drawn between management and employees (actors).

The change in English drama in the 1690s away from Restoration comedy of manners towards sentimental comedy is usually ascribed to political and social causes, and rightly so. But trends in the drama were also connected with the stormy theatrical events known as the war of the theatres in London 1695-1710, when the senior actors of the monopoly "United Company" broke away and formed their own cooperative acting enterprise, which immediately became a dangerous competitor for the parent company.

The great, indeed overwhelming, advantage of the new cooperative over the remainder of Rich's company was acting talent and acting experience. With them went "the very beauty and vigour of the Stage", explains the anonymous Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702). Rich's company was left "in a very despicable condition": "The disproportion was so great at parting, that 'twas almost impossible, in Drury-Lane, to muster up a sufficient number to take in all the Parts of any Play; and of them so few were tolerable, that a Play must of necessity be damn'd that had not extraordinary favour from the Audience." Moreover, Rich now had to pay well to keep what was left of his company loyal, while the town flocked to see the stars at Lincoln's Inn Fields. "Actors at double sallaries, and not half the usual Audiences, to pay them!" exclaims Colley Cibber in his autobiography, still in 1740 gleeful over the deserved misfortunes of Christopher Rich.

Rich's advantage was the two good playhouses at Drury Lane and Dorset Garadens, and, most importantly, capital, which the cooperative lacked. The patent company owners still believed in the ultimate value of their investment and were willing and able to run at a loss to get the enterprise back on its feet (or in other words to kill the competition and get back the stars).

Lincolns Inn's Fields

-

Late november/early December

(Indeed, the company had staged one of its greatest public successes only ten months earlier with the première of Thomas Southerne's The Fatal Marriage, a "she-tragedy" tailored to the talents of Elizabeth Barry.)

Within a few months of this document, which has not survived to our day, both Mountfort and Leigh had fallen victim to the hired assassins of noblemen who had been unflatteringly portrayed on the stage. The murder of Mountfort was a scandal that undermined the United Company's reputation further, besides depriving them of a valuable and versatile actor,

Judith Milhous emphasizes that "a close reading of the Reply of the Patentees must raise serious questions as to their good faith, not to mention their honesty." Rich, a lawyer, had the advantage of being able to present his underhand tactics effectively on paper, but on the other hand, he had a great political disadvantage: Betterton and the Earl of Dorset had been friends for twenty years.

in general and outside investors were prepared to support performers like the legendary Thomas Betterton, the famous tragedienne Elizabeth Barry who had recently given one of her most celebrated performances in Thomas Southerne's "she-tragedy" The Fatal Marriage (1694), and the rising young star Anne Bracegirdle, especially when they saw the company being drained of many other popular actors. when Doggett, Bowen et al mutiny in 1693, it's Betteron who persuades/coerces them into coming back.

Hume quote: "The history of play types in the next few years [following 1682] is eloquent testimony to the benefits of competition. Singularly little [p. 362] happens: most of the new plays are derivative samples of tried and true modes."

, and John Verbruggen, who had been Rich's second leading man. The biggest mistake the cooperative made at this early stage may have been in not offering Verbruggen's wife Susanna a share, but merely a salary. The Verbruggens were dissatisfied with this arrangement, reasonably so since Susanna was a very versatile and popular comedienne, and returned to the parent company, where they were an extremely valuable addition. The company had up to that moment had the notoriously drunken and quarrelsome George Powell as the nearest thing to a leading man, and the prim Jane Rogers, who lacked comedienne potential, as their leading woman. The Verbruggens were versatile and experienced and, very popular, especially Susanna, who specialized in "breeches parts".

Detailed and readily checkable figures are provided for recent prunings of especially Elizabeth Barry's salary and traditional perks.