Stage direction and dialogue for Oliver Twist manuscript, 1865

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish material from the Stage direction and dialogue for Oliver Twist manuscript must be obtained from Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries.

Preferred citation:

Stage direction and dialogue for Oliver Twist manuscript, C0254, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
0.25 linear feet (1 volume)
Creator:
Wallack Company (New York, N.Y.)
Abstract:
Stage directions and dialogue for an 1865 New York City production of Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Stage direction and dialogue for Oliver Twist manuscript, C0254, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

This bound manuscript contains handwritten stage directions handwritten dialogue for a dramatized version of Oliver Twist. It was presumably used in productions that were presented in New York City at Wallack's Theatre in 1865. An advertisement and cast list for the production is pasted on the inside cover of the manuscript. Another advertisement for the play is pasted in the inside back cover.

Biographical / historical:

Charles Dickens's novels, including Oliver Twist, were frequently dramatized in both Europe and America, even during the author's lifetime in the 19th century. As Marc Cohen notes in an article in the Dickensian, these theatrical versions were all unauthorized until 1844, when the first authorized adaptation of a Dickens novella, "A Christmas Carol," was produced. Cohen also points out that copyright laws in the United Kingdom and the United States did not protect Dickens's right to prevent or profit from such adaptations. The 1865 Oliver Twist produced at Wallack's Theatre in New York City was most likely one of these unauthorized dramatizations.

Acquisition information:
Purchased by George Mason University Libraries before 2008.
Processing information:

Processing completed by Elizabeth Beckman in April 2015. EAD markup completed by Elizabeth Beckman in April 2015.

Arrangement:

The manuscript is arranged by acts of the play, with stage directions on the left side and dialogue on the right side of every two page spread.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Theatre--New York--New York.