No play in the history of the American Stage has been as ubiquitous and as widely viewed as Uncle Tom's Cabin . This book traces the major dramatizations of Stowe's classic from its inception in 1852 through modern versions on film. Frick introduce the reader to the artists who created the plays and productions that created theatre history.

Nineteenth-century America witnessed a full-blown campaign against alcohol and, for most of the century, temperance reform was a national cause. As an integral part of the various temperance movements, a new form of theatrical literature and performance developed, both professional and amateur, to help spread the message. John Frick examines the role of temperance drama in the overall scheme of American nineteenth-century theatre, taking examples from both mainstream productions and amateur theatricals. Frick also compares the American genre to its British counterpart.

John Frick examines the role of temperance drama in the overall scheme of American nineteenth-century theatre, using examples from mainstream productions and amateur theatricals. Nineteenth-century America witnessed a major movement against alcohol consumption when the temperance cause became one of national concern. As part of the temperance movement, a new genre of theatrical literature and performance developed, professional as well as amateur, to help publicize its beliefs. Frick also compares the American genre to its British counterpart.

Designed primarily for use by students and theatre generalists, this volume contains biographical sketches, arranged alphabetically, of over 300 individuals distinguished for their stage directing. It includes both contemporary directors and those who are no longer working. Emphasis is on artists who have international reputations, especially those whose work has had an impact on American theatre. Each entry profiles the director's life and assesses the significance of his or her accomplishments, provides a list of productions not mentioned in the narrative, and includes a bibliography. The work also includes appendixes, providing a selected bibliography, and indexes of names and plays.

A major contribution to the history of American theatre, this book records in one volume all available data about theatres built in this country before 1915. The first comprehensive reference work of its kind, the "Directory of Historic American TheatreS" identifies 886 theatres ranging from forgotten second-floor opera houses to elaborate performance centers still in use today. The data collected here is based on exhaustive questionnaire and follow-up mailings to historical societies, libraries, theatres, and individuals involved in historic preservation.