Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890

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Dionysius Lardner Boucicault was born in Dublin on 26th December 1820. His Irish mother Anna, nee Darley, was married to Samuel Boursiquot, but it is likely that Dion was the son of Dr. Dionysius Lardner, who was closer in age to Anna than her husband. In 1828, Anna and her children followed Lardner to London when he became Professor of Philosophy and Astronomy at the new University College. Dion attended several schools in London, but it was a production of Pizarro in 1835 which inspired his interest in the theatre; he wrote a sketch, Napoleon’s Old Guard, to follow the main play. When Anna returned to her family in Dublin, it was made clear that the theatre was not a respectable occupation, so Dion was apprenticed to Lardner as a Civil Engineer. During this time, Lardner had given up his chair at the university to write his Cabinet Cyclopedia and to carry out experiments involving the railway. Dion detested both the work and his ‘guardian’ and set off to the provinces to find work in the theatre.

With a quarterly allowance from Lardner, Boucicault acted under the name Lee Moreton in amateur productions in Cheltenham and in Gloucester, swiftly gaining title roles. Charles Hill took Boucicault to the Brighton Theatre Royal as part of his professional company, during which time Boucicault wrote A Lover by Proxy and A Legend of the Devil's Dyke . Frustrated by Hill’s reaction to his plays, Boucicault returned to Cheltenham, then to Bristol's Theatre Royal (under the management of Mrs. McCready) where acted in his own play Lodgings to Let . This was performed anonymously as an afterpiece to plays starring Benjamin Webster, manager of the Haymarket in London. The transfer of Lodgings (and Boucicault) to the Haymarket proved disastrous with a more sophisticated audience and Boucicault soon retreated to the Hull Theatre Royal, where his first full length play, Jack Sheppard, was performed. Although the play was successful, personal disagreements and reaching the end of his allowance from Lardner sent Boucicault back to Dublin in 1840, to work briefly as a clerk in the brewery belonging to the Guinness family.

Boucicault began training at Fanny Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School in Dean Street but had to return to acting at the Queen's Theatre when his funds dried up. There he met up with a fellow Irishman, Charles Brougham, a member of Charles Mathews and Madame Vestris's Covent Garden company. Brougham’s support persuaded Matthews to take a chance on Bouciault as a dramatist: a play written by Boucicault in a month, with extensive alterations and additions by Mathews, Vestris and the rest of the cast, opened on 4th March 1841 to great acclaim. This play was eventually known as London Assurance .

In the next 4 years Boucicault had 22 plays produced on the London stage including an operetta, The Fox and the Goose (1844), in collaboration with the playwright Benjamin Webster, for the Adelphi Theatre. However, not all his original work was successful and, often short of money and embroiled in litigation, he was forced to spend more time on translations from popular French theatre. At the end of 1844 Webster sent him to Paris to see what new material there might succeed in England; there, Boucicault altered his name to the current spelling and researched his French ancestry. He sent back adapted plays, which often did not bear his name. In 1845 he married Anne Guiot, a wealthy French widow several years older than him. Little is known about her, but when she died after a long illness there were rumours Boucicault had hastened her end.

Boucicault swiftly became bankrupt when he returned to London in 1847 after Anne's death. He eventually worked for Charles Kean at the Princess Theatre: as dramatist in residence he adapted The Corsican Brothers from Dumas’ original French. The play was a sensational success, and was seen by Queen Victoria five times. However, Kean's discovery of the liaison between Agnes Robertson, his ward, and Boucicault led to the end of their professional relationship. In 1853 Agnes arrived in New York two weeks ahead of Boucicault to appear in The Young Actress, which he had adapted, at the Theatre Royal, Montreal on 19th September. She was an instant success, and went on to triumph in New York, Boston, Washington, Philadelphia and Chicago. Boucicault acted as her manager and wrote many, less successful adaptations. He also lectured and, more successfully, went back to acting with Agnes. After a formal declaration (at that time legal in the U.S.A) they lived as man and wife, and their first child, Dion William, was born in May 1855. In New Orleans, they leased the Varieties Theatre, renaming it the Gaiety. Here Boucicault managed, produced and directed his actors, a new concept at the time, but gave up the venture after 3 months, disappointed in his lack of success. Engagements in Philadelphia and New York followed, particularly a production of London Assurance with both Dion and Agnes in the cast. When Eve, their second child, was born, Boucicault had even greater need of a "hit" to support his family. The Poor of New York was Boucicault’s adaptation of a French play, in collaboration with two journalists, Goodrich and Warren. It was produced at Wallack's Theatre in 1857 and became a huge hit, with its dramatic staging. This success was followed, over the next two years, by Jessie Brown and The Octoroon, both of which used contemporary events as inspiration. Agnes appeared in both plays.

In 1859 a second son was born. Boucicault then leased the Washington Theatre and the former Metropolitan Theatre in New York (renamed the 'Winter Garden'). Subsequent arguments with his partner William Stuart over money and the ownership of The Octoroon led to Boucicault and Agnes decamping to the theatre of Laura Keene, the first woman manager in the U.S.A. Here, they produced Jeanie Deans, Vanity Fair and The Colleen Bawn, which was based on Gerald Griffin's novel The Collegians, itself based on a true story. It ran to packed houses in New York from March 29th to May 1860 and provided Agnes and Dion with roles for many years, and with financial security which allowed them to buy two houses in New York. After a short run in Philadelphia, they returned to London under contract to Benjamin Webster at the Adelphi, where The Colleen Bawn was performed 230 times and was seen by Queen Victoria 3 times. However, disagreements with Webster led to litigation, which eventually led to the Boucicaults abandoning props at the Adelphi and taking the lease at Drury Lane to put the play on there. Many of Boucicault’s popular plays, including The Colleen Bawn spawned pirated versions which led to court cases. Although Boucicault sued other dramatists for infringement of copyright, he was also taken to court for the same crime.

In December 1862, Boucicault acquired the lease of Astley's Theatre, at Lambeth, renaming it the ‘New Theatre Royal’, Westminster. Despite the expense and the presence of the Boucicaults, the area was unpopular with fashionable society and Dion’s attempts at theatre reform were unprofitable. The commitment of investors in Boucicault’s New Theatre Company and the bad publicity created by Dion's involvement with an actress, Mrs. Emily Jordan, led to his bankruptcy in July 1863. Although he had to sell assets and the copyright of eight of his plays, after withdrawing to Brighton Boucicault discharged all his debts in six weeks. He still had income from his own touring companies in the provinces, and he and Agnes were soon repeating their popular roles in the Colleen in Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. In Liverpool, Boucicault reworked the Poor of New York, substituting Liverpool, and playing to packed houses there; the production toured towns under local titles. Dion and Agnes also performed in Dublin, Glasgow, and Birmingham, earning ‘easy money’ from spectacle rather than drama, as Boucicault admitted. A year after his bankruptcy, he returned to London with the London version of the play, The Streets of London, at the Princess's Theatre, in a deal which gave him half the profits.

In 1864, the Boucicaults’ success enabled them to buy a home in London, where Dion concentrated on writing, including a new and original Irish play, Arrah-na-Pogue . This was first staged in Dublin in November with Dion and Agnes in the cast and became hugely popular. The play was substantially revised before opening in London in March 1865 at the Princess's Theatre, where it ran for 164 nights. Visitors to the Boucicault's new apartment in Regent Street included the Davenport brothers, American illusionists and spiritualists and the American actor Joseph Jefferson. Jefferson persuaded, and bribed, Boucicault to revise an adaptation of Washington Irving's Rip van Winkle for him to star in at Benjamin Webster's Adelphi Theatre. This brought the two men into conflict again, but the play ran for 170 nights, made Jefferson's name, and restored the Adelphi's fortunes.

Boucicault produced three pieces in 1865 as the result of a bet: a society drama, Hunted Down, a domestic drama, The Long Strike, and a sensation drama, The Flying Scud, about a race horse. The first of these plays opened at St. James's Theatre on 5th November, starring Henry Irving, in his first important role in London, but the latter was the most popular among the public. Litigation followed when the closing scene of After Dark, first put on at the Princess's Theatre in August 1868, was held to be too close to a similar scene in Under the Gaslight by Augustus Daly. Despite losing the case, the publicity was profitable.

Dion and Agnes announced their retirement from acting in 1868, but Boucicault continued writing, with varying success. Anything but a hit decimated their income, as Boucicault always lived beyond his means: the expense of producing a new play, Babil and Bijou, incurred losses despite a successful six month run. Having returned to America to play in New York and Boston, the Boucicaults received American citizenship in 1873. However, Agnes returned to London to the children, whilst Dion completed and starred in Daddy O'Dowd, with poor houses. He wrote Mimi, a version of La Bohème, for Katharine Rogers, an actress with whom he was having an affair. They both appeared in it at Wallack's Theatre in August and visited California, playing in San Francisco and Sacramento, and Nevada.

On 14th November 1874, The Shaughraun opened at Wallack's Theatre in New York. Boucicault, now fifty-five, played the title role of Conn, a young man of 18. It ran for four months in New York, then Boston and San Francisco, before Boucicault returned to London. At Drury Lane The Shaughraun played with Agnes as the heroine for three and half months, only being taken off for the annual pantomime. The play then moved to the Adelphi where, on the last night, 22nd January 1876, news arrived that the younger Dion had been killed in a rail accident. Dion subsequently returned to New York to Katherine Rogers; after initial attempts at a reconciliation, Agnes asked for a divorce in 1880, citing Katherine and several other actresses. Dion claimed that they had never been legally married, but after three years Agness dropped the case. As a result, people flocked to see the monster Boucicault who had disowned his wife. In 1885, during a tour of Australia with a cast including two of his children, Dot and Nina, Boucicault 'married' Louise Thorndyke, a 21-year-old member of the company. A year later 1886 Agnes filed a second divorce petition which was not challenged. Dion and Louise toured together as he and Agnes had done: the publicity surrounding his private life encouraged audiences to attend. Despite Dion's renewed lease of life as an actor and a writer, The Shaughraun was his last 'big hit' as his plays went out of fashion. Offerings like Belle Lamar or Cuishla-ma-Chree opened, played for a short time and closed without great success. He carried on touring in the U.S.A. until May 1888, when he was sixty-seven, in dubious health and again short of money.

Albert Palmer’s invitation to run a drama school attached to Madison Square Theater provided Boucicault with a regular salary, but the failure of a final play, A Tale of a Coat, depressed him utterly. An attack of pneumonia followed and he died on 18th September, 1890.

Boucicault was most famous during his lifetime for his skill in characterization and his timing as an actor, but his inventiveness as a director and his innovations as a theatre manager led to his place today as one of the great personalities of Victorian theatre. He helped to improve the status of playwrights; in the USA, by helping to get the first dramatic copyright law passed in 1856, and in England, where his demands got the royalty system established.

Archival Resources
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referencedIn Stokes, Charles, fl. 1855-1857,. Autograph letters signed from Charles Stokes, London, to Charles John Kean and an unidentified recipient [manuscript], 1855-1857. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1874, 1874 British Library
creatorOf Correspondence of members of the Farjeon family, other than Eleanor and Benjamin Leopold Farjeon, outside the family. Not all correspondents named below are indexedIncludes:Letters to Margaret Farjeon to, among others: Dion Boucicault, Albert Chevali..., 1868-1954 British Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Arrah-na-Pogue : or, the Wicklow wedding. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Autograph letter signed : [London] 2 Strand, 1865 , Nov. 25. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Fenton, Frederick Gill, 1817-1898. Frederick Gill Fenton scrapbooks, 1818-1889 Houghton Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Miscellaneous manuscripts, n.d. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1875, 1875 British Library
creatorOf Mostara, B. Letter to [Dion] Bourcicault. London, Eng. [18--] University of Iowa Libraries
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Autograph collection : photostats, [undated]. California historical society
creatorOf 'The phantom', drama in two acts by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 17 April 1862 for performance at the Adelphi. First performed under the title 'The vampire' at the Princess's on 14 June 1852 (for which see Add. 52932 Q). First performed under th... British Library
referencedIn Harry Bache Smith Papers TXRC92-A42., 1773-1935 Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. The octoroon [collection] : a play in five acts / by Dion Boucicault. University of Wisconsin - Madison, General Library System
creatorOf 'Ladybird, or Harlequin Lord Dundreary', pantomime by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 13 December 1862 for performance at Astley’s. ‘An entirely new and original fairy pantomime’ written on front cover. Cues marked in pencil. Contains comic scenes... British Library
referencedIn Milberg, Leonard L.,. Leonard L. Milberg autograph collection, 1824-1978. Princeton University Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Dion Boucicault theatre collection, 1843-1887. University of South Florida, USF Library
referencedIn Paine, Nathaniel, 1832-1917,. Autograph letter signed from Nathaniel Paine, Worcester, Massachusetts, to Augustin Daly [manuscript], [18]97 December 22. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Kerry, or, Night and morning. A comedy in one act. [By Dion Boucicault] New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Coquelin, Constant, 1841-1909. Address by Constant Coquelin [manuscript], 1889 March 30. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Letters to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1761-1904 (inclusive), 1820-1888 (bulk) Houghton Library
referencedIn Donne, William Bodham, 1807-1882,. Autograph letters signed from William Bodham Donne, London and nearby, to Frances Anne Kemble [manuscript], 1856-1876. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Mori, Emile E. Incidental music for Much ado about nothing arranged by Emile E. Mori [manuscript], ca. 1903. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Methua, J. Guido (John Guido),. Autograph letter signed from J. Guido Methua, New York, to Dion Boucicault, Esq. [manuscript], 1867 February 25. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. After dark. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Harte, Bret, 1836-1902. Letters of Bret Harte [manuscript], 1875-1895. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Dion Boucicault theatre collection, 1843-1887 USF Tampa Library - Special & Digital Collections
creatorOf Rowe, George F. (George Fawcett),. Autograph letter signed from George F. Rowe, New York, to Dion Boucicault [manuscript], 1873 Wednesday. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf MCCRIMMON COLLECTION. Vol. VII (ff. viii+222). Album of letters from prominent people, addressed chiefly to Sir Antonio Panizzi, Principal Librarian of the British Museum 1856-1866, and to Sergeant John Humffreys Parry, his family and associates; 182..., 1827-1881 British Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Autograph letter signed : [London], to Catherine Dickens, 1876 Feb. 1. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf 'The lily of Killarney', opera in three acts by John Oxenford and Dion Boucicault (for the music by Sir Julius Benedict). Licence sent 3 February 1862 for performance at Covent Garden on 10 February 1862. Signed William Harrison, the theatre manag... British Library
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1880, 1880 British Library
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1872, 1872 British Library
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1884, 1884 British Library
creatorOf Shaw Festival Collection (University of Guelph). Dion Boucicault, 1990 - Reviews and Articles. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
referencedIn Tree, Herbert Beerbohm, Sir, 1853-1917. Letter, [18]75 June 2 : Bishopsgate [London, England], to [Edward] Rose, [London?]. University of Michigan
creatorOf Daly, Augustin, 1838-1899. Theatrical papers of Augustin Daly [manuscript], 1863-1900. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Autograph letter signed from Dion Boucicault, undated., undated
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. The flying scud / by Dion Boucicault. University of Queensland, UQ Library
referencedIn Riggs Family Papers, 1763-1945 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1880, 1880 British Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Autograph letter signed : [London, n.d.], to an unidentified recipient, n.d. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Sullivan, Arthur, Sir, 1842-1900. Autograph letter signed : Grove House, Weybridge, to Dion Boucicault, 1890 June 6. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Playscripts and Promptbooks Collection TXRC02-A0., 1795-1978, bulk 1870-1915 Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
creatorOf 'Pierre the foundling', drama in two acts by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 2 December 1854 for performance at the Adelphi 7 December 1854. Request for licence written in a hand that appears to be Benjamin Webster's. LCO Day Book Add. 53703 record... British Library
referencedIn Robertson, Ian, 1858-1936,. Autograph letters signed from Ian Robertson, New York City and London, to Augustin Daly [manuscript], [1881?]-1893. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Pope, Charles Roehr, 1832-1899,. Autograph letters signed from Charles R. Pope, Indianapolis and New Orleans, to Augustin Daly [manuscript], 1868-1869. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890,. Autograph letters signed and initialled from Dion Boucicault to various people [manuscript], 1864-1889. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Promptbook of Joseph Jefferson for Dot by Dion Boucicault, based on Dickens' Cricket on the hearth, 19th or 20th century. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Frohman, Daniel, 1851-1940,. Autograph letters signed to Daniel Frohman from various correspondents [manuscript], 1883-1926. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf 'Jeanie Deans, or, The heart of Midlothian' ('The trial of Effie Deans'), drama in three acts by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 23 January 1863 . No details of theatre given on script, but Nicoll records first British performance at Astley's, 26 Jan... British Library
creatorOf Appleton, William Worthen. William Worthen Appleton Collection of theatrical correspondence and ephemera, 1697-1930. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1883, 1883 British Library
referencedIn Palmer, Albert Marshman, 1838-1905,. Letters to Albert Marshman Palmer from various people, New York [manuscript], 1890 September 20. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Mitchell, Mason, 1859-1930,. Autograph letter signed from Mason Mitchell, Boston, Mass., to unidentified recipient [manuscript], 1888 March 16. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Daly, Augustin, 1838-1899,. Autograph letters and memoranda from Augustin Daly to various recipients [manuscript], 1864-1899. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Dion Boucicault Collections, 1813-2002 Specialist Collections and Academic Archives, University of Kent
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890,. Autograph letters signed and initialed, 2 incomplete, from Dion Boucicault to various people [manuscript], 1869-1890. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn The Robert Cushman Butler Collection of Theatrical Illustrations Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Promptbook of Charles Kean for The Corsican brothers by Dion Boucicault [manuscript], ca. 1852. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Smith, Emma Hamilton, 19th cent. Autograph letters signed from Emma Hamilton Smith, Plymouth, to Charles John Kean [manuscript], 19th century. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Howells family papers, 1850-1954 (inclusive). Houghton Library
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1890, 1890 British Library
creatorOf Krows, Arthur Edwin, 1892-. The pope of Rome, in one act; adapted by Arthur Edwin Krows from the five-act melodrama of the same name by Dion Boucicault ... New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf 'George D'arville', drama in five parts by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 2 June 1857 for performance at the Adelphi 3 June 1857. Request for licence signed Benj. Webster. Keywords: orphans, family relationships, crime, festival and celebration, i... British Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Formosa. A drama in four acts. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf 'The Colleen Bawn, or, The brides of Garry Owen', drama in three acts by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 31 August 1860 for performance at the Adelphi. LCO Day Book Add. 52703 records the stipulation that the word 'Heaven' be substituted for 'God'. ... British Library
referencedIn Townsend Walsh papers, 1763-1935, bulk (1890-1935). New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Jefferson, Joseph, 1829-1905,. Autograph letter signed from Joseph Jefferson, Paris and London, to William Winter [manuscript], 1875 August. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1871, 1871 British Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Arrah-na-pogue [collection] : [or, The Wicklow wedding] : in three acts / by Dion Boucicault. University of Wisconsin - Madison, General Library System
referencedIn English literature mss., 1851-1900 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1885, 1885 British Library
creatorOf ‘The sentinel’, opera in one act by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 7 January 1853 for performance at the Strand 10 January 1853. Songs included in MS. LCO Day Book Add. 53703 records the stipulation that certain omissions be made, and includes the... British Library
referencedIn Boston Museum (1847-1903). Correspondence of the Boston Museum, 1864-1898 (inclusive). Harvard University, Harvard Theater Collection, Harvard College Library
creatorOf 'Faust and Margaret', drama in three acts by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 20 March 1854 for performance at the Princess’ 19 April 1854. Stage directions and speaking cues underlined in blue. Revisions throughout. Corrections are pasted onto exi... British Library
creatorOf Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot), 1805-1877,. Autograph album : manuscript, [18--] Houghton Library
creatorOf 'The octoroon', drama in three acts by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 28 October 1861 for performance at the Adelphi. First performed at the Winter Garden, New York on 6 December 1859. Published in Lacy’s, vol. 65, no. 963. Keywords: slaves, judg... British Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Forbidden fruit. Comedy in three acts. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf 'Pauvrette', drama in three acts by Dion Boucicualt. Licence sent 22 August 1863 for performance at the Prince of Wales's Theatre, Liverpool. MS in more than one hand. Acts on different paper and in different hands. First performed at Niblo's Ga... British Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890,. Autograph letters signed from Dion Boucicault to William Winter [manuscript], 1873-1874. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck), 1836-1911. Autograph letter signed : Grim's Dyke, Harrow Weald, to Dion Boucicault, 1905 May 17. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Townsend Walsh papers, 1763-1935, 1890-1935 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Clapp, William Warland, Jr., 1826-1891. Correspondence, 1790-1891 (bulk 1840-1891) Houghton Library
creatorOf Boucicault family. Boucicault Family papers, 1841-1902. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Sargent, Mr., fl. ca. 1875. Autograph note by Mr. Sargent responding to Charles Lamb Kenney's Poets and profits [manuscript], ca. 1875. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Salsbury, Nathan, 1846-1902. Nate Salsbury essays, [ca. 1890-1965]. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. The Knight of Arva. A comic drama in two acts, by Dion Boucicault. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf 'Louis 11th, King of France', tragedy in five acts by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 20 December 1854 for performance at the Princess’ 13 January 1855. Revisions throughout. Written on different papers. Keywords: Medieval settings, aristocracy, pri... British Library
creatorOf 'Dot', drama in three acts by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 11 April 1862 for performance at the Adelphi. First performed at the Winter Garden, New York, on 14 September 1859. Based on The cricket on the hearth. by Charles Dickens, first publishe... British Library
creatorOf Lloyd Stephens Bryce Papers, 1807-1895, bulk 1882-1895 The Huntington Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Autograph letter signed : "Theater Royal Westminster" [London], to Catherine Dickens, 1863 Feb. 12. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Romney Brent papers, 1934-1975 (bulk dates 1969-1975 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Miscellaneous theatrical papers Houghton Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Widow O'Brien [collection] : or, Fun on the Bristol / by Dion Boucicault. University of Wisconsin - Madison, General Library System
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1887, 1887 British Library
referencedIn Russell, Sol Smith, 1848-1902,. Autograph letters signed from Sol Smith Russell to various people [manuscript], 1874-1893. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. The Bastile [microform] : in one act / by Dion Boucicault. University of Missouri -- Columbia, MU Libraries; University of Missouri; MU; Ellis Library; University of Missouri Columbia
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1871, 1871 British Library
creatorOf Barrett, Wilson, 1848-1904. Playscripts and Promptbooks Collection, 1795-1978 (bulk 1870-1915). Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
referencedIn Boucicault Family papers, 1841-1902 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Winter, William, 1836-1917,. Autograph letters signed from William Winter to various recipients [manuscript], 1864-1917. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf 'Jessie Brown, or, The siege of Lucknow'('Jessie Brown, or, The relief of Lucknow'), drama in four acts by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 11 September 1862 for performance at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. MS written in more than one hand. First p... British Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Letters to J. B. Webster, 1841-1849. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf 'The Toodles', farce in one act by William E. Burton. Licence sent 18 June 1862 for performance at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Dion Boucicault, 20 King Street, St. James, noted on cover (Boucicault was lessee of Drury Lane from June 1862). Fir... British Library
referencedIn Lillian Gish papers, 1909-1992 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Milberg Irish theater collection Princeton University Library
creatorOf Benedict, Julius Sir, 1804-1885. The lily of Killarney [music] : opera in three acts / by Julius Benedict ; the words by Dion Boucicault and John Oxenford ; edited by J. Pittman. Libraries Australia
referencedIn Davison, James William, 1813-1885. Autograph letters signed (12), dated : [London, undated by year], to [Joseph] Bennett, 1880's. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Richardson, George. Flying scud [collection] : or, A four-legged fortune / by George Richardson and Dion Boucicault. University of Wisconsin - Madison, General Library System
creatorOf Smith, Harry B. (Harry Bache), 1860-1936. Papers, 1773-1935, (bulk 1890-1930). Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
creatorOf Hanford, Charles B. (Charles Barnum), 1859-1926. Incidental music for The Old Guard and The Taming of the Shrew, ca. 1900. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn William Archer Collection, 1868-1990 V & A Department of Theatre and Performance
creatorOf ‘The vampire’, a ‘phantasm related in three dramas’ (‘The vampire’, ‘Raby Castle’, and ‘Raby Hall’), by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 25 May 1852 for performance at the Princess’s 14 June 1852. LCO Day Book Add. 53703 records the stipulation that ... British Library
referencedIn Dion Boucicault and Agnes Robertson collection, [ca. 1893-ongoing]. Museum of Performance & Design
creatorOf A'Becket family. Diaries and Prompt Books, 1840-1890. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Gray-Parker. Illustration of Boucicault's The Jilt, 188- New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Arrah-na-Pogue : typescript, 1915. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Henry Irving. Prompt copy of Hunted Down; or Two Lives of Mary Leigh. A Drama in Three Acts by Dion Boucicault (b. 1820, d. 1890); 1865. Boucicault’s heavily annotated prompt copy of the play in which Henry Irving (b. 1838, d. 1905) made his first ..., 1865 British Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Letter and portraits, 1851-1852. Harold B. Lee Library
creatorOf 'Genevieve', or, The Reign of Terror', drama in four acts by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 15 June 1853 for performance at the Adelphi 20 June 1853. Request for licence written and signed by Benjamin Webster. Revisions throughout the text. Stage... British Library
creatorOf Kean, Charles John, 1811?-1868. Cues for Charles John Kean's production of Louis XI [manuscript], ca. 1855. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Stark, Samuel. Theatre scrapbook collection, 1860-1950. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn A'Becket family diaries and prompt books, 1840-1890 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Dion Boucicault letters and miscellany, 1874 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Fredric Woodbridge Wilson Collection of Theater, Dance and Music (Harvard Theatre Collection). Photographs of theatrical performers, 1862-1982. Houghton Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Sketch of "The old guard" [manuscript], [19th century?]. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf The Irish boy (altered from 'Andy Blake'), drama in two acts by Dion Boucicault. Printed (French's Minor Drama, no. 110). Licence sent 7 February 1862 for performance at the Adelphi. Cover signed B. Webster. Handwritten paste-in of the title 'Th... British Library
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1881, 1881 British Library
referencedIn Lander, F. W. (Frederick West), 1821-1862. Papers of F. W. Lander, 1836-1894 (bulk 1849-1862). Library of Congress
referencedIn Frohman, Daniel, 1851-1940. Daniel Frohman letter.
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Arrah na Pogue : an Irish drama in three acts / by Dion Boucicault ; presented to John Cordray by Aubrey Boucicault ; Portland, Ore., 1893 June. Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Miscellaneous screen, stage, and radio scripts, ca. 1859-2007. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. After dark : typescript, after 1868. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. The Corsican brothers : manuscript, 1852. Princeton University Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Autograph letter signed, 1854 Dec. 24. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Salsbury, Nathan, 1846-1902. Nate Salsbury essays, [ca. 1890-1965]. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1886, 1886 British Library
referencedIn Malkin, Arthur Thomas,. Autograph letters singed from Arthur Thomas Malkin, London, to Frances Anne Kemble [manuscript], 1861 April 6-Autumn. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Letters and documents from England, 1618-1938. Florida State University
referencedIn MS Mus. 1221. Miscellaneous 19th century letters and music.ff. 122. Largest size 36 x 26mm.A. William Croft (b.1678, d.1727): ‘O Lord thou hast searched me out’, for mixed voices; [after circa 1720]. Copy. Caption title (f. 1r) reads ‘This is a Vers..., 1715-1931 British Library
referencedIn Toole, John Lawrence, 1830-1906. Autograph letters signed (16), dated : London, Edinburgh, and Liverpool, 1863-1878, to [Lewis Strange] Wingfield, 1863 June 17 and 1863 Dec. 2. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Letter, May 16, Pittsburgh, Pa. Dartmouth College Library
creatorOf Play by G. Hastings, writer of plays; submitted: 1879Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1879, 1879 British Library
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1886, 1886 British Library
referencedIn Anderson, Mary, 1859-1940. Letter from Mary Anderson to Mrs. Dion Boucicault, n.d. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890,. Autograph letter signed from [Dion? Boucicault], New York, to Miss [Adelaide Neilson] [manuscript], 1872 November 25. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf How she loves him! comedy in five acts by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 30 November 1863 for performance at the Prince of Wales's Theatre, Liverpool. Printed. Pages pasted onto large paper. Minor cuts in ink. This performance is listed as the ... British Library
creatorOf 'Janet Pride', drama in five acts ('of which the 1st and 2nd are prologuial') by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 3 February 1855 for performance at the Adelphi 5 February 1855. Request for licence written and signed by Benjamin Webster. Revisions t... British Library
referencedIn Stark, Samuel. Theatre scrapbook collection., 1860-1950 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Fred A. Rosenstock autograph collection L. Tom Perry Special Collections
creatorOf 'The young actress', interlude in one act, 'edited' by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 30 August 1860 for performance at the Adelphi. Nicoll cites earlier productions at Burton's, New York on 22 October 1853 and at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 2... British Library
referencedIn Salsbury, Nate, 1846-1902. Nate Salsbury essays, [ca. 1890-1965]. Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Research Library
creatorOf Kean, Charles John, 1811?-1868. Incidental music for The Corsican brothers, 1860. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Collection of theatrical correspondence and ephemera, 1697-1930 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Allen, C. Leslie (Charles Leslie), 1830-1917. Charles Leslie Allen playbook collection, 1826-1900. Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, Central (downtown Buffalo)
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1877, 1877 British Library
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Autograph letter signed : 103 West 55th Street, New York, to Arthur Sullivan, 1890 May 16. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Hay, John, 1838-1905. Correspondence, 1854-1914, "Bickford" to "Brassey". Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
referencedIn Holland Collection of Literary Letters (MS 168), 1850-1880, 1872-1878 University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries. Special Collections Dept.
referencedIn Theater scrapbooks [manuscript] 1877-1903. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Play by Dionysius Lardner Boucicault formerly Boursiquot, called 'Dion Boucicault' and 'Lee Moreton'; actor and dramatist; submitted: 1878, 1878 British Library
creatorOf 'Eugénie, or, A sister's vow', drama in one act by Dion Boucicault. Licence sent 8 January 1855 for performance at the Albert and Garrick Royal Amphitheatre. 'From L. Levy, Albert and Garrick Theatre, Leman Street, Whitechapel' written on title pa... British Library
creatorOf Grangé, Eugène, 1810-1887. The Corsican brothers. Glenn G. Bartle Library
referencedIn Albert Stephens Borgman autograph collection, 1600-1950. Houghton Library
referencedIn Photographs of theatrical performers, 1862-1982. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Letter to "My dear Frank" : ALS, [undated]. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn John Lawrence Toole autograph collection, 1750-1903 and undated. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Autograph letters signed (2) : Brighton, 26 November [n.y.], and Brighton or London [n.d.], to Mr. [Lewis Strange] Wingfield, Nov. 26 [no year] and n.d. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Benjamin Holt Ticknor Papers, 1595-1935, (bulk 1850-1920) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Stoepel, Robert, 1821-1887,. Autograph letters signed from Robert Stoepel to Augustin Daly [manuscript], 1872-1883. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf Benedict, Julius, 1804-1885. The lily of Killarney [collection] : opera in three acts / by Sir Julius Benedict ; the words by Dion Boucicault and John Oxenford. University of Wisconsin - Madison, General Library System
referencedIn Boston Museum (1847-1903). Boston Museum broadside, 1861 Dec. 14. Louisiana State University, LSU Libraries
creatorOf Boucicault, Dion, 1820-1890. Letter to Ada Rehan, 1887. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Gaiety Theatre (London, England). Program for "A Christmas Story, " c. 1871. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith A'Becket family family
associatedWith A'Becket family. family
associatedWith Allen, C. Leslie (Charles Leslie), 1830-1917. person
associatedWith Anderson, Mary, 1859-1940. person
associatedWith Appleton, William Worthen person
associatedWith Appleton, William Worthen. person
associatedWith Archer, William., 1856-1924 person
associatedWith Aylesworth, Barton O. (Barton Orville), 1860-1933 person
associatedWith Beale, Thomas Willert, 1831-1894. person
associatedWith Benedict, Julius Sir, 1804-1885. person
associatedWith Booth's Theatre. corporateBody
associatedWith Borgman, Albert Stephens, 1890-1954 person
associatedWith Boston Museum (1847-1903) corporateBody
associatedWith Boucicault, Aubrey. person
associatedWith Boucicault family family
associatedWith Boucicault family. family
associatedWith Boucicault family. family
associatedWith Boucicault, W. D. person
associatedWith Brent, Romney, 1902-1975 person
associatedWith Bryce, Lloyd Stephens, 1851-1917. person
associatedWith Burnett, Frances Hodgson, 1849-1924 person
associatedWith Calthrop, Christopher person
associatedWith Clapp, William Warland, 1826-1891 person
associatedWith Coquelin, Constant, 1841-1909. person
associatedWith Cordray, John. person
associatedWith Daly, Augustin, 1838-1899. person
associatedWith Davison, James William, 1813-1885. person
associatedWith Dickens, Catherine, 1815-1879, person
associatedWith Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870. person
associatedWith Donne, William Bodham, 1807-1882, person
associatedWith Fawkes, Richard., 1944- person
correspondedWith Fenton, Frederick Gill, 1817-1898 person
associatedWith Frohman, Daniel, 1851-1940. person
associatedWith Gaiety Theatre (London, England) corporateBody
associatedWith Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck), 1836-1911. person
associatedWith Gish, Lillian, 1893-1993 person
associatedWith Grangé, Eugène, 1810-1887. person
associatedWith Gray-Parker. person
associatedWith Harte, Bret, 1836-1902. person
associatedWith Hay, John, 1838-1905. person
associatedWith Holland, J. G. (Josiah Gilbert), 1819-1881 person
associatedWith Jefferson, Joseph, 1829-1905, person
associatedWith Kean, Charles John, 1811?-1868. person
associatedWith Kemble, Fanny, 1809-1893 person
associatedWith Krows, Arthur Edwin, 1892- person
associatedWith Lander, F. W. (Frederick West), 1821-1862. person
correspondedWith Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-1882 person
associatedWith Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron, 1803-1873 person
associatedWith Malkin, Arthur Thomas, person
associatedWith Mary Flagler Cary Music Collection (Pierpont Morgan Library) corporateBody
associatedWith Mathews, Charles James., 1803-1878 person
correspondedWith Methua, J. Guido (John Guido), person
correspondedWith Milberg, Leonard L., person
associatedWith Mitchell, Mason, 1859-1930, person
associatedWith Mori, Emile E. person
associatedWith Mostara, B. person
correspondedWith Neilson, Adelaide, 1848-1880 person
associatedWith Paine, Nathaniel, 1832-1917, person
associatedWith Palmer, Albert Marshman, 1838-1905, person
correspondedWith Paul, Howard, 1835-1905 person
associatedWith Pettingell, Frank person
associatedWith Playscripts and Promptbooks Collection corporateBody
associatedWith Pope, Charles Roehr, 1832-1899, person
associatedWith Rachel, 1821?-1858 person
associatedWith Richardson, George. person
correspondedWith Riggs family family
associatedWith Robertson, Agnes, 1833-1916. person
associatedWith Robertson, Ian, 1858-1936, person
associatedWith Rosenstock, Fred A., b. 1895 person
correspondedWith Rowe, George F. (George Fawcett), person
associatedWith Russell, Sol Smith, 1848-1902, person
associatedWith Salsbury, Nate, 1846-1902. person
associatedWith Salsbury, Nathan, 1846-1902. person
associatedWith Samuel Stark person
associatedWith Sargent, Mr., fl. ca. 1875. person
associatedWith Shaw Festival Collection (University of Guelph) corporateBody
associatedWith Smith, Emma Hamilton, 19th cent. person
associatedWith Smith, Harry Bache, 1860-1936 person
associatedWith Stark, Samuel. person
associatedWith Stoepel, Robert, 1821-1887, person
associatedWith Stokes, Charles, fl. 1855-1857, person
associatedWith Sullivan, Arthur, Sir, 1842-1900, person
associatedWith Taylor, Robert H., person
correspondedWith Terriss, William, d. 1897 person
associatedWith Ticknor, Benjamin Holt, 1842-1914. person
associatedWith Toole, John Lawrence, 1830-1906. person
associatedWith Tree, Herbert Beerbohm, Sir, 1853-1917. person
associatedWith University of Kent at Canterbury. Library. corporateBody
associatedWith Vezin, Hermann, 1829-1910. person
associatedWith Walsh, Townsend. person
associatedWith Webster, Benjamin., 1797-1882 person
associatedWith Webster, J. B., person
associatedWith Wingfield, Lewis Strange, 1842-1891, person
associatedWith Winter, William, 1836-1917, person
associatedWith Young, Robert, 1927-2008, person
Place Name Admin Code Country
London ENG GB
New York City NY US
Philadelphia PA US
Subject
Theater
Theater
English drama
English drama
Irish drama
Dramatists
Dramatists, American
Dramatists, Irish
Dramatists, Irish
Prompt-book
Theater 19th century
Women authors, American - 19th century
Occupation
Actors
Playwright
Activity

Person

Birth 1820-12-26

Death 1890-09-18

Irish (Republic of Ireland)

English

Information

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