Die eiserne Maske : Drama in fünf Abtheilungen, ca. 1832, 1875-1887.

ArchivalResource

Schneider, L. (Louis), 1805-1878. Die eiserne Maske : Drama in fünf Abtheilungen, ca. 1832, 1875-1887.

Die eiserne Maske : Drama in fünf Abtheilungen, ca. 1832, 1875-1887.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/155866360

The German play is a translation of the French play L'Homme au masque de fer, by Arnould and Fournier; the French play is, in turn, an adaptation of the novel of the same title by Alexandre Dumas, père. The file contains materials related to rehearsal and performance, including a published copy ([Berlin], n.d.; Both's Bühnen-Repertoir no. 29), which has been annotated as a prompt-book; a handwritten scenario; 2 handwritten items (a letter and a written order) that served as props; and 23 handwritten role books, for the following parts (the complete list of characters): Ludwig XIII, König von Frankreich; d'Aubigné, ein protestantischer Edelmann; Baron von Ostanges; Pater Audoin, Jesuit; Pompignan; Launay; Bouvard, Leibarzt; der Beichtvater; der Kanzler; Nerly, Astrolog; ein Beamter des Kardinals; Gaston; ein Bedienter; Marie von Ostanges; St. Mars; ein Offizier; Mademoiselle Aubry, Hoffräulein; Aufwärter; Louvois, Minister; Tony, ein junger Fischer; ein Arzt; der Kaplan; and Ober-Aufseher der Bastille. The published copy appears to date from around 1832, since the last page bears a note from Schneider (who is titled "Königlich. Schauspieler") dated 15 July 1832, regarding the original French play, as well as a successful contemporary production of the German translation in Hamburg. Pasted on the reverse of the front fly-leaf is a brief obituary notice upon the death of Narcisse Fournier (from an unidentified source), which has been dated by hand "1880." The published copy and the role books are all labeled by hand as the property of Theodor Bloch, who was active in German-language theater in Philadelphia from 1873 until at least the mid 1890s, first as an actor and later as a prompter, and who also ran a theater lending library. Names of actors and actresses noted on the covers of role books generally reflect 4 casts in Philadelphia over time, dating from around 1875 (the actors Plake, Bobene, and Weyand, and the actress Umlauf, are all cast members who performed in that earlier period) to 1887. The cast-member names noted on the inside front cover of the published copy pertain to the cast of 1879, with a few names noted from the cast of 1883. On the reverse of the front fly-leaf, names of cast members from 1887 are noted. The play was sometimes performed in Philadelphia under the title "Gaston, der Mann mit der eisernen Maske." See the index in the collection's register for details about 2 theater newspapers (folders 695 and 705) and two oversized playbills (folders 720 and 721) documenting performances in Philadelphia in Jan. 1879, Dec. 1883, and Nov. 1887.

27 items.

University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library