Representative Plays by American Dramatists: 1856-1911: Introduction and Bibliography

"Representative Plays by American Dramatists: 1856-1911" by Montrose Jonas Moses is a rich collection of American plays that offers a window into a dynamic era of American theatre. This collection covers a range of works from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s, offering a wide view of American dramatic writing. It presents the growth and portrayal of American plays through selected works, giving readers understanding into the stories, styles, and social settings. It features well-known plays like "Rip Van Winkle" which highlights change and identity, and "Francesca da Rimini" which highlights emotions; also including lesser-known plays like Steele Mackaye's "Paul Kauvar; or, Anarchy," which captures the political environment of its time. Every play is introduced with background information, focusing on the importance of the works in American theatre history, showing the artistic and cultural forces that shaped them, and confirming the importance of these stories in understanding American identity and society during the time.