Boston College
John J. Burns Library
Archives and Manuscripts
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-552-4861
Fax: 617-552-2465
www.bc.edu/burns
Descriptive Summary
| Creator: | Abbey Theatre. |
|---|---|
| Title: | Abbey Theatre collection, 1911-1988 |
| Call Number: | MS86-135, MS88-7 and MS99-22 |
| Extent: | .5 linear ft. (2 boxes) |
| Extent: | 5 microfilm reels |
| Abstract: | Collection of materials relating to the Abbey Theatre including manuscripts of plays, novels and poems written by a number of modern Irish authors; theatre programmes and playbills; photographs; and newspaper articles. |
Administrative Information
Restrictions on access
Unrestricted access.
Source
Purchase.
Citation
[after identification of item(s)], Abbey Theatre collection, Archives and Manuscripts, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.
Collection Description
Historical Note
The Abbey Theatre (1904- ) is the Irish theatrical company devoted primarily to indigenous drama (presenting the Irish character with an Irish audience in mind). W. B. Yeats was a leader in founding (1902) the Irish National Theatre Society with Lady Gregory, J. M. Synge, Edward Martyn and A. E. (George Russell) contributing their talents as directors and dramatists. In 1904, Annie Horniman gave them a subsidy and the free use of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The theater was bought for them by public subscription in 1910. Among the many dramatists whose works the Abbey Theatre first presented are Padraic Colum, Lennox Robinson, Sean O'Casey, and Paul Vincent Carroll. The Abbey began touring America in 1911 and was not well received. However, they were appreciated by the next generation when they returned to New York and Boston in the 1930s. In 1951, a fire destroyed the theatre and the company spent fifteen years at the Queen's Theatre until the new building opened in 1966.
In close association with Irish dramatists, the Abbey also has been an important instrument in the revival of Irish drama that began in the 1960s. From 1977 to 1983, the Abbey's small experimental theatre, the Peacock, saw the rise of a new school of playwrights, including J. Graham Reid, Bernard Farrell, Tom MacIntyre, Frank McGuinness, Neil Donnelly, Michael Harding, Dermot Bolger, and Sebastian Barry. Some of the work of Farrell and McGuinness was also successful on the larger Abbey stage. Nevertheless, the work of an earlier generation of playwrights--particularly Brian Friel, Tom Murphy, and Hugh Leonard--has been the mainstay of the Abbey repertoire since the 1970s.
"Abbey Theatre" in The Dictionary of Irish Literature edited by Robert Hogan (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996): 85-95 and "Abbey Theatre" in The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature edited by Robert Welch (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996): 1-5.
Scope and Content Note
Consists of manuscripts of plays, novels and poems written by a number of modern Irish authors. Also includes theater programs of the Abbey Theatre and other playhouses in Ireland and programs for productions given by the Abbey Theatre Players. In addition, there are scrapbooks of Abbey Theatre tours, and a dissertation by Edward Abood on the theatre's influence in America from 1911-1914.Arrangement Note
Organized into six series: (1) Plays, television scripts, and novels (2) Poems by Cyril Cusack, (3) Correspondence, (4) Programmes and playbills, (5) Newspaper articles, and (6) Photographs.
Selected Search Terms
Personal Names
Abood, Edward.
Cusack, Cyril, 1910-
Farrell, Bernard.
Leonard, Hugh.
McGuinness, Frank.
Murphy, Thomas, 1935-
Reid, J. Graham.
Corporate Names
Abbey Theatre--Archives.
Abbey Theatre--History--Sources.
Topical Terms
Authors, Irish--20th century--Manuscripts.
Dramatists, Irish--20th century--Manuscripts.
Novelists, Irish--20th century--Manuscripts.
Poets, Irish--20th century--Manuscripts.
Theater--Ireland--Dublin.
Theaters--Ireland--Dublin--History--Sources.