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The Star System at Ben Webster's Haymarket
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 July 2009
Extract
Ben Webster's management of the Haymarket Theatre from 1837 to 1853 was one of the longest and most successful theatrical ventures of the mid-nineteenth century. As one contemporary journalist put it, “the mere fact of a management lasting nearly sixteen years is in itself remarkable. At Drury Lane a management of as many months would approach the miraculous.” In addition to mere length, Webster's tenure was notable for the production of original plays, with 212 premièring under his management. These included such works, well-known in their time, as Tom Taylor and Charles Reade's Masks and Faces, Douglas Jerrold's Time Works Wonders, Westland Marston's Strathmore, and Bulwer-Lytton's Money. In fact, Webster's willingness to produce full-length original tragedies and comedies led the Theatrical Journal to label him one of the “few that have of late years laboured to uphold the legitimate drama.” Although Webster's management is remembered primarily for these original plays produced by a strong, balanced company, even a cursory examination of his managerial policies shows that he was plagued by that bane of all mid-nineteenth-century managers, the star system. In fact, his ability to cope with the system and eventually to master it was undoubtedly a major reason for his success, since Webster was then able to devote his energies to the original plays that brought him managerial fame. The purpose of this essay is to trace Webster's struggle with and mastery of starring actors.
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- Research Article
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- Copyright © American Society for Theatre Research 1977
References
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