John Ruskin and the Victorian Theatre book

Kate Newey (Author), Jeffrey Richards (Author)

Palgrave Macmillan (21 April 2010)

This is the first book to explore the involvement of John Ruskin, important Victorian thinker, with the popular theatre of his time. Based on original archival research, this book offers a fresh look at the aesthetic and social theories of Ruskin, 'the sage of Brantwood,' and his direct and indirect influence on the commercial theatre of the late nineteenth century. As well as his writings, Ruskin's friendships with major Victorian actors such as Henry Irving, Wilson Barrett, Madge Kendal, and Mary Anderson are explored, casting new light on the importance of the theatre in our understanding of Victorian culture. John Ruskin and the Victorian Theatre also offers original scholarship on the popular genres of pantomime, melodrama, and the 'toga play' by two of the leading scholars in the field of Victorian theatre history, with an emphasis on the popular stage as a meeting place for all the arts: music, painting, sculpture and performance.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Ruskin-Victorian-Theatre-Newey/dp/0230524990/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295199436&sr=1-4