Reflecting the Audience: London Theatregoing, 1840-1880

Jim Davis · Victor Emeljanow

Apr 2005 · Studies Theatre Hist & Culture Book 1 · University of Iowa Press

About this ebook

This innovative work begins to fill a large gap in theatre studies: the lack of any comprehensive study of nineteenth-century British theatre audiences. In an attempt to bring some order to the enormous amount of available primary material, Jim Davis and Victor Emeljanow focus on London from 1840, immediately prior to the deregulation of that city's theatres, to 1880, when the Metropolitan Board of Works assumed responsibility for their licensing. In a further attempt to manage their material, they concentrate chapter by chapter on seven representative theatres from four areas: the Surrey Theatre and the Royal Victoria to the south, the Whitechapel Pavilion and the Britannia Theatre to the east, Sadler's Wells and the Queen's (later the Prince of Wales's) to the north, and Drury Lane to the west.

Davis and Emeljanow thoroughly examine the composition of these theatres' audiences, their behavior, and their attendance patterns by looking at topography, social demography, police reports, playbills, autobiographies and diaries, newspaper accounts, economic and social factors as seen in census returns, maps and transportation data, and the managerial policies of each theatre.

About the author

Jim Davis, July 28, 1945 - Jim Davis was born on July 28, 1945 In Marion, Indiana. He grew up on a small farm where his father raised black angus cows and his mother raised 25 cats. At a young age, asthma forced him inside and to entertain himself, he began to draw. Not well at first, but well enough to know he liked it and could become good at it. After college, Davis went to work for an advertising agency for two years. During his two years at the agency, Davis drew a comic called "Gnorm Gnat" which ran in one newspaper. Davis was unable to sell the comic to more papers, but he continued to draw it for five years. On June 17, 1978, "Garfield" a comic about cats, began circulating in 41 newspapers. It now appears in over 2600 newspapers worldwide and is the most widely syndicated Sunday comic in the U. S.. Garfield has had dozens of bestselling books, a CBS television series and 13 prime time specials. 33 Garfield books have appeared on the New York Time's Bestsellers List, 11 hitting number 1. Seven titles appeared simultaneously on the list in 1983. Davis has won four Emmys for writing in the Outstanding Animated Program Category for "Garfield on the Town" in 1983, "Garfield in the Rough" in 1984, "Garfield's Halloween Adventure" in 1985, and "Garfield's Babes and Bullets" in 1989. The "Garfield and Friends" animated series debuted in 1988. In 1981, Davis created Paws, Inc., a watchdog company for Garfield merchandise and artwork. Also in 1981 and again in 1986, Davis was named Best Humor Strip Cartoonist of the Year by the National Cartoonist Society. In 1985, the NCS gave him the Elzie Segers Award for Outstanding Contribution Made to the Cartoon Industry. In 1990, he received the prestigious Reuben Award for Outstanding Strip of the Year. Each of his thirteen prime time specials have been nominated for Emmys on top of the four he has won. In 1990, Davis was given the Good Steward Award by the National Arbor Day Foundation for his efforts in the reforestation of Indiana. He is also involved with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Federation's "Build a Schoolyard Habitat" campaign. The American Association of State Colleges and Universities gave Davis the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1985 for dedication to higher education, and in 1991, Ball State University and Perdue University awarded Davis honorary doctorate degrees.