Diplomacy is an 1878 English play which is a translation and adaptation by B. C. Stephenson and Clement Scott of the 1877 French play Dora by Victorien Sardou.[1] It saw frequent revivals and was a popular play for over fifty years.[2]

History

Eleanor Calhoun as Dora in Diplomacy, 1885

Sardou's original play debuted in Paris in January 1877, and was a success, making it ripe for "adaptation" into English. B. C. Stephenson and Clement Scott had previously adapted the Sardou play Nos Intimes for the Bancrofts, under the name Peril to great success, and thus they were engaged to adapt Dora as well (with contributions by the Bancrofts) for use at the Princes of Wales Theatre.[3] Diplomacy was described by the English theatrical paper The Era as "the great dramatic hit of the season".[4] From 12 January 1878 to 10 January 1879 it ran on a single bill and long held a record as the only English theatre production to stay unchanged for a year.[5] A revival opening on 8 November 1884 by the Bancrofts at The Haymarket ran for another 117 performances.[5] Later English revivals occurred in 1893 at the Garrick, in 1913 (featuring Owen Nares and Gladys Cooper) at Wyndham's, in 1924 at the Adelphi, and at Prince's in 1933.[6][7]

Diplomacy had its Broadway debut at Wallack's Theatre on 1 April 1878[8] and played until 15 June, the end of the season.[9] It remained a favorite play whenever revived by the Wallack company. It saw Broadway revivals in 1892 at the Star Theatre,[10][11] in 1901 at the Empire (produced by Charles Frohman, 56 perf.),[12] a 1910 revival at Maxine Elliott's Theatre (33 perf.), another Frohman revival at the Empire in 1914 (63 perf.), and a 1928 revival at Erlanger's Theatre (40 perf.).[13][14]

The Jitney Players touring company performed an updated version of the play by Ethel Barrymore in 1938.[15][16]

Original London cast (1878)

Original Broadway cast (1878)

Adaptations

F.C. Burnand wrote an 1878 burlesque of the play called Dora and Diplunacy.[17]

It was adapted to silent films in 1916 and 1926. A BBC radio version aired in June 1938.[6]

References

  1. ↑ (1 December 1878). "French Authors and English Adapters", The Theatre, pp. 329-332
  2. ↑ Ayres, Brenda, ed. New Women Fiction, 1881-1899, p. 300 n.27
  3. ↑ (January 1907). Stage History of Famous Plays, The Theatre, pp. 19–20
  4. ↑ The Era, 23 June 1878, p. 12
  5. 1 2 Mackie, W. Craven The Bancrofts' Repertory, 1865 to 1885, Educational Theatre Journal, Vol. 27, No. 1 (Mar., 1975), pp. 98-110
  6. 1 2 3 "Ronald Squire and Yvone Arnaud in Diplomacy", Genome Radio Times, BBC, Retrieved 10 December 2020
  7. ↑ (5 February 1928). "Diplomacy" and Sardou, Sunday Star (Washington, D.C.) (discussion of its translations)
  8. 1 2 (1 April 1878). Amusements, New York Tribune (advertisement for opening night on Broadway, includes cast listing)
  9. ↑ (15 June 1878). Amusements, New York Tribune (advertisement for "positively last night" of the production)
  10. ↑ Dale, Alan (25 October 1892). "Diplomacy", The World
  11. ↑ (18 October 1914). Great Casts in 'Diplomacy', The Argus (Albany, NY)
  12. ↑ (November 1914). A Triple Alliance of the Stage, The Theatre, pp. 214-18, 240
  13. ↑ (29 May 1928). 'Diplomacy' in Revival Stands Test of Time, The New York Times, p. 16
  14. ↑ Second Thoughts on First Nights; On Reviving Sardou--Something of the History of the Adaptation Called "Diplomacy", The New York Times
  15. ↑ (8 July 1938). "Jitney Players Will Begin Tour with Diplomacy", The New York Times ("The Jitney Players start out on their wanderings tonight at Eaglesmere, Pa., with Ethel Barrymore Colt's modern version of Sardou's 'Diplomacy'.")
  16. ↑ (4 February 1938). Jitney Players to Offer Nineteenth Century Play, The Daily Tar Heel
  17. ↑ Program (1878), Love Theatre Programmes, Retrieved 10 December 2020
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