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The Rivals
The Rivals
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Author: Richard Brinsley Sheridan Publisher: Samuel French (cover may change) Format: Softcover Edition: Acting ISBN-10: 0874405564 ISBN-13: 9780874405569 Cast Size: 4 female, 12 male
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About
the Play:
The Rivals is a full-length comedy by Richard Brinsley
Sheridan. Wealthy captain Jack Absolute pretends to be poor
officer Ensign Beverley to win the romantic Lydia in Richard Brinsley
Sheridan's timeless comedy, which also features such characters as
oafish Bob Acres, temper-prone Sir Lucius O'Trigger and the immortal
Mrs. Malaprop, whose frequent confusion of words and their meanings
coined the term "malapropism." Especially recommended for
school and contest use.
The Rivals is one of the funniest plays ever written (and
only one of a handful of comedies from the 18th century that is still
regularly performed). Set in Bath, a British resort town, The
Rivals is a rollicking comedy of manners and mistaken identities
that details just how far a group of society well-to-dos will go in
order to capture the elusive magic of love. Miss Lydia Languish, an
idealistic and wealthy young woman, insists on marrying a poor man
for the sake of true love; as a result, the equally wealthy Captain
Jack Absolute, who loves Lydia body and soul, must offer himself to
her in the guise of a poor naval officer. A number of secondary
characters take part in Jack's pursuit, including the acrimonious Sir
Anthony Absolute, Jack's father; the infamously misspoken Mrs.
Malaprop, Lydia's aunt; and the likeable Bob Acres, Jack's former
friend and future foe. Filled with extravagant characters, exuberant
energy and numerous farcical devices, The Rivals is a
brilliant comic masterpiece satirizing the pretentiousness and
sentimentality of 18th-century society.
The Rivals was Richard Brinsley Sheridan's first
play. It was first performed in 1775 at Covent Garden Theatre, and
this charming comedy of manners continues to be widely performed in regional, middle school, high school, college, and community theatre productions.
Cast: 4 female, 12 male
About the Playwright:
Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816) was a famous
Irish-born playwright and poet, best known for his stage plays The
School for Scandal and The Rivals. For many years he owned
and managed the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, located in London's West
End. In addition to his literary pursuits he also found time to be a
Member of Parliament, serving the Whig party in three different
constituencies over a period of thirty two years.
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