A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Volume 13, Roach to H. Siddons: Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers, and Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660-1800 ... Dictionary of Actors & Actresses, 1660-1800)

like The Works Already Published, These Latest Volumes Of The Biographical Dictionary Deal With Theatre People Of Every Ilk, Ranging From Dressers And One-performance Actors To Trumpeter John Shore (inventor Of The Tuning Fork) And The Incomparable Sarah Siddons. also Prominent Is Susanna Rowson, A Novelist, Actress, And Early Female Playwright. Although Born Into A British Military Family, Rowson Often Wrote Plays That Dealt With Patriotic American Themes And Spent Much Of Her Career On The American Stage. the Theatrical Jewel Of These Volumes Is The Divine Sarah Siddons: She Raised The Tragedy To The Skies, Wrote William Hazlitt, And Embodied To Our Imagination The Fables Of Mythology, Of The Heroic And Dignified Mortals Of Elder Time. She Endured Much Tragedy Herself, Including A Crippling Debilitating Illness And The Deaths Of Five Of Her Seven Children. Siddons Played Major Roles In Both Comedy And Tragedy, Not The Least Of Which Was A Performance As Hamlet. booknews like The Earlier Volumes In This Remarkable Series, Volumes 13 And 14 (see Also Following Entry) Deal With Theatre People Of Most Every Sort, From Dressers And One-performance Actors To Trumpeter John Shore (inventor Of The Tuning Fork) And The Legendary Sarah Siddons. Among The Many Players In Volume 13 Is Senesino (the Castrato Francesco Bernardi), A Singer Who Was Idolized By The Opera Lovers Of London. Annotation C. Book News, Inc., Portland, Or (booknews.com) To be completed in 12 volumes, this monumental work here begins publica­tion with the first two volumes--Abaco to Bertie and Bertin to Byzard. When completed, it is expected that the bio­graphical dictionary will include informa­tion on more than 8,500 individuals. Hundreds of printed sources have been searched for this project, and dozens of repositories combed, and the names of personnel listed have been filtered through parish registers whenever possible. From published and unpublished sources, from wills, archives of professional societies and guilds, from records of colleges, uni­versities, and clubs, and from the contri­butions of selfless scholars, the authors have here assembled material which illuminates theatrical and musical activity in London in the 1660-1800 period. The information here amassed will doubtless be augmented by other spe­cialists in Restoration and eighteenth-century theatre and drama, but it is not likely that the number of persons now known surely or conjectured finally to have been connected with theatrical en­terprise in this period will ever be in­creased considerably. Certainly, the contributions made here add immeasurably to existing knowledge, and in a number of instances correct standard histories or reference works. The accompanying illustrations, esti­mated to be some 1,400 likenesses--at least one picture of each subject for whom a portrait exists--may prove to be a use­ful feature of the Work. The authors have gone beyond embellishment of the text, and have attempted to list all origi­nal portraits any knowledge of which is now recoverable, and have tried to ascer­tain the present location of portraits in every medium -- Provided by the publisher Annotation. Like the works already published, these latest volumes of theBiographical Dictionarydeal with theatre people of every ilk, ranging from dressers and one-performance actors to trumpeter John Shore (inventor of the tuning fork) and the incomparable Sarah Siddons. Also prominent is Susanna Rowson, a novelist, actress, and early female playwright. Although born into a British military family, Rowson often wrote plays that dealt with patriotic American themes and spent much of her career on the American stage. The theatrical jewel of these volumes is the "divine Sarah" Siddons: "She raised the tragedy to the skies," wrote William Hazlitt, and "embodied to our imagination the fables of mythology, of the heroic and dignified mortals of elder time." She endured much tragedy herself, including a crippling debilitating illness and the deaths of five of her seven children. Siddons played major roles in both comedy and tragedy, not the least of which was a performance as Hamlet