Augustus Thomas

Augustus Thomas

Infobox actor
name = Augustus Thomas
birthdate = 8 January, 1857
birthplace = St. Louis, Missouri, USA
deathdate = 12 August, 1934
deathplace = Nyack, New York USA


othername = Augustus Thomas
August Thomas
occupation = Playwright
yearsactive = 1913 - 1934
imdb_id = 0858501

Augustus Thomas (8 January, 1857 – 12 August, 1934) was an American playwright, born in St. Louis, Missouri. The son of a doctor, he worked a number of jobs including a page in the 41st Congress, studying law and gaining some practical railway work experience before he turned to journalism and became editor of the Kansas City "Mirror" in 1889. Thomas had been writing since his teens when he wrote plays and even organized a small theatrical touring company.

Thomas was hired to work as an assistant at Pope's Theatre in St. Louis. During this time, he wrote a one-act play based on a short story by Frances Hodgson Burnett called "The Burglar". After touring in the play, he expanded the show to four acts and was able to get Maurice Barrymore to play the title role. Subsequently, he was hired to succeed Dion Boucicault adapting foreign plays for the Madison Square Theatre.

His first original play, "Alabama" was produced in 1891 and its success allowed Thomas to write full time. "Alabama" is the story of an un-reconstructed Confederate. Notably, Thomas was one of the first playwrights to make use of American material. Other plays along the same lines include "Arizona" (1899), "In Mizzoura" (1893), "Colorado" (1901) and "Rio Grande" (1916). Perhaps his most successful play was "The Copperhead" (1918) which made Lionel Barrymore a star.

Thomas reached a high artistic level in "Arizona" and "The Witching Hour." A novelization of the latter appeared in 1908. He was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters, was awarded the National Institute's gold medal in 1913, and in 1914 received an honorary A. M. degree from Williams College. According to the "Oxford Companion to the Theatre", his plays are "on the whole, not profound, and provided entertainment of a kind acceptable to his audiences."

elected works

* "The Man Upstairs"
* "Oliver Goldsmith" (1899)
* "The Earl of Pawtucket" (1903)
* "The Other Girl"
* "Mrs. Leffingwell's Boots" (1905)
* "The Education of Mr. Pipp"
* "Jim Delancey"
* "The Embassy Ball"
* "The Witching Hour" (1907)
* "The Harvest Moon" (1909)
* "As a Man Thinks" (published 1911)
* "Indian Summer" Thomas reaches a high artistic level in "Arizona" and "The Witching Hour." A novelization of the latter appeared in 1908. He was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters, was awarded the National Institute's gold medal in 1913, and in 1914 received an honorary A. M. degree from Williams College. According to the "Oxford Companion to the Theatre", his plays are "on the whole, not profound, and provided entertainment of a kind acceptable to his audiences."

elected filmography

* The Family Secret (1924)
* The Bonnie Brier Bush (1921)

References

*NIE
*Hartnoll, Phyllis, ed. The Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 4th edition. London:Oxford UP, 1983. pps. 827-828.
*Moody, Richard. "Augustus Thomas". in Banham, Martin, ed. "The Cambridge Guide to Theatre", London:Cambridge UP, 1992.
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7387185 Find-A-Grave biography]

External links

*imdb|0858501
* [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=4371 Internet Broadway Database listing] .
* [http://www.wayneturney.20m.com/thomasaugustus.htm Bio] .
*

Persondata
NAME= Thomas, Augustus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Playwright
DATE OF BIRTH= 8 January, 1857
PLACE OF BIRTH= St. Louis, Missouri, USA
DATE OF DEATH= 12 August, 1934
PLACE OF DEATH= Nyack, New York USA


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Thomas (Familienname) — Thomas ist ein Familienname. Zur Etymologie des Namens siehe unter Thomas. Namensträger Inhaltsverzeichnis A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Augustus — For other uses of Octavius, see Octavius (disambiguation). For other uses of Octavian, see Octavian (disambiguation). For other uses of Augustus, see Augustus (disambiguation) …   Wikipedia

  • Thomas, Augustus — (1857 1934)    St. Louis born Augustus Thomas worked as a railroad man and journalist, and he considered a law career before he adapted Frances Hodgson Burnett s novel Editha s Burglar as a play for a local theatre. Revised in collaboration with… …   The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater

  • Augustus Williamson Bradford — Augustus Bradford Augustus Williamson Bradford (* 9. Januar 1806 in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland; † 1. März 1881 in Baltimore, Maryland) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und von 1862 bis 1866 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Augustus Stanley — Augustus Owesley Stanley Augustus Owesley Stanley (* 21. Mai 1867 in Shelbyville, Kentucky; † 12. August 1958 in Washington D. C.) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und Gouverneur von Kentucky …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Augustus John — fotografiert von George Charles Beresford, um 1920 Augustus Edwin John Order of Merit (* 4. Januar 1878 in Tenby, Pembrokeshire; † 31. Oktober 1961 in Fordingbridge, Hampshire) war ein britischer Maler d …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Augustus Pugin — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Augustus Pugin Iglesia de San Francisco Javier, por Augustus Pugin Nombre real Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin Nacimiento …   Wikipedia Español

  • Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin — (1 March 1812 – 14 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, and theorist of design, now best remembered for his work on churches and on the Houses of Parliament. He was the son of a French draughtsman, Augustus Charles Pugin, who… …   Wikipedia

  • Augustus Bradford — Augustus Williamson Bradford (* 9. Januar 1806 in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland; † 1. März 1881 in Baltimore, Maryland) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker un …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Augustus Saint-Gaudens — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Augustus Saint Gaudens en 1905 Augustus Saint Gaudens (1 de marzo de 1848 3 de agosto de 1907), fue el escultor irlandés nacido estadounidense de l …   Wikipedia Español

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”