Milton the Dramatist

Appendix

175 APPENDIX Stagings, dramatic readings, and adaptations of Samson Agonistes, arranged (where known) by date and type, auspices, director/producer and/or company, and number of performances.1 1717 French adaptation by Luigi Riccoboni. The Italian Theatre, Paris. 1739 “Samson” Mit en Vers. French adaptation by Jean-Antoine Romagnesi. The Italian Theatre, Paris.2 1739 Dramatic Reading, Earl of Shaftesbury’s home. G. F. Handel, accompanist. 1743– Oratorio by G. F. Handel and Newburgh Hamilton. present Covent Garden Theatre. Multiple performances. 1900 Full Staging. Premiered April 7 at the Lecture Theatre, Victoria and Albert Museum; repeated shortly after at St. George’s Hall. William Poel. 2 performances. 1908 Full Staging. Revival of 1900 show in honor of Milton Tercentenary. Lecture Theatre, Burlington Gardens; Memorial Hall; Farringdon Street; Whitworth Hall (Manchester University); Bedford Corn Exchange; New Theatre (Cambridge University). 6 performances. William Poel. 1921 Princeton University. 1925 (?) Produced in Birmingham (U.K.). Stuart Vinden.3 1930 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield. Two performances. 176 Appendix 1930 (?) Boar’s Hill Theatre. John Masefield.4 1930 Full staging. Gardens of Exeter College (Oxford), Dramatic Society. Nevill Coghill.5 1933 Full Staging. The Cranleigh School, Guildford (U.K.). Michael Redgrave.6 1935 “The King-Maker”: One-act radio drama, BBC. 1936 Full Staging. Tewkesbury Festival. Nevill Coghill.7 1938 Full Staging. Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich. Nugent Monck, Norwich Players. 1950 (?) Full Staging (?). African Production.8 1951 Full Staging. All Souls’ College, Oxford. Nevill Coghill. 5 performances (?). 1951 Full Staging. St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Ruth Spalding, The Rock Players. Approximately 20 performances. 1955 Full Staging. The Guildhall School. George Bartenieff. 2 performances. 1956 Ludlow Festival, Wales. 2 performances. 1957 Full Staging (?). Phoenix Theatre Group, Birmingham (U.K.).9 1959 Full Staging (?). Dartmouth College. 1960 (?) Hillbarn Theatre, San Mateo, Calif.10 1961 Full Staging. Harrow County School. Harrow Dramatic Society.11 1961 “Visionary Recital.” Balletic adaptation for two dancers. 54th Street Theatre, New York, N.Y.; revived in 1962 under the title Samson Agonistes at the Broadway Theatre. Score by Robert Starer. Created by Martha Graham, who also danced the role of Delilah.12 1964 (?) Dramatic Reading, Tufts University Chapel.13 1965 Full Staging. Arnaud Theatre, Guildford. Sir Michael Redgrave. 1967 Sound Recording. Dir. Peter Wood. Perf. Michael Redgrave, Faith Brook, Daniel Massey. LP. Caedmon Records. 1971 Dramatic Reading. University Theater, Southern Illinois University. Tercentenary of first publication of Samson Agonistes. Stella Revard. 1973 Staged version, Poland.14 1978 Partial Staging. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Ann Arbor, Mich., Frank L. Huntley, The Saint Andrew’s Players.15 1979 Reader’s Theater. Le Moyne Forum on Religion and Literature , Syracuse, N.Y. William P. Shaw.16 1980 One-man Show. Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 1982 Full Staging (?). University of Ottawa. Dennis Danielson. 1984 Full Staging. Chalfont (U.K.). Parish church (?).17 1985 Full Staging. Yale Drama School. Phyllis Look. 3 performances. 1994 Samson Agonistes: Libretto for Bass Voice and Choir. Matthew Power, composer; Michelene Wandor, librettist. Hillingdon (U.K.) Church. 1998 Full Staging. East Halifax (U.K.). Barry Rutter, Northern Broadsides Company. 1999 Full Staging. Fringe Festival: Minnesota Community Theater, Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis, Minn. 2003 Dramatic Reading. German Evangelical Church (New York, N.Y.). Nancy Bogen, The Lark Ascending Company. 2 performances.18 2003 Dramatic Reading. 92nd Street Y (New York, N.Y.). Bryn Mawr College. Robert Scanlan, The Lark Ascending Company. 2 performances. 2003 Partially Staged Dramatic Reading. Southeast Renaissance Conference, Beaufort, S.C. Roy Flannagan. Appendix 177 ...