Citizendia
Your Ad Here

For other persons named David Garrick, see David Garrick (disambiguation). David Garrick may refer to David Garrick (1717 – 1779 British actor playwright theatre manager and producer David Byron (1947 -
David Garrick by Thomas Gainsborough.
David Garrick by Thomas Gainsborough. Thomas Gainsborough (christened 14 May 1727 &ndash died 2 August 1788 was one of the most famous portrait and landscape painters of 18th century Britain.

David Garrick (born 19 February 1717 in Hereford – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of theatrical practice throughout the 18th century and was a pupil and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson. Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum Year 1717 ( MDCCXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Hereford ( ˈhɛrɨfəd is a city, Civil parish and County town of Herefordshire, England. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1779 ( MDCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or Drama. A theatre director or stage director is a practitioner in the Theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production (a play, A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. Samuel Johnson (often referred to as Dr Johnson) (18 September He appeared in a number of amateur theatricals, and with his appearance in the title role of Shakespeare's Richard III audiences and managers began to take notice. William Shakespeare ( baptised Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591 Impressed by his portrayals of Richard III and a number of other roles, Charles Fleetwood engaged Garrick for a season at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The Theatre Royal Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. He remained with the Drury Lane company for the next five years and purchased a share of the theatre with James Lacy. This purchase inaugurated twenty-nine years of Garrick's management of the Drury Lane, during which time, it rose to prominence as one of the leading theatres in Europe. At his death, three years after his retirement from Drury Lane and the stage, he was given a lavish public funeral at Westminster Abbey where he was laid in Poet's Corner. The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large mainly Gothic church Poets’ Corner is the name traditionally given to a section of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey due to the number of Poets Playwrights and

As an actor, Garrick promoted realistic acting that departed from the bombastic style that was entrenched when Garrick first came to prominence. His acting delighted many audiences and his direction of many of the top actors of the English stage influenced their styles as well. Furthermore, during his tenure as manager of Drury Lane, Garrick sought to reform audience behaviour. While this led to some discontent among the theatre-going public, many of his reforms eventually did take hold. In addition to audiences, Garrick sought reform in production matters, bringing an over-arching consistency to productions that included scenery, costumes and even special effects. Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a setting for a Theatrical production The term costume can refer to Wardrobe and dress in general or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people class or period

Garrick's influence extended into the literary side of theatre as well. Critics are almost unanimous in saying he was not a good playwright, but his work in bringing Shakespeare to contemporary audiences is notable. In addition, he adapted many older plays in the repertoire that might have been forgotten. These included many plays of the Restoration era. The English Restoration, or simply The Restoration began in 1660 when the English monarchy, Scottish monarchy and Irish monarchy were restored Indeed, while influencing the theatre towards a better standard he also gained a better reputation for theatre folk. This accomplishment led Samuel Johnson to remark that "his profession made him rich and he made his profession respectable. "

Contents

Biography

Early life

Garrick was born into a family with French Huguenot roots that could be traced to the Languedoc region of southern France. The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth Languedoc ( in French Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former Province of France, now continued in the modern-day ''régions'' of Languedoc-Roussillon Garrick's great-grandfather, David Garric, was in Bordeaux in 1685 when the Edict of Nantes was abolished, revoking the rights of Protestants in France. ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate The Edict of Nantes was issued on April 13, 1598 by Henry IV of France to grant the Calvinist Protestants of Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. David Garrick fled to London and his son, Peter who was an infant at the time, was later smuggled out by a nurse when he was deemed old enough to make the journey. David Garrick became a British subject upon his arrival in Britain and anglicized the name to Garrick. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands [1] At the time of David Garrick's birth in 1717, the family was living in the city of Hereford moving to Lichfield, home to Garrick's mother, shortly after his birth. Hereford ( ˈhɛrɨfəd is a city, Civil parish and County town of Herefordshire, England. Lichfield is a city and Civil parish in Staffordshire, England. His father, Captain Peter Garrick, was an army recruiting officer stationed, through most of young Garrick's childhood, in Gibraltar. Gibraltar (dʒɨˈbrɒltər is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar [2] Garrick was the third of five children and his younger brother, George (1723-1779), would be an aide to David for the remainder of his life. Playwright and actor, Charles Dibdin, recorded that George, discovering his brother's absence would often inquire "Did David want me?" Upon Garrick's death in 1779, it was noted that George died forty-eight hours later, leading some to speculate that "David wanted him. Charles Dibdin ( 4 March 1745 ? &ndash 25 July 1814) British Musician, Dramatist, Novelist, "[3] His nephew, Nathan Garrick, married Martha Leigh, daughter of Sir Egerton Leigh, Bart and sister of Sir Samuel Egerton Leigh, author of Munster Abbey; a Romance: Interspersed with Reflections on Virtue and Morality (Edinburgh 1797). Edward Julian Egerton Leigh (born 20 July 1950) is a UK Politician. There have been six Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Leigh, two in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Ireland, one in the

Playbill from Garrick's debut as Richard III.
Playbill from Garrick's debut as Richard III.

At the age of nineteen, Garrick, who had been educated at Lichfield Grammar School, enrolled in Samuel Johnson's Edial Hall School. King Edward VI School Lichfield is a co-educational Comprehensive school near the heart of the city of Lichfield, Staffordshire, England Samuel Johnson (often referred to as Dr Johnson) (18 September Edial Hall School was a school established in 1735 by Samuel Johnson at Edial, near Lichfield. Garrick showed an enthusiasm for the theatre very early on and he appeared in a school production around this time in the role of Sergeant Kite in George Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer. George Farquhar (1677 or 1678 – April 29, 1707) was an Irish Dramatist. The Recruiting Officer is a 1706 play by the Irish writer George Farquhar, which follows the social and sexual exploits of two officers the womanising Plume and the After Johnson's school was closed, he and Garrick, now friends, travelled to London together in order to seek their fortunes. Upon his arrival in 1737, Garrick and his brother became partners in a wine business with operations in both London and Lichfield with David taking the London operation. [4] The business did not flourish, possibly due to Garrick's distraction by amateur theatricals. Playwright Samuel Foote remarked that he had known Garrick to have only three quarts of vinegar in his cellar and still calling himself a wine merchant. Samuel Foote (January 1720 &ndash October 21, 1777) was an English Dramatist, Actor and Theatre manager from Cornwall Vinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the Fermentation of Ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient Acetic acid (also called ethanoic acid [5]

Have mercy, Jesu! Soft! I did but dream. O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me! -- Shakespeare's Richard III Act V, Sc. 3. David Garrick in 1745 as Richard III just before the battle of Bosworth Field, his sleep having been haunted by the ghosts of those he has murdered, wakes to the realization that he is alone in the world and death is imminent. Painting by English painter, William Hogarth.
Have mercy, Jesu! Soft! I did but dream. O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me! -- Shakespeare's Richard III Act V, Sc. 3. David Garrick in 1745 as Richard III just before the battle of Bosworth Field, his sleep having been haunted by the ghosts of those he has murdered, wakes to the realization that he is alone in the world and death is imminent. The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field ( 22 August, 1485) was Lancastrian Henry Tudor's defeat of Yorkist Richard Painting by English painter, William Hogarth. William Hogarth (10 November 1697 &ndash 26 October 1764 was a major English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic

In 1740, four years after Garrick's arrival in London and with his wine business failing, he saw his first play, a satire, Lethe: or Aesop in the Shade, produced at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human The Theatre Royal Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. [6] Within a year he was appearing professionally playing small parts at the Goodman's Fields Theatre under the management of Henry Giffard. There were two theatres bearing the name Goodman's Fields Theatre located on Ayliffe Street Whitechapel, London. The Goodman's Fields Theatre had been shuttered by the Licensing Act of 1737 which closed all theatres that did not hold the letters patent and required all plays to be approved by the Lord Chamberlain before performance. For the Act concerning the licensing of premises to sell alcohol see Licensing Act 2003. The patent theatres were the Theatres that were licensed to perform "spoken Drama " after the English Restoration of Charles II in 1660 The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom, and is to be distinguished Garrick's performances at the theatre was a result of Giffard's help with Garrick's wine business. Giffard had helped Garrick win the business of the Bedford Coffee-house, an establishment patronized by many theatrical and literary people and a location Garrick frequented. [7]

Professional actor

He made his debut as a professional actor at Ipswich in 1741 in Oroonoko or the Royal Slave, a play by the British dramatist Thomas Southerne. He also joined a summer tour to Ipswich with Giffard's troupe, where he played Aboan in Southerne's Oroonoko, appearing under the stage name Lyddal to avoid the consternation of his family. Ipswich ( ˈɪpswɪtʃ is a Non-metropolitan district and the County town of Suffolk, England on the Estuary of the River Orwell Thomas Southerne ( 1660 - May 22, 1746) Irish Dramatist, was born at Oxmantown, near Dublin, in 1660 and entered Oroonoko is a short Novel by Aphra Behn ( June 10 1640 &ndash April 16 1689) published in 1688 [8] But, while he was successful under Giffard, the managers of Drury Lane and Covent Garden rejected him. WikipediaWikiProject Opera --> The Royal Opera House is an Opera house and major performing [9] On 19 October 1741, Garrick appeared in the title role of Richard III. He had been coached in the role by actor and playwright Charles Macklin and his natural performance, which rejected the declamatory acting style so prevalent in the period, soon was the talk of London. Charles Macklin ( September 26, 1690 &ndash July 11, 1797) originally Cathal MacLochlainn was an actor and dramatist born in Culdaff a village Of his performance at Goodman's Fields, Horace Walpole remarked, "there was a dozen dukes a night at Goodman's Fields. Horace Walpole 4th Earl of Orford ( 24 September, 1717 &ndash 2 March, 1797) more commonly known as Horace Walpole, was a politician "[10] Following his rousing performance, Garrick wrote to his brother requesting withdrawal from the partnership in order to devote his time completely to the stage. Having found success with Richard III, Garrick moved onto a number of other roles including Tate's adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear and Pierre in Otway's Venice Preserv'd as well as comic roles such as Bayes in Buckingham's The Rehearsal; a total of 18 roles in all in just the first six months of his acting career. The History of King Lear is an adaptation by Nahum Tate of William Shakespeare 's King Lear. King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606 and is considered one of his greatest works Thomas Otway ( March 3, 1652 – April 14, 1685) was an English Dramatist of the Restoration period Venice Preserv'd is an English Restoration play written by Thomas Otway, and the most significant Tragedy of the English stage in George Villiers 2nd Duke of Buckingham, KG, PC, FRS (10 January 1628 – 16 April 1687 was an English Statesman and poet The Rehearsal was a satirical play aimed specifically at John Dryden and generally at the sententious and overly ambitious theater of the Restoration His success led Alexander Pope, who saw him perform three times during this period, to surmise, "that young man never had his equal as an actor, and he will never have a rival. Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 – 30 May 1744 is generally regarded as the greatest English Poet of the eighteenth century best known for his Satirical "[11]

With his success at Goodman's Fields, Charles Fleetwood, manager of Drury Lane, engaged Garrick to play Chaumont on Otway's The Orphan (a role he first played in Ipswich[12]) on 11 May 1742 while he used his letters patent to close down Giffard's theatre. Letters patent are a type of Legal instrument in the form of an Open letter issued by a Monarch or Government, granting an office right [13] That same month, Garrick played King Lear opposite Margaret "Peg" Woffington as Cordelia and his popular Richard III. Margaret "Peg" Woffington (c 1720 - 26 March 1760) was an Irish actress, the toast of Georgian London. [14] With these successes, Fleetwood engaged Garrick for the full 1742-43 season. [15]

At Drury Lane

Garrick (right) as Abel Drugger in Jonson's The Alchemist painted by Johann Zoffany.
Garrick (right) as Abel Drugger in Jonson's The Alchemist painted by Johann Zoffany. Johann Zoffany, Zoffani or Zauffelij (b March 13, 1733 &ndash November 11, 1810) was a German neoclassical

At the end of the London season, Garrick, along with Peg Woffington, traveled to Dublin for the summer season at the Theatre Royal, Smock Lane. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. At one stage in the history of the theatre in Britain and Ireland, the designation Theatre Royal or Royal Theatre was an indication that the theatre was granted a While in Dublin, Garrick added two new roles to his repertoire: Shakespeare's Hamlet, Abel Drugger in Ben Jonson's The Alchemist (a role that garnered him much acclaim[16]) and Captain Plume in Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer. Hamlet is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 Benjamin Jonson ( c 11 June 1572 &ndash 6 August 1637) was an English Renaissance Dramatist The Alchemist is a Comedy by English playwright Ben Jonson. First performed in 1610 by the King's Men, it is generally [17] Some of his success could be attributed to one of his earliest fans, John Boyle, 5th Earl of Cork, who wrote letters to many noblemen and gentlemen recommending Garrick's acting. John Boyle 5th Earl of Cork and 5th Earl of Orrery, FRS ( 13 January 1707 – 16 November 1762) was a Writer and a friend His writings led Garrick to exclaim that it must have been the reason he was "more caressed" in Dublin. [18]

Five years after joining the acting company at Drury Lane, Garrick again traveled to Dublin for a season where he managed and directed at the Smock Alley Theatre in conjunction with Thomas Sheridan, the father of Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Thomas Sheridan (1719 &ndash August 14, 1788) was an Irish stage Actor, an Educator, and a major proponent of the elocution movement Richard Brinsley Sheridan (30 October 1751 &ndash 7 July 1816 was an Irish playwright and Whig Statesman. After his return to London, he spent some time acting at Covent Garden under John Rich while a farce of his, Miss in Her Teens, was also produced there. John Rich (1692 - 1761 was an important director and theatre manager in 18th century London. A farce is a Comedy written for the stage or film which aims to Entertain the audience by means of unlikely extravagant and improbable situations disguise and mistaken

David Garrick and his wife, Eva Marie Veigel, painted by William Hogarth. This painting is in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.
David Garrick and his wife, Eva Marie Veigel, painted by William Hogarth. William Hogarth (10 November 1697 &ndash 26 October 1764 was a major English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic This painting is in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. The Royal Collection is the art collection of the British Royal Family. Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited Castle in the world and dating back to the time of

With the end of the 1746-1747 season, Fleetwoods' patent on Drury Lane expired in partnership with James Lacy, Garrick took over the theatre in April of 1747. The theatre had been in a decline for some years, but the partnership of Garrick and Lacy led to success and accolades. The first performance under Garrick and Lacy's management opened with an Ode to Drury Lane Theatre, on dedicating a Building and erecting a Statue, to Shakespeare read by Garrick and written by his friend, Dr. Johnson. The ode promised the patrons that "The drama's law the drama's patrons give,/For we that live to please must please to live. " Certainly this statement could be regarded as succinctly summing up Garrick's management at Drury Lane where he was able to balance both artistic integrity and the fickle tastes of the public.

After the Woffington affair and a number of other botched love affairs, Garrick met Eva Marie Veigel (1724-1822), a German dancer in opera choruses who emigrated to London in 1746. Eva Marie Veigel (also Eva Maria Violette, with variants Eva Maria and Ava-Maria) ( February 29, 1724, Vienna - October The pair wed on June 22, 1749 and were preserved together in several portraits, including one by William Hogarth. William Hogarth (10 November 1697 &ndash 26 October 1764 was a major English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic Hogarth also made several drawings and paintings of them separately. The union was childless but happy, Garrick calling her "the best of women and wives", and they were famously inseparable throughout their nearly 30 years of marriage.

Garrick would manage the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane until his retirement from management in 1776. In his last years he continued to add roles to his repertoire; Posthumus in Cymbeline was among his last famous roles. This article is about Shakespeare's play For the mythical British king see Cunobelinus. He died less than three years later, at his house in Adelphi Buildings, London[19] and was interred in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. Adelphi (Greek adelphoi, "brothers" is a district of London, England in the City of Westminster. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Poets’ Corner is the name traditionally given to a section of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey due to the number of Poets Playwrights and The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large mainly Gothic church Mrs. Garrick survived her husband by 43 years.

An easy, natural manner

Perhaps it was Garrick's acting, the most showy of his careers, that brought him the most adulation. Garrick was not a large man, only standing 5'4" and his voice is not described as particularly loud. From his first performance, Garrick departed from the bombastic style that had been popular, choosing instead a more relaxed, naturalistic style that biographer Alan Kendall states "would probably seem quite normal to us today, but it was new and strange for his day. " Certainly this new style brought acclamation: Alexander Pope stated, "he was afraid the young man would be spoiled, for he would have no competitior. Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 – 30 May 1744 is generally regarded as the greatest English Poet of the eighteenth century best known for his Satirical " and Garrick quotes George Lyttelton as complimenting him by saying, "He told me he never knew what acting was till I appeared. George Lyttelton may be George Lyttelton 1st Baron Lyttelton (1709&ndash1773 English politician George Lyttelton 4th Baron Lyttelton " Even James Quin, an actor in the old style remarked, "If this young fellow be right, then we have been all wrong. James Quin ( 24 February 1693 – 21 January 1766) was an English actor of Irish descent "

While Garrick's praises were being sung by many, there were some detractors. Theophilus Cibber in his Two Dissertations on the Theatres of 1756 believed that Garrick's realistic style went too far:

His over-fondness for extravagant attitudes, frequently affected starts, convulsive twitchings, jerkings of the body, sprawling of the fingers, flapping the breast and pockets; a set of mechanical motions in constant use; the caricatures of gesture, suggested by pert vivacity; his pantomimical manner of acting, every word in a sentence, his unnatural pauses in the middle of a sentence; his forced conceits; his wilful neglect of harmony, even where the round period of a well-expressed noble sentiment demands a graceful cadence in the delivery. Theophilus Cibber ( November 26, 1703 - 1758 was an English Actor, Playwright, author and son of the actor-manager Colley Cibber

But Garrick's legacy was perhaps best surmised by Rev Nicolas Tindal, the historian, when he said that:

The 'deaf' hear him in his 'action, and the 'blind' see him in his 'voice'. Nicolas Tindal ( 1687 - 27 June 1774) was the translator and continuer of the History of England by Paul de Rapin. [20]

Legacy

"I am disappointed by that stroke of death that has eclipsed the gaiety of nations, and impoverished the public stock of harmless pleasure. Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. "

Major works

A Scene from "The Farmer's Return" by David Garrick. David Garrick as the Farmer and Mrs. Bradshaw as the Farmer's Wife
A Scene from "The Farmer's Return" by David Garrick. A bone fracture (sometimes abbreviated # or Fx or Fx) is a medical condition in which a Bone is cracked or broken " Break a leg " is a well-known saying in Theatre which means " good luck " David Garrick as the Farmer and Mrs. Bradshaw as the Farmer's Wife

References

Notes

  1. ^ Kendall, p. 12.
  2. ^ Britannica.
  3. ^ Kendall, p. 13.
  4. ^ Hartnoll, p. 315.
  5. ^ Britannica.
  6. ^ Kendall, p. 17.
  7. ^ Kendall, p. 19.
  8. ^ Holland, p. 411.
  9. ^ Hartnoll, p. 315.
  10. ^ Freedley, p. 290.
  11. ^ Britannica
  12. ^ Woods, p. 291.
  13. ^ Hartnoll, p. 231.
  14. ^ Kendall, p. 27
  15. ^ Hartnoll, p. 315.
  16. ^ Hartnoll, p. 315.
  17. ^ Woods, p. 291.
  18. ^ Kendall, p. 26.
  19. ^ The Strand, southern tributaries - continued, Old and New London: Volume 3 (1878), pp. 100-110 accessed: 30 May 2008
  20. ^ Nichols, John (1812) 'Literary Anecdotes' Article on Nicolas Tindal
  21. ^ Tom Dale Keever (1995-12-18). Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Richard III as rewritten by Colley Cibber. Primary Texts and Secondary Sources On-line. Richard III Society — American Branch. Retrieved on 2008-04-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I.

External links

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic