William E. Burton: Actor, Author, and Manager / A Sketch of his Career with Recollections of his Performances

A biographical sketch follows William E. Burton (1804–1860) from his London upbringing and early printing and editorial work into a theatrical career on the provincial circuits, a London debut, and later prominence as an actor-manager in New York. It chronicles the comic and Shakespearian roles that defined his reputation, his activities as author and theatre manager, and his devotion to collecting and studying Shakespeare. The volume includes character lists, contemporaneous recollections, discussions of his work in farce, comedy, and Shakespeare, portraits and playbills, and a concluding assessment of his career.