Henry M. Milner was a 19th-century British

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

and author of

melodramas A melodrama is a dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on dial ...

and popular

tragedies A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsis, or a "pain ...

. Milner wrote numerous plays, including two popular equestrian dramas/

hippodrama Hippodrama, horse drama, or equestrian drama is a genre of theatrical show blending circus Equestrianism, horsemanship display with popular melodrama theatre. Definition Kimberly Poppiti defines hippodrama as "plays written or performed to includ ...

s featuring live horses on stage. These are: ''Mazeppa; or, the Wild Horse of Tartary'' (which was based on Lord Byron's 1819 poem), which kicked off a wave of interest in the legend and ''Dick Turpin's Ride to York; or, Bonny black Bess'', about the famous highwayman and his horse. Both of these plays included great spectacle in performance and enjoyed great popular success during the mid to late nineteenth century. ''Mazeppa'' was extremely popular and often produced; it is recalled as one of, if not the most, significant and popular equestrian drama of all time. Another of Milner's noteworthy and successful works is, ''The Man and The Monster; or The Fate of Frankenstein'', with O. Smith as The Monster and which opened on 3 July 1826 at the Royal Coburg Theatre (now known as

The Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. It was established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...

), eight years after

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ( , ; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of science fiction# ...

's ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...

'' was published. Subsequent film adaptations follow Milner's example, in making Frankenstein's monstrous creation a pivotal scene.

Partial list of works

* * * (See Cultural legacy of Mazeppa#The 1830s-1860s) * * * * * * * * *

References

External links

"Frankenstein: or The Man and the Monster." A Romantic Melo-Drama, in Two Acts. FOUNDED PRINCIPALLY ON MRS. SHELLEY'S SINGULAR WORK ENTITLED "FRANKENSTEIN; OR, THE MODERN PROMETHEUS" And partly on the French piece, "Le Magicien et le Monstre."
at University of Pennsylvania British dramatists and playwrights Year of birth missing Year of death missing British male dramatists and playwrights {{UK-playwright-stub

See also

Partial list of works

References

External links