Charles Bucke
Encyclopedia
Charles Bucke was an English
writer who, despite being poor most of his life, still managed to produce roughly eleven different works, each varying in number of volumes and topics.
. He worked for over thirty years on his publications, often recalling them repeatedly to re-edit them. This caused some of the same works to be published under different titles, most notably his two-volume series "The Philosophy of Nature, or the Influence of Scenery on the Heart and Mind", which he later expanded to four volumes under the title "On the Beauties, Harmonies, and Sublimities of Nature".
. In the dispute with Kean, Mr. Bucke relates that in 1817 he submitted his play "The Italians, or; The Fatal Accusation" to the Committee of Management at Drury Lane
where it was accepted and put on the bill for future performance. Upon the death of Princess Charlotte of Wales the theatre closed for three weeks out of respect and Bucke conceded his priority in favor of a play that was thought to better appeal to the feelings of the general public regarding the princess's death.
After various delays and assurances that the play was well-liked and would be performed, Kean made an offhand comment suggesting that one of the female supporting actors had a superior role than his and that his part should be rewritten to be more center-stage, much to the surprise of Bucke. After speaking with the theatre management, the issue was pushed aside in favor of focusing on the current production of a play by Jane Porter
that was to be shown in February 1819, who Kean had a personal dislike for. The play was performed and, according to Bucke who was at opening night (and also according to popular media at the time), it was almost as if the entire production staff and actors were against the play's performance.
Despite a concerted effort by some of the actors, Porter's play was a devastating failure and was not repeated a second time. Upon witnessing this spectacle and bearing in mind the strange reaction he'd received previously from Kean, he went back stage to the management and requested his play to be pulled. After being called back by the theatre's committee and the insistence of the theatre's benefactors that 'The Italians' still be performed, Mr. Bucke then later had it republished with a preface concerning the incident, including excerpts from correspondences between himself, the theatre, and Mr. Kean which was later challenged in two books, The Assailant Assailed and A Defense of Edmund Kean, Esq.. The ending result was loss of face on both sides and the play being performed anyway on April 3, 1819 to disastrous results due to the sensationalism surrounding Kean's contempt for the play as well as his behavior towards the production of Jane Porter's piece beforehand.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
writer who, despite being poor most of his life, still managed to produce roughly eleven different works, each varying in number of volumes and topics.
Life
Little is recorded concerning the life of Mr. Bucke, but he is remembered for his eloquence with nature writing and a dispute with the actor Edmund KeanEdmund Kean
Edmund Kean was an English actor, regarded in his time as the greatest ever.-Early life:Kean was born in London. His father was probably Edmund Kean, an architect’s clerk, and his mother was an actress, Anne Carey, daughter of the 18th century composer and playwright Henry Carey...
. He worked for over thirty years on his publications, often recalling them repeatedly to re-edit them. This caused some of the same works to be published under different titles, most notably his two-volume series "The Philosophy of Nature, or the Influence of Scenery on the Heart and Mind", which he later expanded to four volumes under the title "On the Beauties, Harmonies, and Sublimities of Nature".
Disputes with contemporaries
In the midst of writing, Mr. Bucke also clashed on occasion with fellow writers, and, in one instance, an actor, Edmund KeanEdmund Kean
Edmund Kean was an English actor, regarded in his time as the greatest ever.-Early life:Kean was born in London. His father was probably Edmund Kean, an architect’s clerk, and his mother was an actress, Anne Carey, daughter of the 18th century composer and playwright Henry Carey...
. In the dispute with Kean, Mr. Bucke relates that in 1817 he submitted his play "The Italians, or; The Fatal Accusation" to the Committee of Management at Drury Lane
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. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
where it was accepted and put on the bill for future performance. Upon the death of Princess Charlotte of Wales the theatre closed for three weeks out of respect and Bucke conceded his priority in favor of a play that was thought to better appeal to the feelings of the general public regarding the princess's death.
After various delays and assurances that the play was well-liked and would be performed, Kean made an offhand comment suggesting that one of the female supporting actors had a superior role than his and that his part should be rewritten to be more center-stage, much to the surprise of Bucke. After speaking with the theatre management, the issue was pushed aside in favor of focusing on the current production of a play by Jane Porter
Jane Porter
Jane Porter was a Scottish historical novelist and dramatist.-Life and work:Jane Porter was an avid reader. Said to rise at four in the morning in order to read and write, she read the whole of Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene while still a child...
that was to be shown in February 1819, who Kean had a personal dislike for. The play was performed and, according to Bucke who was at opening night (and also according to popular media at the time), it was almost as if the entire production staff and actors were against the play's performance.
Despite a concerted effort by some of the actors, Porter's play was a devastating failure and was not repeated a second time. Upon witnessing this spectacle and bearing in mind the strange reaction he'd received previously from Kean, he went back stage to the management and requested his play to be pulled. After being called back by the theatre's committee and the insistence of the theatre's benefactors that 'The Italians' still be performed, Mr. Bucke then later had it republished with a preface concerning the incident, including excerpts from correspondences between himself, the theatre, and Mr. Kean which was later challenged in two books, The Assailant Assailed and A Defense of Edmund Kean, Esq.. The ending result was loss of face on both sides and the play being performed anyway on April 3, 1819 to disastrous results due to the sensationalism surrounding Kean's contempt for the play as well as his behavior towards the production of Jane Porter's piece beforehand.