The Contrast

The Contrast

Book by Royall Tyler
Adapted by Anthony Stimac
Music by Don Pippin
Lyrics by Steve Brown

The Contrast

The Contrast

Book by Royall Tyler
Adapted by Anthony Stimac
Music by Don Pippin
Lyrics by Steve Brown

Overview

In the first American comedy, written by Royall Tyler in 1787 and supposedly inspired by School for Scandal, the contrast is between Americans who decked themselves in powdered wigs and the land's more rough-and-ready countrymen. Is America to cultivate its own customs and manners, or is it to follow the fashions of Europe? The play contrasts Sheridan's fops with robust and honest Americans, and includes the role of the servant Jonathan, which would define the American comic image on the stage for many years.

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Authors

Author

Steve Brown

Author

Royall Tyler

Author

Anthony Stimac

Author

Don Pippin

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