Overview

Opening in 1845 to immediate critical and financial success, Mowatt's play is a satire of America's obsession with highbrow taste and cultural distinction. Fashion was a big hit for actress-turned-playwright Anna Cora Mowatt and has since been cited as the best American comedy of the 19th century.

One of the most popular plays of early American theatre now adapted for one-act play use. This classic contrasts the foibles of New York society and its garish imitation of foreign manners with the true Americanism of sterling rural types like Adam Trueman. The goodness and unabashed patriotism of this old farmer from Catteraugus prevail in the end against the pretension of Mrs. Tiffany - a lady who believes herself fashionable - and the schemes of a bogus Count who is finally exposed as a fortune-hunter. Melodrama, farce and sentiment combine to make a one-act of wit and charm.

Keywords

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