Echoes of the Greek War of Independence in America: The Revolution of 1821 on stage
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Title
Echoes of the Greek War of Independence in America: The Revolution of 1821 on stage
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Date
5 February 2021
Abstract
"The impact of the Greek War of Independence in America has not yet been fully studied. This presentation focuses on two theatrical plays written by American playwrights that were performed in America and London in 1822. The protagonist of both plays is Ali Pasha (1740–24 January 1822), who contributed decisively, if unwittingly, to the struggle of the Greeks for their independence primarily because of the effect he had on Lord Byron. The two melodramas are: The Grecian Captive or The Fall of Athens by Mordecai Noah (1785–1851), and Ali Pasha or Signet Ring by John Howard Payne (1791–1852), who lived for many years in London. The two works were written and performed immediately after Ali Pasha’s demise while the Greek Revolution was still in its early stages. The villain Ali Pasha and the beautiful Greek prisoner who tries to avoid his wrath and harassment in order to be reunited with her beloved, offer the necessary elements of savagery, sensuality, exoticism and action for a successful melodrama. Both works transform Ali Pasha’s story to highlight themes that would presumably resonate with the intended audiences. Noah transposes Ali Pasha’s action from the city of Ioannina to Athens while the finale of the show is a fantastic allegorical scene of triumph where famous ancient Greeks and modern revolutionaries, including several from the Americas, join the chorus. In the end of Payne’s play, Ali Pasha sets himself on fire in the citadel of Ioannina so that he and his riches do not fall into the hands of the sultan. The analysis of the characters and of the names referring to heroes of the Greek Revolution and the wicked Ottomans, as well as of the geographical and historical references in the two works, offers interesting information on the resonance of the events of 1821 in distant America, on the perception of exotic stereotypes, and on the impact of the struggle for independence on American and English audiences."
(Slightly modified abstract from conference programme)
(Slightly modified abstract from conference programme)
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Bibliographic Citation
https://www.protovoulia21.gr/draseis/ethnika-kinimata-kai-filellinismos/
https://www.blod.gr/lectures/synedria-iv-o-pyretos-tis-ellinikis-epanastasis-se-ena-kosmo-se-kinisi/
Number Of Pages - Duration
00:20:00
Rights
BY-NC-SA Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
Position: 6364 (24 views)