Product Description
The action of this play traverses ninety years and represents in accelerated motion ninety Christmas dinners in the Bayard home. The development of the countryside, the changes in customs and manners during this period of time as well as the growth of the Bayard family and their accumulation of property sums up vividly a wide aspect of American life. It is a serious play lightened with humor of character; it has a human, tender, moving quality both appealing and forceful. For advanced amateurs. In a revised acting version prepared by Alexander Dean. Performed in New York with Pullman Car Hiawatha and The Happy Journey from Trenton to Camden. "Like a surprise holiday gift . . . [these plays] shine like gems."-- N.Y. Times. ... Read more

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1930. American writer and playwright, he is best known for the Pulitzer Prize awarded his play Our Town in 1938. His second novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928. The first part of this novel is based upon the Andria, a comedy of Terence who in turn based his work upon two Greek plays, now lost to us, by Menander. The Woman of Andros reflected Wilder's understanding of the classics. In the character of Chrysis the author created his archetype of of the virtue of hope. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Entertaining, not life-changing
There are a few book in my life which I never stop reading--"Walden" is one, "The Little Prince" is one, and "Our Town", also by Mr. Wilder, is another. The observations in these books,the lessons from these books, the spirit of these books. . .are ever fresh, ever pertinent.
"Theophilus North" is not one of these books. It is an entertaining read, however. A busybody--Teddie North--visits Newport, RI for a summer and changes the town. He is loved by some; hated by others. There's charm in the book and fun and sex, but not much wisdom.
So it is time for me to shelf this book; it is time for me to return to "Our Town". ... Read more

Product Description
Comedy (8m, 5w, with doubling) Adapted by Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig from the play by George Farquhar.The play tells the story of two young bucks who, having spent all their money by living too well, leave London and roam from town to town in search of love and fortune. In order to find a wealthy heiress for at least one of them, they pose as master and servant - exchanging roles from one town to the next. In Lichfield, Aimwell is the master and Archer the servant, and there they meet the lovely, wealthy Dorinda and her equally desirable sister-in-law, Mrs. Kate Sullen. They set their caps for these women, but problems abound. Kate is married to a drunken sot who despises her; the innkeeper's saucy daughter, Cherry, has set her cap for Archer; Dorinda's mother, Lady Bountiful, mistakenly believes herself to be a great healer of the sick, and she guards her daughter like a dragoness; and a band of brigands plans to rob the house of Lady Bountiful that very night, putting all schemes in jeopardy. This is a play in the great tradition of Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer and Sheridan's The Rivals and The School for Scandal. It is classic, formal, robust and hilarious. ... Read more

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Farce / Casting: 9m, 7f / Interior Scenery

A certain old merchant of Yonkers is so rich in 1800 that he decides to take a wife. He employs a matchmaker a woman who subsequently becomes involved with two of his menial clerks, assorted young and lovely ladies, and the headwaiter at an expensive restaurant where this swift farce runs headlong into a hilarious complications. After everyone gets straightened out romantically and has his heart's desire, the merchant finds himself affianced to the astute matchmaker herself. He who was so shrewd in business is putty in the hands of Dolly Levi. He is fooled by apprentices in a series of hilarious hide and seek scenes, and finally has all his bluster explode in his face.

"Loud, slap dash and uproarious ... extraordinarily original and funny." - The New York Times

"Rolls along merrily and madly and the customers are convulsed." - N.Y. Journal American.

"The lines of Wilder are so often brilliant, sage, and witty." - N.Y. Daily News ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Charming Farce That Is As Much Fun To Read As To See Performed
Although many plays have convoluted antecedents, most pale in comparison to THE MATCHMAKER.The story originated with A DAY WELL SPENT, a short 1835 comedy by English playwright John Oxenford, and was then translated, adapted, and expanded by Austrian playwright Johann Nestroy into the 1842 comedy EINE JUX WILL ER SICH MACHEN.American novelist and playwright Thornton Wilder (1897-1976) came to the material in the 1930s and made it his own with the 1938 THE MERCHANT OF YONKERS--which proved a dismal failure with critics and audiences alike, running all of 49 performances before the theatre doors closed.

Even so, many people who knew the play had faith in it, and in the 1950s actress Ruth Gordon and producer-director Tyrone Guthrie urged Wilder to revisit the material.The most significant change Wilder made in his 1938 version pertained to the supporting character Dolly Levi, which he greatly expanded and which became the leading lady of the piece.Re-written, re-staged, and re-named, THE MATCHMAKER opened in 1954 with Ruth Gordon in the title role and proved a hit, running well over 400 performances.The play's success did not end there.It was well-filmed in 1958 with Shirley Booth in the leading role, but it was even more successful when adapted to the musical stage as HELLO, DOLLY!

The popularity of HELLO, DOLLY! has tended to overshadow Wilder's own script, but even so THE MATCHMAKER remains a favorite around the world on its own merits.The story, of course, concerns an enterprising matchmaker Dolly Levi, who sets her sights on one of her own clients, the irascable Horace Vandergelder of Yonkers.Under the pretext of finding him a bride, Dolly leads Vandergelder a merry chase through the streets of New York, drawing every one from his store clerks to his lovelorn niece into the comic confusion.But just as she has created chaos, Dolly also restores harmony at the end, sorting out the lovers in time for the curtain call.

Written in four acts, THE MATCHMAKER does not shy away from its earlier incarnations, and indeed it is written to reflect the older theatrical traditions from which it comes.There is broad farce, there is a touch of melodrama, and the characters occasionally address the audience in short speeches to comment on events and ideas that occur during the action.While THE MATCHMAKER is not a deep play in the sense of Wilder's OUR TOWN or a groundbreaking one like his THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH, it is an utterly charming play, expertly written, witty, clever, and extremely entertaining.

With the exception of acting scripts published by Samuel French Inc., THE MATCHMAKER is not really available available as a stand-alone title to the reading public.It is, however, available in the collection THREE PLAYS, which also includes OUR TOWN and THE SKIN OF TEETH, and which includes a production history of the play.Whatever the case, recommended in any form.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

The BEST BOOK EVER!!!!
The epic story of Dolly Levi and her attempt to catch the heart of the grouch, Horace Vandergelder.Who has fallen for the city-girl, Irene Maloy, who has just, in a moment, fallen in love with Cornellious Hacklewho....well all I can say is that this book is one of the most interestingplots that this bookworm has ever read.If your not a big reader then youshould see the movie adaptation, "Hello, Dolly!".I give thisbook two glorious thumbs up. ... Read more

Product Description
Thornton Wilder had a gift for framing random and ordinary moments of life, an effect he perfected for his audiences. This volume gathers together some of the most respected criticism on the author's work. Examined texts include Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth.

This series is edited by Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University; Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Professor of English, New York University Graduate School; preeminent literary critic of our time. Titles present the most important 20th-century criticism on major works from The Odyssey through modern literature reflecting a variety of schools of criticism. Texts also contain critical biographies, notes on the contributing critics, a chronology of the author's life, and an index, and an introductory essay by Bloom. ... Read more