The Wizard Skiff

The Wizard Skiff
The actress and dancer Céline Céleste as "The Pirate Boy" in The Wizard Skiff
Original titleThe Wizard Skiff; or, The Tongueless Pirate Boy
Written byJ.T. Haines
Date premiered26 September 1834
Place premieredBristol Old Vic, London, England
Original languageEnglish

The Wizard Skiff is a British play written by J.T. Haines in the 1830s.

Background

Haines created the nautical melodramatic romance titled The Wizard Skiff; or, The Tongueless Pirate Boy in the early 1830s. A travesti role created for Céline Céleste, she took on the roles of Alexa Mavrona, a Greek lady; Alexis, the leader of the Wizard Skiff; and Agata, a Zingari boy.[1] It was performed by her in Paris and London.[2]

Madame Céleste had once performed The Wizard Skiff 150 times in one year.[3]

Synopsis

The play was set along a coastal Russian military village and featured a villain who posed as a Muslim Russian count, with a backstory of exterminating a Greek Archon and his family, sparing only a baby girl named Alexa whose tongue was cut out.[3]

Roles

Based on a performance at the Bristol Old Vic on 26 September 1834, the cast was the following:[2] Greek characters included:

  • Alexa Mavrona, a Greek lady (Madame Céleste)
  • Alexis, Chief of the Wizard Skiff (Madame Céleste)
  • Agata, A Zingaro boy (Madame Céleste)
    • Constantine, an aged priest (Mr. Mude) and Agnosti, his son, disguised as Paul, mate of the Skiff (Mr. Rénaud)
    • Anastasius (Mr. Trewren)
    • Michael (Mr. Millar)

Russian Characters included:

  • Count Beregenoff, Russian Noble, formerly in Turkish Service (Mr. Grainger) and Wolfo, his serf and confidant (Mr. Carroll)
    • Vern Waddledorf, Mayor of the District (Mr. Gardner)
    • Fritz, an old peasant (Mr. Bedford)
    • Paulina, niece to the mayor (Miss Jarman)

Adaptations

Variations of the play were titled The Wizard Skiff; or, The Tongueless Pirate Boy and The Wizard Skiff; or, The Massacre of Scio.

Marietta Ravel's production of The Wizard Skiff occurred in 1866.[2]

References

  1. ^ The Gentleman's Magazine. (1888). United Kingdom: F. Jefferies.
  2. ^ a b c The New York Public Library. (n.d.). NYPL, Vaudeville Nation. http://web-static.nypl.org/exhibitions/vaudeville/full/TW008_5.html
  3. ^ a b Bratton, J. (2011). The Making of the West End Stage: Marriage, Management and the Mapping of Gender in London, 1830–1870. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.