The Sea of Ice (play)

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The Sea of Ice is a 19th century melodrama play in English adapted from the 1853 French play La Priére des Naufragés (Prayer of the Wrecked) by Adolphe d'Ennery and Ferdinand Dugué.[1]

French debut

The French play under the title La Priére des Naufragés was first performed at the Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique and debuted on 20 October 1853.

Original Paris cast

  • Carlss by Charles de Chilly
  • Barabas by Laurent
  • Raoul de Lascours by Delafosse
  • Georges De Laval by M. Coste
  • Horace de Brionne by C. Lemaitre
  • Medoc by Machanette
  • Un Secretaire d'Ambassade by Depresle
  • Un Intendant by Martin
  • Premier Matelot by Richer
  • Deuxieme Metelot by Lavergne
  • Louise de Descours by Marie Laurent
  • Ogarita by Idem
  • La Comtesse de Theringe by Mesanges
  • Diane by Snadre
  • Marthe, age 6 by De Brueil

English adaptations

In London, it debuted at the Adelphi Theatre under the title The Thirst for Gold, or the Lost Ship and the Wild Flower of Mexico on 4 December 1853, with Benjamin Nottingham Webster as Carlos. It ran to great success until June 1854, and had a running length of three and a half hours. The big draw was a scene where the mutineers of a ship strand the captain and his family on a sea of ice which then breaks up.[2][3] However, because Webster had simply pirated the play from the French version, once this was exposed a number of copycat translations popped up.[2] One adaptation appeared at the Marylebone Theatre in London in 1854 under the title The Struggle for Gold: or, the Orphan of the Frozen Sea, which added a Danish vessel breaking up the sea ice to serve as a rescue ship.[4] Webster revived the play in 1874 under the title Prayer in the Storm where it ran for 143 performances (28 March - 11 September 1874), and featured Geneviève Ward.[5][6]

Original Adelphi cast

  • Captain De Lascours - Charles Selby
  • Carlos - Benjamin Nottingham Webster
  • Jean Medoc - Paul Bedford
  • Pieree Pacome - R. Romer
  • First Sailor - C.J. Smith
  • Second Sailor - Mrs. Anders
  • Barabas - Robert Keeley
  • Louise de Lascours - Madame Céleste
  • Marie, child - Miss Stroker
  • Marquis del Monte - Benjamin Nottingham Webster
  • Horace de Brionne - Mr. Garden
  • Georges De Laval - Mr. Parselle
  • Secretary to the Spanish Embassy - Mr. Hastings
  • The Countess Theringe - Mrs. L. Murray
  • Mdlle. Diana De Lascours - Miss F. Maskell

American adaptation

Laura Keene produced the play in America to success as The Sea of Ice. She brought on the play at her New York theatre on 5 November 1857, where it ran until 21 December, and it saved her company financially.[4][7] President Abraham Lincoln and his wife attended a Keene performance of the play in Washington, D.C., on 8 February 1864.[8][9]

Original Keene New York cast (5 November 1857)

  • Henri De Lascours - Charles Wheatleigh
  • Louise De Lascours - Laura Keene
  • Carlos - George Jordan
  • Medoc - C. Peters
  • Pasquin - Burke
  • Marie - Mary Bullock
  • Horace - G. W. Stoddart
  • Don Jose - Carlton Howard
  • Mlle. Diane De Theringe - Charlotte Thompson
  • Barbaras - Joseph Jefferson
  • Jano - F. Evans
  • Georges - T. Duncan
  • Countess - Mary Wells

References

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External links

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