Collection SC063 - Denis Johnston collection

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Denis Johnston collection

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    Collection

    Reference code

    UVICSP SC063

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    Edition statement

    Edition statement of responsibility

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    Statement of scale (cartographic)

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    Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

    Dates of creation area

    Date(s)

    • 1926 - 1992 (Creation)
      Creator
      Johnston, Denis, 1901-1984

    Physical description area

    Physical description

    12 cm of textual records

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    Archival description area

    Name of creator

    (1901-1984)

    Biographical history

    Denis Johnston was an Irish playwright and writer. He was born in Dublin and educated at Dublin, Edinburgh, Cambridge and Harvard Law School, receiving an M.A. and LL.M. from Cambridge in 1926. He became interested in playwriting while he was at Harvard. Upon his return to Dublin, he wrote "Shadowdance" (later called "The Old Lady Says No!") in 1926. After practising law, both in Ireland and England, he joined the Dublin Gate Theatre and became its Director from 1931-1936. Next, he worked in various capacities for the BBC. After moving to America, he became head of the Department of Theatre at Smith College, Massachusetts in 1961 and subsequently held many academic posts in the United States until 1973. He authored numerous plays including "The Old Lady Says 'No'", "The Moon in the Yellow River", "The Golden Cuckoo", and "The Scythe and the Sunset". His autobiography, "Nine Rivers from Jordan", was published in 1953. This formed the basis for his later work "The Brazen Horn". He died in Dublin.

    Custodial history

    Scope and content

    The collection consists of Johnston's second typescript draft (as finally rejected) of "Shadowdance", later called "The Old Lady Says No!", with holograph corrections by W.B. Yeats and others. Also included are photocopies of several early drafts of this play, including the aforementioned. In addition, there is the author's proof copy, with corrections, of "The Brazen Horn, Lenaea 5" (1968) [probably for 2nd ed. 1969, amended to Lenaea 6]. The fonds also consists of correspondence from Denis and Betty Johnston to Bill and Mary Harbold from 1973-1982; a signed photograph of Johnston; photocopies of book reviews and book chapters re Johnston; a copy of Nine Rivers from Jordan with final corrections; and a copy of the libretto of Nine Rivers from Jordan.

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        Box list available.

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        General note

        Authors, Irish--20th century--Manuscripts; Dramatists, Irish--20th century--Correspondence; Dramatists, Irish--Manuscripts; English drama--Irish authors; Irish drama; Irish literature; Johnston, Denis, 1901-1984. Brazen horn; Johnston, Denis, 1901-1984. Nine rivers from Jordan; Johnston, Denis, 1901-1984. Old lady says no!; Johnston, Denis, 1901-1984--Correspondence

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        Dates of creation, revision and deletion

        Revised by JF, June 25, 2013.

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