¶ … net to acquire background information on the infamous Astor Place Riots in the early 19th Century. B. Do the same with Harriet Beecher Stowe and Uncle Tom's Cabin. C. Read the play, Uncle Tom's Cabin. The Astor Place Riots: What happened? (Approximately one page) In what respects was the Astor Place Riots a continuation of the themes found in the play, The Contrast? (Approximately one page) Uncle Tom's Cabin: Discuss two themes in the play. Also, do you find the play still relevant? Did it move you? (Approximately two pages)
The Astor Place riots: What happened?
The Astor Place riots were a result of the professional rivalry between two great tragedians, that of the American actor Edwin Forrest vs. The Englishman William Charles Macready. The two actors had offered the theater-going public of New York their contrasting interpretations of Hamlet, and when both actors were scheduled to play Macbeth on the same night, rioting began on May 10, 1849 at the Astor Place Opera House. "It will be remembered that on Mr. Forrest's former visit to England, he was not only well received, but the press, with but one or two exceptions, was enthusiastic in his praise. All this to Macready was gall and wormwood; and in consultation with his friends -- and more particularly John Forster -- a plan was adopted to crush his successful rival" (Turney n.d).
The Astor Place riots were not simply about literature, but also highlighted the anxieties between Americans and their founding mother country in terms of claiming the right to interpret great works of art. This tension was already seen in an earlier work of American drama, entitled The Contrast, which used the stereotypes...
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