American Literature: Biographies

The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre The Oxford Companion to American Literature Further reading

Baker, Benjamin A.

The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre | 1996 | | Copyright

Baker, Benjamin A. (1818–90), American actor-manager and playwright, a well-loved figure in the American theatre, familiarly known as ‘ Uncle Ben Baker’. He made his first appearance in New York in 1839, and had already written a number of plays, mainly burlettas, when in 1848 he produced, for his own benefit night, A Glance at New York in 1848, in which Frank Chanfrau made a great success as the hero Mose, a New York volunteer fireman. Other ‘Mose’ plays followed, including Three Years After (1849) and Mose in China (1850). Their success gave rise to a type of melodrama, with strong action set against a background of local conditions. Baker was manager successively of several theatres, and in 1856 of Edwin Booth's company. He continued to work as manager and theatrical agent until his death.

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PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Baker, Benjamin A." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Baker, Benjamin A." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-BakerBenjaminA.html

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Baker, Benjamin A." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-BakerBenjaminA.html

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Baker, Benjamin A.

The Oxford Companion to American Literature | 1995 | | Copyright

Baker, Benjamin A. (1818–90), New York playwright whose melodrama A Glance at New York (1848) created a new theatrical genre by its realistic portrayal of Mose, the volunteer fireman and type of the Bowery boy. He wrote several similar plays.

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James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Baker, Benjamin A." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Baker, Benjamin A." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-BakerBenjaminA.html

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Baker, Benjamin A." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-BakerBenjaminA.html

Learn more about citation styles

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