''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 Adolphe Philippe d'Ennery or Dennery (17 June 181125 January 1899) was a French playwright and novelist. Life Born in Paris, his real surname was Philippe. He obtained his first success in collaboration with Charles Desnoyer in ''Émile, ou le ...

and Ferdinand Dugué.Holman, Andrew & Robert K. Kristofferson, eds
More of a Man: Diaries of a Scottish Craftsman in Mid-Nineteenth-Century
p. 672 n. 70 (2013)

French debut

The French play under the title ''La Priére des Naufragés'' was first performed at the

Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique The Théâtre de l’Ambigu-Comique (, literally, Theatre of the Comic-Ambiguity), a former Parisian theatre, was founded in 1769 on the boulevard du Temple immediately adjacent to the Théâtre de Nicolet. It was rebuilt in 1770 and 1786, but in ...

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 The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

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 Benjamin Nottingham Webster (3 September 17973 July 1882) was an English actor-manager and dramatist. Early life Webster was born in Bath, the son of a dancing master. Career First appearing as Harlequin, and then in small parts at Dru ...

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.Mattacks, Ken
Acts of Piracy: ''Black Ey'd Susan'', Theatrical Publishing and the Victorian Stage
in Moore, Grace, ed., ''Pirates and Mutineers of the Nineteenth Century: Swashbucklers and Swindlers'', pp. 133-34 (2011)(10 December 1853)
The Theatrical Examiner
''The Examiner'', p. 789 However, because Webster had simply pirated the play from the French version, once this was exposed a number of copycat translations popped up. 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.Brown, T. Allston
A History of the New York Stage from the First Performance in 1732 ..., Volume 2
pp. 128-29 (1902) 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.(4 April 1874). Royal Adelphi Theatre Seasonal Digest for 1873-1874, Ed. Frank McHugh & Gilbert Cross(4 April 1874)
Adelph Theatre
''The Athenaeum''

Original Adelphi cast

*Captain De Lascours - Charles Selby
*Carlos -

*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">Robert Keeley (comedian)">Robert Keeley *Louise de Lascours - Madame Céleste *Marie, child - Miss Stroker *Marquis del Monte -

*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 Laura Keene (20 July 1826 – 4 November 1873) was a British stage actress and theatre manager. In her twenty-year career, she became known as the first powerful female manager in New York. She is most famous for being the lead actress in ...

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.Fisher, James
Historical Dictionary of American Theater: Beginnings
p. xxxv (2015) President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

and his wife attended a Keene performance of the play in Washington, D.C., on 8 February 1864.Epstein, Daniel Mark
The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage
pp. 419-20 (2008)Keene entry at The Vault at Pfaffs (Lehigh University)
Retrieved 15 December 2017 ("Her production of ''The Sea of Ice'' is thought to be the turning point in her fortune.")

Original Keene New York cast (5 November 1857)

*Henri De Lascours - Charles Wheatleigh *Louise De Lascours -

*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 Joseph Jefferson III, commonly known as Joe Jefferson (February 20, 1829 – April 23, 1905), was an American actor. He was the third actor of this name in a family of actors and managers, and one of the most famous 19th century American comedia ...

*Jano - F. Evans *Georges - T. Duncan *Countess - Mary Wells

References

External links

Full text of play, English

La Priére des Naufragés
(1853)
La Priére des Naufragés
Google books (1853)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seas of Ice, The 1853 plays