Metamora; or, The Last of the Wampanoags is a play written by a Massachusetts native named John Augustus Stone. The play debuted on December 15, 1829, at the Park Theater in New York City. It starred Shakespearean actor Edwin Forrest, who portrayed Metamora. Metamora is a tragedy that reinterprets major events of King Phillip's War (1675–1678) including Metamora's death. Metamora is known by many names including King Phillip and Metacomet. The play changed Metamora's identity from being a barbarian to a heroic warrior who cursed the white men as he died. Metamora gave the audience reassurance that the Wampanoags were truly dead. Forrest, looking to produce a play suiting his strengths, created the contest as an opportunity to boost his acting career. With his play, Metamora, or the Last of the Wampanoags, playwright and actor John Augustus Stone stood out among his competitors and took home the prize. The play, which opened on December 15, 1829, was an instant hit. Due to a combination of the highly publicized contest, Forrest's growing celebrity, and the timely subject matter of the play itself, the performances resonated with audiences across the growing country, earning theaters record profits, of which Stone received very little. Forrest acted in many plays, but the two that were successful were Metamora and The Gladiator. Metamora was seen as "the major indian play of the century, and its hero is regarded as the most developed noble savage of the nineteenth-century stage." The depiction of Metamora as a kind and “noble savage,” turned violent by force especially resonated with the mid-19th century audience. This sense of national pride influenced not only everyday life, but also became evident in the arts, including early American theatre. During this time, the majority of what was being performed was British theatre, and American's had a desire to create more American-specific drama. America needed to establish itself in the midst of the well-developed drama and literature of other nations, as well as set a standard for what is uniquely American. However, this need for nationalism soon manifested itself in drama through American character types: the Negro, the Yankee, and in the case of Metamora, and the Indian. Depictions of oppressed, underdog characters overcoming captivity, or dying gloriously, represented the themes of freedom and liberty that characterized the newly independent America. These character types became symbols throughout not only American drama, but all throughout American history.

Indian drama

Metamora success can be attributed to Stone's crafting of a lead character who embodied the raw, the grotesque, and the real of the natural world, which resulted in a narrative that felt authentic and emotionally fulfilling. The first American play to feature a Native American protagonist was a closet drama from 1776, marking the early beginnings of what would become a dominant literary trend throughout the 19th century. Metamora drew inspiration from the New England Chief Metacom or King Philip, notorious for leading attacks against English settlers during 1675–1676. The growing distrust between differences led various settlers to demand that Metacom's tribe surrender their weapons; as tensions escalated, Metacom launched a violent uprising. Metamora was written during a period of tragedy, offering a powerful artistic lens through which audiences could confront the harsh realities of American history. This feud marked the final major attempt by Native Americans to expel settlers from New England.” However, others contend that Metamora was simply a vehicle for Forrest's career and a story that suited the romantic ideals of its audience. Mallet discusses the fact that there may be an overemphasis of political and racial ideology when analyzing the relationship between Metamora and Jackson's Indian policy that can blur the context of the relationship rather than clarify it. When trying to understand Metamoras place in antebellum culture, scholars are quick in trying to detect attempts to engineer political advantage in art and popular culture from this period. Mallets believes these scholars should stop and rethink their interpretations. then in his third year at the company, with Matthew Trumbull (b. Minnesota) starring as Metamora.

Bibliography

  • Metamora: Or, the Last of the Wampanoags, Feedback Theatre Books, August 1996,
  • Barrett, Lawrence. American Actor Series: Edwin Forrest. Bronx: Benjamin Blom, Inc., 1881
  • Martin, Scott C. “‘Metamora’: Nationalism, Theater, and Jacksonian Indian Policy.” Journal of the Early Republic, Vol. 19, No. 1. Spring: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999.
  • Meserve, Walter J. An Outline History of American Drama. 2nd ed. New York: Feedback Theatrebooks; Brooklin: Prospero Press, 1994.
  • “Metamora, by John Augustus Stone ROMANTICIZING WAR.” Metropolitan Play House. n.d. Web. 2/24/16
  • Moody, Richard. Dramas from the American Theatre 1762–1909. Cleveland: The World Publishing Company, 1966.
  • Rees, James. The Life of Edwin Forrest. With Reminiscences and Personal Recollections. Philadelphia: T.B. Peterson and Brothers, 1874.
  • Stone, John Augustus. Metamora: Or, The Last of The Wampanoags. 1829. Web.
  • Mallet, Mark E. (March 21, 1993). "THE GAME OF POLITICS": EDWIN FORREST AND THE JACKSON DEMOCRATS. Vol. V (2nd ed.). Wheaton, Illinois: American Theatre & Drama Society. pp. 31–46.

See also

  • "Metamora, by John Augustus Stone ROMANTICIZING WAR" , Metropolitan Play House
  • "The last Indian" syndrome revisited: Metamora, take two., Intertexts 22-March-06

References