Lennox Robinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lennox Robinson
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| Born | 4 October 1886 |
| Died | 15 October 1958 |
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| Spouse | Dorothy Travers Smith (m. 1931) |
Lennox Robinson (born Esmé Stuart Lennox Robinson) was an important Irish writer. He was born on October 4, 1886, and passed away on October 15, 1958. He was a dramatist (someone who writes plays), a poet, and also worked as a producer and director in the theatre. He is best known for his long involvement with the famous Abbey Theatre in Dublin.
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His Life and Theatre Work
Lennox Robinson grew up in Westgrove, Douglas, County Cork, in a large family. He was the youngest of seven children. His family was Protestant, a branch of Christianity, and supported staying connected with Britain. Because he was often sick as a child, he was taught at home by a tutor and later went to Bandon Grammar School.
His love for theatre began in August 1907. He saw plays by famous writers W. B. Yeats and Lady Gregory at the Cork Opera House. That same year, he published his first poem.
Joining the Abbey Theatre
In 1909, his play The Cross Roads was performed at the Abbey Theatre. By the end of that year, he became the theatre's manager. Soon after, he went to London for three months to learn from the famous playwright George Bernard Shaw. Robinson helped Shaw direct a play called Misalliance.
He left the Abbey Theatre in 1914 after a difficult tour in the United States. However, he returned in 1919. In 1923, he joined the theatre's board of directors. He stayed on the board until he passed away. You can find many details about his work at the Abbey Theatre in their archives.
His Plays and Themes
As a playwright, Robinson often explored Irish identity in his works. Plays like Patriots (1912) and Dreamers (1915) showed his support for Irish independence.
He also wrote about the differences within Irish society. For example, his play The Big House (1926) showed the challenges faced by Protestant families in Ireland during a time of change. His most popular play was The Whiteheaded Boy (1916).
Other well-known plays include Crabbed Youth and Age (1924), The Far Off Hills (1928), Drama at Inish (1933), and Church Street (1935). Drama at Inish was even performed in London and on Broadway in New York!
Other Writings
Besides plays, Robinson also wrote short stories, which were collected in Eight Short Stories (1919). In 1931, he wrote a biography about Bryan Cooper, a politician. In 1951, he published Ireland's Abbey Theatre, which was the first full history of the theatre company.
He also helped edit important books. In 1947, he edited the diaries of Lady Gregory. In 1958, he co-edited The Oxford Book of Irish Verse with Donagh MacDonagh. He also directed plays by other writers, like The Reapers by Teresa Deevy in 1930. In 1931, he co-directed A Disciple with W. B. Yeats and Walter Starkie.
His Personal Life
Lennox Robinson was married to Dorothy Travers Smith. She was an artist and a stage designer for the Abbey Theatre. Their letters to each other are kept in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin. Dorothy's mother, Hester Dowden, was a spiritualist, and her grandfather was the literary scholar Edward Dowden.
Lennox Robinson is buried in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.
Lennox Robinson Literary Award
There is an award named after Lennox Robinson! It is given out every year at the Lennox Robinson Literary Festival, which takes place in Douglas, Cork, where he was born. The award started in 2014.
- 2015 winner - Chang Ying-tai (張瀛太)
- 2014 winner - Eoghan Harris
His Dramatic Works
Here is a list of some of the plays Lennox Robinson wrote:
- The Clancy Name (1908)
- The Cross Roads (1909)
- Harvest (1910)
- The Lesson of his Life (1911)
- Patriots (1912)
- The Dreamers (1915)
- The Whiteheaded Boy (1916)
- The Lost Leader (1918)
- The Round Table (1922)
- Crabbed Youth and Age (1922)
- Never the Time and the Place (1924)
- The White Blackbird (1925)
- The Big House (1926)
- The Far-Off Hills (1928)
- Ever the Twain (1929)
- The Reapers (1930)
- A Disciple (1931)
- Drama At Inish (1933)
- Church Street (1934)
- All's Over Then? (1935)
- When Lovely Woman (1936)
- Killycreggs in Twilight (1937)
- Bird's Nest (1938)
- Roly Poly (1940) - adapted from Guy de Maupassant's story Boule de Suif
- Forget-Me-Not (1941)
- The Lucky Finger (1948)
