A closet drama is a play meant to be read by one person, not performed on stage. The first known use of this term, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, was in 1813. In 1907, literary historian Henry A. Beers described closet drama as a valid form of literary work.

Definition

A closet drama, also called a closet play, is a type of play written mainly to be read, not performed on stage. Some closet dramas are part of a writing style that does not focus on how plays are staged. However, whether a play can be performed on stage is just one part of what makes these works unique. In the past, some playwrights chose to write closet dramas to avoid having their work censored if it included political ideas. Closet dramas were also used by people who could not access theaters, especially early modern women. These plays were sometimes published or shared in written form, including lists of characters and detailed stage directions, so readers could imagine how the play might look if performed. This helped create a strong connection between the book and the reader, as it encouraged the reader to picture the play in their mind. Since the audience for these plays was chosen by the writer, playwrights did not have to worry about impressing people who came to see a live performance. This made writing closet dramas a more freeing experience.

In 2004, academic Marta Straznicky described closet dramas as part of a larger cultural system where private spaces, groups of people with shared interests, and expressions of disagreement are connected. The printed word is important for closet dramas because a play not meant for public performances can still move between private reading and public discussion through books.

History

The philosophical dialogues written by ancient Greek and Roman thinkers like Plato were presented as conversations between characters. These works are similar to closet drama, which often includes little action but is filled with discussions about ideas.

Starting with Friedrich von Schlegel, many scholars have suggested that the tragedies written by Seneca the Younger in the first century AD were meant to be read aloud at small gatherings rather than performed on stage. Although this idea is widely accepted in the history of theater, there is no proof that Seneca’s plays were intended for reading or reciting at such events. The emperor Nero, who was a student of Seneca, may have performed in some of these plays. Some medieval dramas, such as those written by Hroswitha of Gandersheim and debate poems that resemble drama, were also examples of closet drama.

During the time of Shakespeare and Jonson, writers like Fulke Greville, Samuel Daniel, Elizabeth Cary, Sir William Alexander, and Mary Sidney created works that are now considered closet dramas. These writers did not use the term "closet drama" and there is no evidence they believed their works belonged to this category.

Between 1642 and 1660, the English government banned public performances of plays. During this time, reading plays became a way for people to experience drama without attending performances. Playwrights began to write plays that criticized parliament and addressed topics outside of theater, making these works a form of protest. However, playwrights could write safely by using anonymous names in printed works. Thomas Killigrew, a playwright who was in exile during the English Civil War, is an example of someone who turned to writing closet dramas during this period.

After the Restoration in 1660, some writers continued to create closet dramas. This practice, according to some modern scholars, showed that this form of writing had a purpose different from plays meant for profit. John Milton’s play Samson Agonistes, written in 1671, is an example of a drama that was never intended for performance on stage.

After 1800, many closet dramas were written in verse, often based on classical examples. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust, Part 1 and Faust, Part 2, two of the most famous works in German literature, were written as closet dramas, even though both plays have been performed on stage. Writers like Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Alexander Pushkin also spent time creating closet dramas.

The popularity of closet drama in the 1800s showed both the decline of verse tragedies on stage and a response to this decline. Theater audiences began to prefer melodrama and comedy, and verse tragedies had little appeal for commercial performances. Playwrights who wanted to write verse tragedies had to focus on writing for readers rather than actors and audiences. Closet dramas from the nineteenth century became longer poetic works, no longer connected to actual performances on stage.

Early women writers in the closet drama form

Some modern scholars believe that during the early modern period, women writers who could not speak publicly used a form of writing called closet drama to share their ideas. This allowed them to discuss political topics without many people knowing their views, as they could choose who read their work.

Margaret, Duchess of Newcastle-on-Tyne (1623–1673), wrote fourteen books and used closet drama during her time in exile. She became one of the most well-known female playwrights because of her interest in philosophical ideas about nature.

Other women who wrote in this style include Anne Finch, Jane Lumley, and Elizabeth Cary.