author
Livingston Robert Shewell
1833–1904
A 19th-century American actor-playwright best remembered for The Shadows of a Great City, he moved from the stage into writing popular melodrama with a strong feel for theatrical action and city life.
1 Audiobook
The shadows of a great city: A romantic story
by Grace Miller White, Livingston Robert Shewell
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1833, Livingston Robert Shewell built his early career as an actor. Contemporary and later reference material links him with major 19th-century stages, including his debut at Philadelphia's Chestnut Street Theatre in 1852, and notes later appearances in New York and Boston.
Shewell is most closely associated today with The Shadows of a Great City, a drama that was successful enough to remain tied to his name long after its first production. Library and catalog records also connect him with the 1904 novel version, published with Grace Miller White and described as being founded on his well-known play.
He died in 1904. Reliable biographical information available online is fairly limited, so many personal details are unclear, but the surviving records show a writer and performer whose reputation rested on popular theatre and one enduring title.