Henry Fielding 

(1707 - 1754)

Henry Fielding (22 April 1707 – 8 October 1754) was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humor and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones. Aside from his literary achievements, he has a significant place in the history of law-enforcement, having founded (with his half-brother John) what some have called London's first police force, the Bow Street Runners, using his authority as a magistrate. His younger sister, Sarah, also became a successful writer.

The narrator dies in the first sentence. Through relating his travels in the afterlife, Henry Fielding, author of Tom Jones and Joseph Andrews, gently satirizes life here on earth.

Amelia is a domestic novel taking place largely in London during 1733. It describes the hardships suffered by a young couple newly married. Against her mother's wishes, Amelia marries Captain William Booth, a dashing young army officer. The couple run away to London. In Book II, William is unjustly imprisoned in Newgate, and is subsequently seduced by Miss Matthews. During this time, it is revealed that Amelia was in a carriage accident and that her nose was ruined. Although this brings about jokes at Amelia's expense, Booth refuses to regard her as anything but beautiful.

Amelia, by contrast, resists the attentions paid to her by several men in William's absence and stays faithful to him. She forgives his transgression, but William soon draws them into trouble again as he accrues gambling debts trying to lift the couple out of poverty. He soon finds himself in debtors' prison. Amelia then discovers that she is her mother's heiress and, the debt being settled, William is released and the couple retires to the country.

The second edition contains many changes to the text. A whole chapter on a dispute between doctors was completely removed, along with various sections of dialogue and praise of the Glastonbury Waters. The edition also contains many new passages, such as an addition of a scene in which a doctor repairs Amelia's nose and Booth remarking on the surgery (in Book II, Chapter 1, where Booth is talking to Miss Matthews).

This is the first volume of a three volume novel. In this novel, Amelia marries William Booth against her mother's desires, and the two must move to London. Fielding explores the issues of married life such as infidelity and whether women's intelligence is equal to men's.

The second volume of Amelia.

Volume three in the trilogy entitled Amelia. A continuation of the love story of Amelia and her husband Willam Booth and the trials and tribulations they go through.

An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews, or simply Shamela, as it is more commonly known, is a satirical novel written by Henry Fielding and first published in April 1741 under the name of Mr. Conny Keyber. Fielding never owned to writing the work, but it is widely considered to be his. It is a direct attack on the then-popular novel Pamela (November 1740) by Fielding's contemporary and rival Samuel Richardson and is composed, like Pamela, in epistolary form. Shamela is written as a shocking revelation of the true events which took place in the life of Pamela Andrews, the main heroine of Pamela. From Shamela we learn that, instead of being a kind, humble, and chaste servant-girl, Pamela (whose true name turns out to be Shamela) is in fact a wicked and lascivious creature, scheming to entrap her master, Squire Booby, into marriage.

Cast
Narrator: Patti Cunningham
Shamela: Kristingj
Williams: Martin Geeson
Tickletext: Chuck Williamson
Lucretia: April Gonzales
Henrietta: Margaret Espaillat
Oliver: Algy Pug
Booby: Herman Roskams
Puff: Bob Gonzalez
Conny: NoelBadrian

Early eighteenth century England saw the criminal element bargaining with magistrates and lawyers to be released or receive lenient sentences. Neither party could be trusted and the situation grew worse. Enter famed author Henry Fielding, who had a strong social conscience and served as a magistrate. In addition to this treatise, he began a register of convicted criminals, and recruited six full-time, paid constables - known colloquially as "The Bow Street Runners" and hailed as the forerunners of the modern police force.

"The Audience, I believe, are all acquainted with the Character of Don Quixote and Sancho. I have brought them over into England, and introduced them at an Inn in the Country, where, I believe, no one will be surpris'd that the Knight finds several People as mad as himself."- Summary by Author

Cast list:
Don Quixote: ToddHW
Sancho: Alan Mapstone
Sir Thomas Loveland: Ron Altman
Squire Badger: Adrian Stephens
Scut, his Huntsman: Joanna Michal Hoyt
Fairlove: Larry Wilson
Mayor: Greg Giordano
Retail: Sandra Schmit
Guzzle: Mike Manolakes
John: Jaime Kurzweg
Brief, a Lawyer: panelbeaterva
Dr. Drench, a Physician: HelloCentral
Mr. Sneak: Kerry Adams
Dorothea: Krista Zaleski
Jezebel: Jenn Broda
Mrs. Guzzle: Sonia
Mrs. Sneak: Lynette Caulkins
Manager: rssmith121999
Coachman: Sandra Schmit
Drawer: Sandra Schmit
Cook: rssmith121999
Author: Joanna Michal Hoyt
Player: Alan Mapstone
Stage Directions: Wayne Cooke
Editing: ToddHW

"Joseph Andrews ... was the first published full-length novel of the English author and magistrate Henry Fielding, and indeed among the first novels in the English language. Published in 1742 and defined by Fielding as a ‘comic romance,’ it is the story of a good-natured footman's adventures on the road home from London with his friend and mentor, the absent-minded parson Abraham Adams."

Sailing voyage from England to Portugal in the mid Eighteenth Century, by one of the premier humorists, satirists, novelists and playwrights of his age. It was to be his last work, as his failing health proved unable to persevere much longer after the voyage.

Henry Fielding could not write plays that he could get published. So he decided to write a play - a farce - about that, and success was his at last. The third act of the play is the play that the Author in the play supposedly writes - a Puppet Show (though acted by people) called The Pleasures of the Town.

Cast list:
Luckless, the Author and Master of the Show: Adrian Stephens
Witmore, his friend: Greg Giordano
Marplay Senior, Comedian: Alan Mapstone
Marplay Junior, Comedian: Availle
Bookweight, a Bookseller: ToddHW
Scarecrow, a Scribler: David Purdy
Dash, a Scribler: Joanna Michal Hoyt
Quibble, a Scribler: Grace Buchanan
Blotpage, a Scribler: czandra
Index: Andrew Gaunce
Jack, Servant to Luckless: Jim Locke
Jack-Pudding: Tomas Peter
Bantomite: Grace Buchanan
Mrs Moneywood, the Author's Landlady: Sonia
Harriot Moneywood, her Daughter: Devorah Allen
Player: Alan Mapstone
Constable: James R. Hedrick
Goddess of Nonsense: Kelly S. Taylor
Charon: Sandra Schmit
Curry, a Bookseller: ToddHW
A Poet: czandra
Signior Opera: Jake Malizia
Don Tragedio: Joanna Michal Hoyt
Sir Farcical Comick: James R. Hedrick
Dr. Orator: Algy Pug
Mrs. Novel: Availle
Robgrave, the Sexton: Hanna Ponomarenko
Sailor: David Purdy
Somebody: Joanna Michal Hoyt
Nobody: Sonia
Punch: Alan Mapstone
Joan: Michele Eaton
Count Ugly: Andrew Gaunce
Manager: Mark Kilkelly
Mr. Seedo, Musician: ToddHW
Director: Tomas Peter
Messenger: Rémi
Sir John: Rob Marland
1st Poet: Tomas Peter
2nd Poet: David Purdy
3rd Poet: Joanna Michal Hoyt
4th Poet: ToddHW
Cat: Sonia
Stage Directions: Larry Wilson
Editing: ToddHW

This novel is sometimes thought of as [Fielding's] first because he almost certainly began composing it before he wrote Shamela and Joseph Andrews. It is a satire of Walpole that draws a parallel between Walpole and Jonathan Wild, the infamous gang leader and highwayman. He implicitly compares the Whig party in Parliament with a gang of thieves being run by Walpole, whose constant desire to be a "Great Man" (a common epithet for Walpole) should culminate only in the antithesis of greatness: being hanged.

Tom Jones is considered one of the first prose works describable as a novel. The novel is divided into 18 smaller books. Tom Jones is a foundling discovered on the property of a very kind, wealthy landowner, Squire Allworthy. Tom grows into a vigorous and lusty, yet honest and kind-hearted, youth. He develops affection for his neighbor's daughter, Sophia Western. On one hand, their love reflects the romantic comedy genre popular in 18th-century Britain. However, Tom's status as a bastard causes Sophia's father and Allworthy to oppose their love; this criticism of class friction in society acted as a biting social commentary. The inclusion of prostitution and sexual promiscuity in the plot was also original for its time, and also acted as the foundation for criticism of the book's "lowness."

Tom Thumb, small of stature, great of heart. This play was written as a parody of the tragic heroic biography of a great man, filled with biting satire as to people and events of the time. Note as warned by the title that this is not a happy-ending fairy tale. 

Cast list:
King Arthur, a passionate sort of king, husband to queen Dollallolla, of whom he stands a little in fear; father to Huncamunca, whom he is very fond of, and in love with Glumdalca: ToddHW
Tom Thumb the Great, a little hero with a great soul, something violent in his temper, which is a little abated by his love for Huncamunca: Matthew Reece
Ghost of Gaffer Thumb, a whimsical sort of ghost: Andrew Gaunce
Lord Grizzle, extremely zealous for the liberty of the subject, very cholerick in his temper, and in love with Huncamunca: Alan Mapstone
Merlin, a conjurer, and in some sort father to Tom Thumb: Wayne Cooke
Noodle, courtier in place, and consequently of that party that is uppermost: Andrew James
Doodle, courtier in place, and consequently of that party that is uppermost: Adrian Stephens
Foodle, a courtier that is out of place, and consequently of that party that is undermost: Linda Olsen Fitak
Bailiff of the party of the plaintiff: Pier
Follower of the party of the plaintiff: Tomas Peter
Parson, of the side of the church: David Purdy
Queen Dollallolla, wife to king Arthur, and mother to Huncamunca, a woman intirely faultless, saving that she is a little given to drink, a little too much a virago towards her husband, and in love with Tom Thumb: Sonia
The Princess Huncamunca, daughter to their majesties king Arthur and queen Dollallolla, of a very sweet, gentle, and amorous disposition, equally in love with Lord Grizzle and Tom Thumb, and desirous to be married to them both: Jenn Broda
Glumdalca, of the giants, a captive queen, beloved by the king, but in love with Tom Thumb: TriciaG
Cleora, maid of honour in love with Noodle: Devorah Allen
Mustacha, maid of honour in love with Doodle: Shreya Sethi
Stage Directions: MichaelMaggs
Editing: ToddHW

Young Laroon plans to marry Isabel, but Father Martin manipulates Isabel's father, Jourdain, in order to seduce Isabel. However, other characters, including both of the Laroons, try to manipulate Jourdain for their own ends; they accomplish it through disguising themselves as priests and using his guilt to convince him of what they say. As Father Martin pursues Isabel, she is clever enough to realize what is happening and plans her own trap. After catching him and exposing his lust, Father Martin is set to be punished.

Cast:
Old Laroon: Noel Badrian
Young Laroon: Chris Marcellus
Father Martin: Nathanial W.C. Higgins
Old Jourdain: Kevin Green
Isabel: Arielle Lipshaw
Beatrice: Michele Eaton
Servant/Priest: Elizabeth Klett
Narrator/Prologue: Lucy Perry
Audio edited by: Arielle Lipshaw