Thomas Louis Buvelot[a] Esson (10 August 1878 – 27 November 1943) was an Australian poet, journalist, critic and playwright. He was a co-founder of the Pioneer Players. His second wife, Hilda Esson (nee Bull), had a career in theatre besides working as a doctor in the field of public health.
Esson was born on 10 August 1878 at Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland, but moved to Melbourne, Australia, when he was three, along with his widowed mother. She had siblings in Melbourne, including artist John Ford Paterson, and Esson was raised mostly by his aunts.[2]
Esson began working as a journalist and playwright afterwards,[3] and visited London, Ireland, and Paris in 1904–1905. He met Irish playwrights J. M. Synge (in Paris) and W. B. Yeats (in Dublin),[2] who suggested that he writes plays with Australian themes. He returned to Melbourne in 1906, hoping to establish the equivalent of the Irish National Theatre.[4]
His first collection of poetry was published in 1910, with three collections of plays following by 1912, including Dead Timber.[4]
He and his second wife Hilda moved to New York City in 1916 and then to London in 1918,[4] returning in June 1921.[2]
In 1921 he was a co-founder of the Pioneer Players with Vance Palmer and Stewart Macky.[4] The company was dedicated to the performance of Australian plays and the development of a national theatre. The Pioneer Players produced 18 new Australian plays in their four years of existence. John McCallum, writing in The Weekend Australian in 1999, write that the Pioneer Players had been called "a mismanaged collection of fly-by-night amateurs, but somehow he has come to be called 'The Father of Australian drama'".[5] Hilda acted in several of their productions.[2]
He married first Madeleine Stephanie Tracy in 1906, which ended in divorce in 1911. They had one child, James Paterson Esson (died 1971).[2]
He married Hilda Wager Bull (1886–1953) in December 1913, who, as Hilda Esson, became a force in her own right. She had qualified as a medical doctor at the University of Melbourne in 1913, and was a founding member of the Melbourne University Dramatic Society. After marrying, she provided economic, intellectual and emotional support to her husband, and acted in Pioneer Players productions.[2] She later worked as a doctor in the field of public health.[6]
^A.J.H. (11 December 1943). "An Australian Playwright". The Age. No. 27658. Victoria, Australia. p. 7. Retrieved 13 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^ abcdefghWalker, D. R. (1981). "Thomas Louis Buvelot Esson". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 20 November 2022. This article was published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 8, (Melbourne University Press), 1981
^"Louis Esson". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 18 June 1938. p. 21. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
^ abcde"Louis Esson". AustLit. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
^John McCallum, "Century of Theatre", Weekend Australian, 3–4 July 1999, Review, p. 20
^"Hilda Esson". AustLit. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
^"Australian Plays". The Worker. Vol. 19, no. 34. New South Wales, Australia. 25 August 1910. p. 21. Retrieved 7 September 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
Further readingedit
Fitzpatrick, Peter (11 December 1995). Pioneer Players:The Lives of Louis and Hilda Esson. Cambridge University Press. ISBN9780521450102.
Works by Louis Esson at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
December 15, 2023
louis, esson, thomas, louis, buvelot, esson, august, 1878, november, 1943, australian, poet, journalist, critic, playwright, founder, pioneer, players, second, wife, hilda, esson, bull, career, theatre, besides, working, doctor, field, public, health, 1900, co. Thomas Louis Buvelot a Esson 10 August 1878 27 November 1943 was an Australian poet journalist critic and playwright He was a co founder of the Pioneer Players His second wife Hilda Esson nee Bull had a career in theatre besides working as a doctor in the field of public health Louis Esson in 1900 Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Bibliography 4 1 Collections 4 2 Selected plays 4 3 Selected poems 5 Notes 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksEarly life and education editEsson was born on 10 August 1878 at Leith in Edinburgh Scotland but moved to Melbourne Australia when he was three along with his widowed mother She had siblings in Melbourne including artist John Ford Paterson and Esson was raised mostly by his aunts 2 He attended the University of Melbourne from 1896 but did not finish his arts degree 2 Career editEsson began working as a journalist and playwright afterwards 3 and visited London Ireland and Paris in 1904 1905 He met Irish playwrights J M Synge in Paris and W B Yeats in Dublin 2 who suggested that he writes plays with Australian themes He returned to Melbourne in 1906 hoping to establish the equivalent of the Irish National Theatre 4 His first collection of poetry was published in 1910 with three collections of plays following by 1912 including Dead Timber 4 He and his second wife Hilda moved to New York City in 1916 and then to London in 1918 4 returning in June 1921 2 In 1921 he was a co founder of the Pioneer Players with Vance Palmer and Stewart Macky 4 The company was dedicated to the performance of Australian plays and the development of a national theatre The Pioneer Players produced 18 new Australian plays in their four years of existence John McCallum writing in The Weekend Australian in 1999 write that the Pioneer Players had been called a mismanaged collection of fly by night amateurs but somehow he has come to be called The Father of Australian drama 5 Hilda acted in several of their productions 2 He moved to Sydney in 1930 4 2 Personal life editHe married first Madeleine Stephanie Tracy in 1906 which ended in divorce in 1911 They had one child James Paterson Esson died 1971 2 He married Hilda Wager Bull 1886 1953 in December 1913 who as Hilda Esson became a force in her own right She had qualified as a medical doctor at the University of Melbourne in 1913 and was a founding member of the Melbourne University Dramatic Society After marrying she provided economic intellectual and emotional support to her husband and acted in Pioneer Players productions 2 She later worked as a doctor in the field of public health 6 Bibliography editCollections edit Belles and Bees Verses poetry 1910 Three Short Plays drama 1911 Red Gums and Other Verses poetry 1912 Dead Timber and Other Plays drama 1920 The Southern Cross and Other Plays drama 1946 Selected plays edit The Woman Tamer 1910 7 Dead Timber 1911 The Time is Not Yet Ripe 1912 The Sacred Place 1912 The Drovers 1922 Mother and Son 1923 The Bride of Gospel Place 1926 Selected poems edit Brogan s Lane 1906 Notes edit Sometimes spelled Bouvelot he was named for Louis Buvelot founder of the Heidelberg school 1 References edit A J H 11 December 1943 An Australian Playwright The Age No 27658 Victoria Australia p 7 Retrieved 13 January 2023 via National Library of Australia a b c d e f g h Walker D R 1981 Thomas Louis Buvelot Esson Australian Dictionary of Biography Retrieved 20 November 2022 This article was published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography Volume 8 Melbourne University Press 1981 Louis Esson The Sydney Morning Herald National Library of Australia 18 June 1938 p 21 Retrieved 16 December 2012 a b c d e Louis Esson AustLit 1 March 2018 Retrieved 20 November 2022 John McCallum Century of Theatre Weekend Australian 3 4 July 1999 Review p 20 Hilda Esson AustLit 22 March 2018 Retrieved 20 November 2022 Australian Plays The Worker Vol 19 no 34 New South Wales Australia 25 August 1910 p 21 Retrieved 7 September 2023 via National Library of Australia Further reading editFitzpatrick Peter 11 December 1995 Pioneer Players The Lives of Louis and Hilda Esson Cambridge University Press ISBN 9780521450102 External links editLouis Esson at Australian Poetry Library Works by or about Louis Esson at Internet Archive Works by Louis Esson at LibriVox public domain audiobooks nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Louis Esson amp oldid 1179704159, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
