ABSTRACT
As manager of Drury Lane theatre for three decades, David Garrick combined the frugality of a careful businessman with the creativity of an artist. He had a dominant influence on every aspect of the theatre. He devoted much time to reading plays submitted to him and wrote candid rejection letters; he trained the actors, often sitting in the audience to see them perform and critiquing them afterwards; he made changes in lighting, scenery, and costumes; he used the press to promote his theatre. Garrick was himself the author of twenty-two plays, which satisfied his audiences, though none are performed regularly today.
