Joseph Stevens Jones

Joseph Stevens Jones (September 28, 1809 – December 29, 1877) was an American actor, playwright, theater manager, and surgeon. He wrote at least 150 plays that were mostly produced at theaters in Boston, Massachusetts.

Early life and education Jones was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 28, 1809. He was the son of Mary Ann (née Stevens) and Abraham A. Jones, a sea captain who worked for the Russian American Company in Alaska. One of his early big roles were as Lucullus in Damon and Pythias. He opened the theater on September 2, 1839, with a production of The Poor Gentlemen. Jones ran the theater from 1840 to 1841 with stars Tyrone Power, Fanny Elssler, and Dan Power. However, he closed when the season ended for financial reasons.

His The Carpenter of Rouen; or, A Revenge for the Massacre of St. Bartholomew was produced across the United States and in England. He also notes that his plays were meant to be performed, not read. After her death, he married her sister, Louisa Goward Dexter (1814–1890). His home was on the corner of Bowdoin Street and Cambridge Street in Boston. His daughter and a son, Joseph, pre-deceased him in 1877. Venison Preserved, or a Pot Uncovered. Eugene Aram (Tremont Theatre, Boston, 1832), an adaptation of the novel by Edward Bulwer-Lytton The Liberty Tree; or, Boston Boys in '76 (Warren Theatre, Boston, June 17, 1832), written for the 50th anniversary of the end of the Revolutionary War The Fire Warrior (Warren Theatre, Boston, March 31, 1834), three acts Custom. a comedy in five acts Three Experiments in Banking The Carpenter of Rouen; or, A Revenge for the Massacre of St. Bartholomew (Chatham Theatre, New York City, November 16, 1840), drama in four acts Quadroon (Tremont Theatre, Boston, April 19, 1841) Andek the Arab Ten Thousand a Year (National Theatre, Boston, January 21, 1842), adaptation of a novel by the same name Two Journeymen Locksmiths (National Theatre, Boston, April 16, 1842) Robert Kyd, four acts Indian Hord Infernal Machine Old Job and Jacob Gray (Boston Museum, Boston, 1849) The Silver Spoon; or, Our Own Folks (Boston Museum, Boston, February 16, 1852) The Last Dollar (Boston Museum, Boston, September 1959) The Batkins at Home, or Life in Cranberry Centre. sequel to The Silver Spoon Captain Lascar, the Pilot of Brest (Howard Athenaeum, Boston, December 17, 1866) Paul Revere and the Sons of Liberty (1875)

Books

Life of Jefferson S. Batkins, Member from Cranberry Centre. with Jefferson Batkins. Boston: Loring Publisher, 1871.

Honors In 1916, The Bostonian Society in the Old State House acquired a bust on Jones, made by Pietro Gariboldi.