title: Gilbert's first night anxiety.
abstract: W. S. Gilbert, librettist of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, suffered from such extreme anxiety at the opening night performance of his plays that he was unable to remain in the theater. This paper explores the dynamics behind Gilbert's first night anxiety, utilizing his literary works as well as biographical and autobiographical sources.
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety; D001009:Anxiety, Castration; D001319:Authorship; D004324:Drama; D004739:England; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008091:Literature; D008297:Male; D009813:Oedipus Complex; D010551:Personality; D011573:Psychoanalytic Interpretation