George Melville Baker

George Melville Baker

George Melville Baker (1832-1890) was a playwright and publisher based in Boston. He first worked for Lee & Shepard publishers before establishing his own “George M. Baker & Co.” Baker also performed on the lyceum platform in New England. He specialized in writing plays for home, school, and other amateur settings. The titles of his works hint at some of the intended venues for his plays: Amateur Dramas For Parlor Theatricals, Evening Entertainments, and School Exhibitions (1867), The Drawing Room Stage: A Series of Original Dramas, Comedies, Farces, and Entertainments for Amateur Theatricals and School Exhibitions (1872), and The Exhibition Drama: Comprising Drama, Comedy, and Farce, Together with Dramatic and Musical Entertainments, for Private Theatricals, Home Presentations, Holiday and School Exhibitions (1875).