Paul M. Potter adapted George du Maurier's novel into this popular four-act drama. It opened on 15 April 1895 for 208 performances at the Garden Theatre. Wilton Lackaye was acclaimed for his performance as Svengali, who molds Trilby, a beauty played by Virginia Harned, into an opera diva. Billee, an artist, wants to marry Trilby, but she chooses to continue performing under Svengali's guidance. When Svengali dies, Trilby's vocal talent dies with him. Billee reunites with her, but Trilby dies without the influence of Svengali. Lackaye appeared in well-received 1905 and 1915 Broadway revivals, as well as a 1915 silent motion picture version, but a 1938 revival with Walter Hampden proved most successful. Trilby also provided the source for a failed musical, The Studio Girl (1927), and the novel and/or play inspired at least a dozen film treatments, including a 1931 classic with John Barrymore retitled Svengali.
The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater. James Fisher.