Eugene Scribe (1791-1861) was an extraordinarily prolific French dramatist who often wrote in collaboration with other authors. His understanding of both of the mechanism of the stage and the tastes of his public audience was unique. His plays are still regarded as models of dramatic construction. He also penned the libretti of many of the most famous operas of the middle of the century, especially those of Auber and Meyerbeer (Fra Diavolo, Robert le Diable, etc.) In 1821, a year after Nodier, Scribe wrote a vaudeville featuring Lord Ruthven, loosely based on the Polidori story. stage play: Lord Ruthven the Vampire (2004)