Marco Praga

An Italian playwright and critic, the son of the Scapigliatura poet Emilio Praga. Born in Milan, he worked as an accountant until Le vergini succeeded in 1889, and La moglie ideale, first given with Eleonora Duse the following year, is counted his masterpiece. With Domenico Oliva he worked on the libretto of Manon Lescaut, which passed through several more hands. He directed the Italian authors' society, SIAE, from 1896 to 1911, then led a company at the Teatro Manzoni in Milan, and from 1919 was drama critic of L'Illustrazione Italiana. He took his own life in 1929.