William Gillette's four-act comedy opened on 1 June 1881 at the Madison Square Theatre for 151 performances. Gillette referred to The Professor as a character study, with himself in the central role of Hopkins, a bookish young Yale professor pursued by many young women, to the dismay of the Yale University students who are pursuing the girls themselves. Hopkins is also distracted from his studies by a kidnapper and the young woman victim, as well as the sudden arrival of a brother and sister he has not seen in many years. One of Gillette's slightest works as a dramatist, it provided a popular vehicle in the early years of his acting career.
The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater. James Fisher.