This volume charts a period of political and social turbulence in Europe and its reflection on theatrical life. Apart from considering external factors like censorship and legal sanctions on theatrical activity, the volume examines the effects of prevailing operational conditions on the internal organization of companies, their repertoire, acting, stage presentation, playhouse architecture and the audience relationship. Many of the 460 documents are illustrated and drawn from sources in Britain, France and Italy. They have been annotated, and translated where appropriate.

This book charts the development of theatrical presentation at a time of great cultural and political upheaval. With few exceptions, the documents from France, Germany, Russia, Scandinavia, Italy and Spain are unavailable to an English-reading public and many are out of print (or unpublished) in their original language. The volume contains numerous illustrations, the source location for each document and substantial bibliography.

This is the first volume in the series Theatre in Europe: a documentary history. The authors have compiled a documentary account of the theatre in Britain during the Restoration and Georgian period, which covers some 120 years of theatrical activity. It was an exciting period that saw the first arrival of the scenic stage in the public theatres of London, bringing with it a whole new approach to staging and performance. The development outlined in the volume shows the progression of the theatre from a tightly controlled, court-based institution in the Restoration to an ebullient, bustling,...

This volume explores the professional English theater from 1530 to 1660. The documents collected here chronicle the theater through the reigns of Henry VIII to Charles I. These primary sources offer first-hand accounts, including the daily life and work of the actor, and the most complete coverage yet of all the playhouses, including the Rose, the Globe, Red Lion, and the Swan. The volume documents the various theater companies of children, costumes and stage property matters, and ecclesiastical and governmental legislation.

This book makes available for the first time an overview of a significant segment of European theater history and, with few exceptions, none of the documents presented have been published in English before. Gathered from a rich variety of sources, including imperial and municipal edicts, contracts, architectural descriptions, playbills, stage directions, and actors' memoirs among others, the book sheds light on one of the most fascinating areas of cultural life in the German and Dutch speaking countries.

This book chronicles the emergence of a national feeling in the theatres of Northern and Eastern Europe from the mid-eighteenth to the late nineteenth centuries. Using original documents and sources, including architects' plans, royal edicts, censors' reports, contemporary journalism, directors' blocking notes, memoirs and letters, this volume provides a chronological exploration of theatrical trends in eight countries. The documents reveal that in Denmark, Sweden and Norway the gradual development from royal patent houses and municipal theatres led to a genuinely public and Scandinavian...

This volume covers the period that saw the establishment in France of a centralized official theater--not only the Comedie-Francaise, but an Italian theater and a state Opera; the often subversive independent theaters are also discussed. Nearly 1000 documents are, for the most part, newly translated and many are published for the first time. Over 120 pictorial documents provide a visual dimension where relevant. A copious bibliography helps to make this an important reference work and a valuable research tool.

This is the only volume available to bring together a wide selection of primary sources from the theatrical history of the Middle Ages. The focus is on Western Europe between the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Renaissance forms in Italy. Coverage includes the survival of Classical tradition and development of the liturgical drama, the growth of popular religious drama in the vernacular, and the pastimes and customs of the people. Each of the major medieval regions is featured and documents are presented in modern English translation.