French Theatre in the Neo-classical Era, 1550–1789

This 1997 work covers the period which saw the establishment in France of the Comédie-Française, an Italian theatre and a state opera.

William D. Howarth (Edited by)

9780521230131, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 5 June 1997

762 pages, 129 b/w illus.
23.6 x 15.8 x 4.2 cm, 1.465 kg

Review of the hardback: 'Vibrant with life and movement, and offering a wealth of factual detail on costs, costumes, scenery, stage design and special effects, and abundant anecdotal evidence about the trials and tribulations of an actor's life, this documentary history will be much appreciated by the teachers and students for whom it is intended.' New Theatre Quarterly

This 1997 book covers the period which saw the establishment in France of a centralized official theatre - not only the Comédie-Française (the first 'national' theatre), but an Italian theatre and a state opera; the often subversive independent theatres are also discussed. Nearly 1,000 documents deal with censorship and other aspects of external control, company management, the acting profession, dramatic theory and criticism, theatre architecture, settings and costumes, audience composition and behaviour. Over 120 pictorial documents - architectural drawings, technical engravings, frontispieces, portraits, etc. - provide a visual dimension where relevant. A full linking narrative and a copious bibliography help to make this an important reference work and a valuable research tool.

List of documents
General editors' preface
Editor's preface
Historical references and glossary
Abbreviations
Introduction
Part I. 1550–1630 Christopher Smith: 1. Documents of control
2. Humanist drama
3. Theatre in Paris
4. Theatre in the provinces
5. Theatre at court
Part II. 1630–80 Edward Forman, Michael O'Regan and William D. Howarth: 6. Documents of control
7. Playhouses and companies
8. Actors and acting
9. Mise-en-scène and costume
10. Audiences
11. Authors and their critics
Part III. 1680–1715 Jan Clarke
12. Documents of control
13. Company documents
14. Playhouses
15. The play in rehearsal and performance
16. Audiences
17. Provincial and amateur theatre
18. The morality debate
Part IV. 1715–91 John Golder and William D. Howarth: 19. Documents of control
20. Company administration
21. Theatre architecture
22. Stage presentation
23. Actors and acting
24. Audiences, critics and the eighteenth-century repertoire
25. Censorship and the morality debate
26. Independent, provincial and private theatres
27. Actors and authors
the end of the ancien régime
Bibliography.

Subject Areas: Theatre studies [AN]