Restoration Promptbooks

A major new reference tool that gathers for the first time all discovered Restoration promptbooks, with full facsimiles of the rich­est ones and transcriptions of the prompt notes in the remainder. This book is the product of 25years of searching in libraries and private collections in England and America by the distinguished coauthor ofA Biographical Dictionary.Among the best sources of information about Res­toration staging, acting, and theatre architec­ture, these promptbooks have been so diffi­cult of access that most of them have never been studied in detail and a number of them are presented here by Langhans for the first time. As many of the promptbooks contain cuts and changes, they reveal how the players respected or ignored the playwright's wishes. In an introduction, Langhans discusses the identifying features of promptbooks, their preparation, and their disposition; the audiences for which productions were pre­pared; the layout of a typical Restoration playhouse; the duties of the prompter and his backstage colleagues; acting conventions of the time; and the probability of further promptbook discoveries. Among the most valuable promptbooks areThe Change of Crownesby Edward Howard,AglauraandBrennoraltby Sir John Suckling,The Loyal Subjectby John Fletcher,The Sisters,The Ball,The Wittie Faire One, andThe Maides Revengeby James Shirley,The Lady-ErrantandThe Ordinaryby William Cartwright,The Vow-Breakerby William Sampson,The Wise-Woman of Hogsdonby Thomas Heywood,Tyrannick Loveby John Dryden, andThe Albion Queensby John Banks. Appendixes provide brief examinations of some pre- and post-Restoration prompt-books, a facsimile of a manuscript prompt-book from Restoration Dublin, and a study of the only known actor's "part" from Restora­tion London. More than seventy prompt-books or related documents are examined in part or in detail by Langhans.Langhans, Edward A. is the author of 'Restoration Promptbooks' with ISBN 9780809308859 and ISBN 0809308851.