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“ Theatrical Commerce and the Repertory System…”
Folger Institute, Folger Shakespeare Library
Friday afternoons, Fall 2003

CALENDAR OF READINGS:

OCTOBER 3: Theater history background (companies & players; patronage & politics; playing venues; repertorial commerce)
Recommended reading (if you haven’t already):

Bevington, David, From Mankind to Marlowe, pp. 104-113
Chambers, E. K., The Elizabethan Stage, “The Actor’s Economics,” I.348-88
Dutton, Richard, “Licensing and Censorship,” Companion to Shakespeare (CompSh), ed. Kastan, 377-91
Foakes, R. A. and R. T. Rickert, Henslowe’s Diary (HD), pp. xv-xlvii, 16-22, 273-79, 316-25
Greenfield, Peter, “Touring,” New History of Early English Drama (NHEED), ed. Cox and Kastan, 251-68
Greg, W. W., Henslowe Papers, the Plots
Gurr, Andrew, The Shakespearian Playing Companies (SPC), pp. 1-136; “Shakespeare’s Playhouses,” CompSh, ed. Kastan, 362-76
Ingram, William, The Business of Playing (BP), pp. 67-91; “The Economics of Playing,” CompSh, ed. Kastan, 313-27
Knutson, Roslyn, “The Repertory,” NHEED, ed. Cox and Kastan, 461-80
McMillin, Scott and Sally-Beth MacLean, The Queen’s Men and their Plays (QM), pp. 18-36; 121-169
MacLean, Sally-Beth, “The Players on Tour,” Elizabethan Theatre X, 55-72

OCTOBER 10: Theatrical Commerce and the Repertorial System, 1583-1594
Recommended reading:

Foakes & Rickert, HD, 16-22
Ingram, BP, pp. 115-18, 150-238
McMillin, Scott and Sally-Beth MacLean, QM, pp. 36-83

McMillin, Scott, The Elizabethan Theatre and The Book of Sir Thomas More,” pp. 53-73, 96-112; 113-134

Our focus, though, is on the plays themselves; to get an idea of repertorial competition, let’s read 6 plays over the next two weeks (two this week, four the next, divving the four up among us), using Marlowe’s as touchstone; I suggest 2 from Queen’s, 1 from the “unassigned” list, and the others from Strange’s and/ or Pembroke’s.
For this week, let’s all do the same two: Famous Victories of Henry V; and Selimus.

Here is a semi-complete list to choose from:

Queen’s Men	Clyomon and Clamydes, Q1599; Famous Victories of Henry V, S. R. 14 May 1594, Q1598; Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay, S. R. 14 May 1594, Q1594; King Leir, S. R. 14 May 1594, Q1605; Old Wives Tale, S. R. 16 April 1595, Q1595; Selimus, Q1594; Troublesome Reign of King John, Q1591; Three Lords and Three Ladies of London, S. R. 1590, Q1590; True Tragedy of Richard III, S. R. 19 June 1594, Q1594
Admiral’s Men	Tamburlaine, parts 1 & 2; S. R. 14 Aug 1590, Q 1590, 1592/3, ?1597, 1605/6; Doctor Faustus, S. R. 18 Dec 1592, Q1604, 1616; Wounds of Civil War, S. R. 24 May, 1594, Q1594; Battle of Alcazar, Q1594; The Jew of Malta, S. R. 17 May 1594, Q1633
Strange’s Men	Orlando Furioso, S. R. 7 Dec 1593, Q1594, Q1599; Spanish Tragedy, S. R. 6 Oct 1592, Q ?1592, 1594; Jew of Malta (see above); Henry VI, F1623; Looking Glass for London and England, S. R. 5 Mar 1594, Q1594, 1598, 1602; Knack to Know a Knave, S. R. 7 Jan 1594, Q1594; John of Bordeaux (ms); Massacre at Paris, Q n.d.; Sir Thomas More (ms)
Pembroke’s Men	Taming of a Shrew, S. R. 2 May 1594, Q1594, 1596, 1607; Edward II, S. R. 6 July 1593, Q1594; First Part of the Contention, S. R. 12 March 1594, Q1594; True Tragedy of Richard, Duke of York, Q1595
Sussex’s Men	George a Greene, S. R. 1 April 1595, Q1599; Titus Andronicus, S. R. 6 Feb 1594, Q1594, 1600, 1611
Plays without company assignment	Fair Em, Q1631; Arden of Faversham, S. R., 3 April 1592, Q1592, 1599; Edward I, S. R. 8 Oct 1593, Q1593, 1599; John a Kent & John a Cumber (ms); Jack Straw, S. R. 23 Oct 1593, Q1593, Thomas of Woodstock (ms); James IV, S. R. 14 May 1594; Q1598; Alphonsus, King of Aragon, Q1599

OCTOBER 17: Theatrical Commerce and the Repertorial System, 1583-1594, continued
Recommended reading:

Blayney, Peter W. M., “The Publication of Playbooks,” NHEED, 383-422
Cerasano, S. P., “‘Borrowed Robes,’ Costume Prices, and the Drawing of Titus Andronicus,” Shakespeare Studies 22 (1994): 45-57
Dessen, Alan, Elizabethan Stage Conventions, pp. 1-52
Gurr, SPC, pp. 258-77
Hodges, C. Walter, Enter the Whole Army (skim the pictures for pre-1594 plays)
Jones, Ann Rosalind and Peter Stallybrass, “The circulation of clothes and the making of the English theatre,” in Renaissance Clothing and the Materials of Memory, 175-206
Manley, Lawrence, “Playing with Fire,” Early Theatre 4 (2001): 115-29
Rhodes, Ernest, Henslowe’s Rose, pp. 28-35, 185-202

Four plays from the list above (1583-1594): Three Lords and Three Ladies of London; Orlando Furioso; Looking Glass for London and England; Woodstock; Fair Em

OCTOBER 24: Theatrical Commerce and the Repertorial System, 1594-1599
Recommended reading:

Foakes & Rickert, HD, pp. 22-37, 47-8, 54-60, 84-107
Ingram, William, A London Life in the Brazen Age, pp. 104-20, 151-66
Knutson, Roslyn, "Marlowe Reruns," in Marlowe's Empery, ed. Deats and Logan
Scott-Warren, Jason, “When Theaters Were Bear-Gardens; or, What’s at Stake in the Comedy of Humors,” Shakespeare Quarterly, 54 (2003): 63-82

As before, let’s choose 4-6 plays from the repertory lists below, now using both Marlowe’s and Shakespeare’s plays as touchstones: A Knack to Know an Honest Man, and The Blind Beggar of Alexandria

Admiral’s Men	Marlowe's plays (except Dido and Ed II), A Knack to Know an Honest Man, S. R. 26 Nov 1595, Q1596; Blind Beggar of Alexandria, S. R. 15 Aug 1598; Q1598; "1 Tamar Cham" (plot only extant), Spanish Tragedy, Comedy of Humours (Humorous Day’s Mirth), Q1597, Captain Thomas Stukeley, S. R. 11 Aug 1600; Q1605 (if it is "stewtley"), plus those plays, now lost, in Henslowe’s diary
Chamberlain’s Men	Shakespeare’s plays, up to Much Ado, plus reruns; Mucedorus, Q1598, 1606, 1610, + 5 more to 1621, A Warning for Fair Women S. R. 17 Nov 1599, Q1599; Every Man In his Humour S. R. 4 Aug/14 Aug 1600, Q1601; lost plays: “Hamlet,” “Hester and Ahasuerus”
Whoever is at the Swan (Queen’s in 1595? Pembroke’s in 1597)	3 plays, all lost, from Henslowe’s diary: “Hardicanute,” “Friar Spendleton,” “Bourbon,” plus the ones otherwise unknown in Henslowe’s inventory (?): “Sturgflattery,” “Alice Pierce”' the lost "Isle of Dogs"
Whoever is at the Curtain	playing what?
Derby's Men, Worcester's Men, maybe Oxford's Men at the Boar's Head	King Edward IV, 2 parts, S. R. 28 Aug 1599, Q1599, 1600; ?The Weakest Goeth to the Wall, S. R. 23 Oct 1600, Q1600
Plays without company assignment	Locrine, S. R. 20 July 1594, Q1595; Edward III, S. R. 1 Dec 1595, Q1596

NOVEMBER 7: Theatrical Commerce and the Repertorial System, 1594-1599, continued

The remainder of last week’s plays: Mucedorus; A Warning for Fair Women; Every Man in his Humour (Q version)

NOVEMBER 14: Theatrical Commerce and the Repertorial System, 1599-1603
Recommended reading (I’d rather have you reading plays, but these are pretty special):

Beckerman, Bernard, Shakespeare at the Globe, pp. 1-23, 64-108
Berry, Herbert, The Boar’s Head Playhouse, pp. 29-71, 120-31
Foakes & Rickert, HD, pp. 121-38, 166-87, 199-209, 213-26

For repertorial comparison, here are lists from active companies, 1599-1603; continuing to use Marlowe’s and Shakespeare’s plays as touchstones, let’s choose two new ones this week (I’m not including S. R. and quarto dates as there is no longer much discrepancy):
Plays for 11/14: Look About You, A Woman Killed with Kindness, Antonio's Revenge

Admiral’s Men	1 & 2 Robin Hood, Old Fortunatus, Shoemaker’s Holiday, Patient Grissil, Two Angry Women of Abingdon, 1 Oldcastle, Blind Beggar of Bednal Green, Look About You, and Spanish Moor's Tragedy, if it is Lust's Dominion; more Marlowe Reruns
Chamberlain’s Men	Shakespeare’s plays, from Henry V through All’s Well; plus reruns; Every Man Out of his Humour, A Larum for London, Satiromastix, Thomas Lord Cromwell, lost: “Cloth Breeches and Velvet Hose,” “Freeman’s Honor,” ?“Oldcastle”, ?“Robin Goodfellow”
Companies at the Boar’s Head (Derby’s, Worcester’s)	Woman Killed with Kindness, other Heywood plays; How a Man may choose a Good Wife from a Bad, The Trial of Chivalry
Companies at the Rose (Worcester’s Men, 1602-3)	A Woman Killed with Kindness, Sir Thomas Wyatt, Hoffman and one or both of the “Oldcastle” plays; some teasing titles: “Medicine for a Curst Wife,” 2-part “Black Dog of Newgate,” and “Shore’s Wife”
Companies at the Curtain & Swan?
Paul’s Boys at Paul’s Playhouse	Antonio and Mellida, Antonio’s Revenge, The Maid’s Metamorphosis, Jack Drum’s Entertainment, The Wisdom of Dr Dodypoll, Satiromastix, Blurt Master Constable
Children of the Queen’s Revels at Blackfriars	Cynthia’s Revels, Poetaster, The Contention of Liberality and Prodigality, Love’s Metamorphosis, and Chapman plays, most likely All Fools and May Day

NOVEMBER 21: Theatrical Commerce and the Repertorial System, 1599-1603, continued

More plays: Old Fortunatus; A Larum for London; Hoffman, Satiromastix

DECEMBER 5: Theatrical Commerce and the Repertorial System, after 1603
Recommended reading (if you have to choose, read plays):

Bayer, Mark, “Moving UpMarket: Queen Anne’s Men …,” Early Theatre 4 (2001): 138-48
Beckerman, Shakespeare …Globe, 157-225
Bentley, G. E., “Shakespeare and the Blackfriars Theatre,” Shakespeare Survey 1 (1948): 38-50
Knutson, Roslyn, “Two Playhouses, Both Alike in Dignity,” Shakespeare Studies, 30 (2002): 111-17

The last repertorial sets:

King’s Men at the Globe and (1608/9) Blackfriars	Shakespeare’s plays, from Antony & Cleopatra, plus reruns; Beaumont & Fletcher’s plays, from Philaster; Jonson’s Sejanus, Volpone, Alchemist, and Catiline; The Malcontent; Fair Maid of Bristow, London Prodigal, The Merry Devil of Edmonton, Miseries of Enforced Marriage, The Devil’s Charter, Yorkshire Tragedy, Second Maiden’s Tragedy, Revenger’s Tragedy; lost plays: “Gowrie,” “The Spanish Maze,” “A Bad Beginning Makes a Good Ending,” “Knot of Fools,” “Richard the 2”
Prince’s Men at the Fortune	Honest Whore, two parts; Whore of Babylon, Roaring Girl, When you see me, you know me; more Marlowe reruns?
Queen Anne’s Men at Red Bull and Cockpit	Heywood’s plays, including Four Prentices of London, the “ Ages” plays; Wise Woman of Hogsden,2-part If you know not me, Fortune by Land and Sea, Rape of Lucrece, Travels of Three Brothers; also, If it be not Good, the Devil is in it, White Devil, Edward II
Paul’s Boys	Westward Ho!, Northward Ho!, A Mad World My Masters, Michaelmas Term, The Phoenix, The Puritan, A Trick to Catch the Old One, The Woman Hater
Children of the Queen’s Revels (Blackfriars) & Ch of King’s Revels (Whitefriars)	The Malcontent, Daniel’s Philotas, Eastward Ho!, Marston’s The Dutch Courtesan, The Fawn, Sophonisba, The Insatiate Countess; Sharpham’s The Fleer and Cupid’s Whirligig; Chapman’s Monsieur D’Olive, 2-part Byron, 2-part Bussy, The Widow’s Tears; Beaumont/Fletcher’s The Coxcomb, The Tamer Tam’d, The Faithful Shepherdess, Knight of the Burning Pestle, Cupid’s Revenge; Scornful Lady, Day’s Law Tricks, Isle of Gulls, Jonson’s Epicoene, Middleton’s Your Five Gallants; Armin’s Two Maids of Moreclack; Field’s Amends for Ladies, Woman is a Weathercock; Lord Barry’s Ram Alley, Daborne’s A Christian Turned Turk
Lady Elizabeth’s Men at the Swan, Hope, and Cockpit	Jonson’s Bartholomew Fair, Middleton’s Chaste Maid in Cheapside, The Changeling, some old Children of Blackfriars plays, Dekker/Ford’s The Sun’s Darling
Queen Henrietta’s Men at the Cockpit and Salisbury Court	A mix of old plays, many by Heywood; also Ford’s Perkin Warbeck and ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore

DECEMBER 12: Theatrical Commerce and the Repertorial System, after 1603, continued; WRAP-UP AND ASSESSMENT

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