Mirtilla, A Pastoral: A Bilingual Edition (Volume 62) (The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe: The Toronto Series)

Isabella Andreini was the most famous actress of the Italian Renaissance, the darling of dukes and kings, as well as of less-moneyed theatergoers. As a founding member with her husband, Francesco, of the Compagnia dei Gelosi, she performed ceaselessly throughout Italy and France, and was prized for the new role she invented for women on stage, that of the ingénue with a comic bent. She was also a playwright; in fact, the first woman to publish a pastoral. This modern edition and translation subtly captures the novelty, as well as the imaginative pyrotechnics, of a brilliant, self-made virtuosa of the stage. The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe - The Toronto Series: Volume 62 Cover 1 Title Page 10 Contents 12 Acknowledgments 14 List of Illustrations 16 Introduction: Pastoral Drama and Women’s Authorial Voice 18 The Other Voice 18 Biography 19 Works 26 Andreini, the Actress 30 The Female Stage 35 The Pastoral Play 46 Mirtilla: Structure and Themes 49 Note on the Italian Text 59 Note on the Transcription 62 Note on the Translation 63 Mirtilla 64 Italian Text 65 Prologo 69 Atto Primo 81 Atto Secondo 115 Atto Terzo 143 Atto Quarto 187 Atto Quinto 231 English Text 66 Prologue 70 Act One 82 Act Two 116 Act Three 144 Act Four 188 Act Five 232 Notes 273 Bibliography 288 Index 304