Performing Childhood in the Early Modern Theatre: The Children's Playing Companies (1599-1613) (Early Modern Literature in History)

This book investigates how the Children of Paul's (1599-1606) and the Children of the Queen's Revels (1600-13) defined their players as children and, via an analysis of their plays and theatrical practices, it examines early modern theatre as a site in which children have the opportunity to articulate their emerging selfhoods. Performing Childhood In The Early Modern Theatre Explores The Phenomenon Of The Child Player At The Centre Of Early Modern Theatrical Culture. Drawing Together The Fields Of Renaissance, Theatre And Childhood Studies, It Raises Crucial Questions About The Role Of The Child In This Culture And About Childhood Was Experienced And Understood. It Investigates How The Two Major Children's Playing Companies, The Children Of Paul's (1599-1606) And The Children Of The Queen's Revels (1600-13), Defined Their Players As Children. Analyzing Their Plays, Commercial And Legal Practices, And Staging Methods, It Introduces Theorizations Of Age And Childhood Into Studies Of Performance, Gender And Nationality And Investigates Theatre As A Site In Which Children Have The Opportunity To Articulate Their Emerging Selfhoods. It Also Offers New Readings Of Plays By George Chapman, Nathan Field, Ben Jonson, John Marston And Thomas Middleton By Locating Them In The Context Of The Children's Repertories.--jacket. 1 The Child As Trope: Performing Age And Gender On The Early Modern Children's Stage -- 2 Evaluating Childhood: The Theatrical Trade In Children -- 3 Performing Court And Nation: The English Child Player -- 4 Playing Children: Education And Youth Culture In The Early Modern Theatre -- 5 Remembering Childhood: Nathan Field's Theatrical Career. Edel Lamb. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 169-181) And Index. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 9 Tables of the Children’s Playing Companies’ Repertories......Page 11 Introduction: Defining Early Modern Childhoods......Page 14 1 The Child as Trope: Performing Age and Gender on the Early Modern Children’s Stage......Page 30 2 Evaluating Childhood: The Theatrical Trade in Children......Page 56 3 Performing Court and Nation: The English Child Player......Page 80 4 Playing Children: Education and Youth Culture in the Early Modern Theatre......Page 105 5 Remembering Childhood: Nathan Field’s Theatrical Career......Page 131 Notes......Page 156 Bibliography......Page 182 C......Page 195 F......Page 198 J......Page 199 M......Page 200 R......Page 201 Z......Page 202 This text investigates how the Children of Paul's (1599-1606) and the Children of the Queen's Revels (1600-1613) defined their players as children and, via an analysis of their plays and theatrical practices, it examines early modern theatre as a site in which children had the opportunity to articulate their emerging selfhoods