Comedy of Manners- A comedy satirizing the attitudes and behavior of a particular social group, often of fashionable society. Often represented by stock characters, such as the miles gloriosus in ancient times, the fop and the rake during the Restoration, or an old person pretending to be young. The plot of the comedy, often concerned with an illicit love affair or some other scandal, is generally less important than its witty and often bawdy dialogue.
Female Wits: consisted of Catharine Trotter, Mary Pix, and Delariviere Manley. They were feminine revisionists and work together in the London theatre world in "a highly collegial manner, publishing verses in each other's works" (pg. 268).
Benefits- Benefits were a wage usually given to actors in acting companies at yearly basis. Actors were profited the benifit of keeping all profits earned for the performances, and playwrights were given the profits after the third performance.
Laughing Comedy-Laughing Comedy ranges in certain types of humor to engage the aduience to laugh by looking at life cooly, but in a playful and amusing way. Some of these comedies include slapstick, wit, and farce.
William Congreve-English poet and playwright, wrote the way of the world. became associated with John Dryden. very short career of writing. his style was high brow sexual comedy of errors.
Country Wife- restoration comedy by William Wycherley
- Davenant's The Siege of Rhodes was the first production with a female actress.
-In 1660 Charles II granted Davenant and killigrew a patant that gave them a monoploy on theatrical productions in London
-after suppressing unlicensed troupes they divided their own company
-Killigrew formed king's company with older more experienced actors
-Davenant formed Duke's Company with several promising young actores, his company proved to be the stronger and better managed of the two.
-in 1682 the two companies were reunited
George Farquhar (1678-1701)- Irishman who was often the target of criticism by his English contempories. He was educated at Trinity College in Dublin; worked as a press corrector, an actor (only for one year), and then a playwright. His plays are realist plays, suggesting that they were written based on his own experiences.
Breeches roles Parts in a play that require a woman to dress as a man.
Heroic Tragedy- dealt with extraordinary characters undertaking extraordinary deeds. Popular between 1660-1675, a serious drama also using themes of love and honor, reminiscent of Spanish golden age and French neoclassical era.
Denis Diderot He was a French philosopher that edited the seventeen-volume Encyclopedie
William Congreve: One of the Restoration’s finest dramatists. He produced his first playwright produced in 1693 called The Old Bachelor. His greatest stage triumph was Love for Love. The way of the World was considered the best Restoration comedy, but was a failure when first produced. He produced four comedies and had a place in the best literary and social circles of London. He died in 1729.
Aphra Behn: The first woman playwright, not to mention the first woman playwright to earn a living by writing. She was also a poet and novelist. She wrote plays such as The Rover and The Forced Marriage. She is best known for her plays of intrigue. She was given the nickname "divine Astrea" after a goddess of mythology.
Proscenium Stage: first used in English theatre by Davenant, it was a clear sign of Italian influence seeping into English Theatre. It facilitated the use of shutter sets, and impressive scene changes. It became indespensible during the restoration.
The Busybody: Written in 1709 by Susanna Centlivre, it marked a turn toward success in her career, and sparked her later writing life. After this play, she no longer hid her sex.
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