Overview

This is the first detailed study of the Hotel Guenegaud, the first home of the Paris Opera in 1670, and the first home of the Comedie Francaise ten years later. The account books remain in the Archives of the Comedie Francaise, providing the source for a highly detailed account of the administrative structures and day-to-day running of the theatre. Moreover, a study of the records of ticket sales makes possible not only an analysis of the tastes and composition of the Guenegaud's audience, but also an attempted reconstruction of the theatre auditorium. This book will be helpful for academics in the fields of drama and theatre studies. All quotations from French sources are given in translation.

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9780773453135

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Reviews

"""Dr. Clarke begins with the most thorough survey I know, and the first in English, of the crisis affecting all the Paris theatres in 1673, and her ability to tease out details and to show their place in the wider picture is soon apparent. The narrative of negotiations over the composition of the Guenegaud and company and its eventual choice of a new home is thus turned into compelling reading. Not merely is this a gripping story, however, but it also shows the virtues of rigorous analysis and logical argument... I have rarely read a work which so successfully combines thoroughness and intellectual rigor with readability and the knack of engaging the reader's interest."" - William Brooks ""The strength of Dr. Clarke's study is the wealth of evidence supplied, particularly from the account books of the Guenegaud company, housed in the archives of the Comedie-Francaise. Dr. Clarke has exploited this material, largely ignored by theatre historians, most judiciously... In short, with its appendices - 14 illustrations of theatre architecture, numerous charts indicating value of shares, repertoire, box-office takings for different parts of the house, employees and associates - and rich bibliography, this is a most impressive work. It will be an invaluable work of reference for scholars and of benefit to students of theatre studies..."" - Noel Peacock"""

Dr. Clarke begins with the most thorough survey I know, and the first in English, of the crisis affecting all the Paris theatres in 1673, and her ability to tease out details and to show their place in the wider picture is soon apparent. The narrative of negotiations over the composition of the Guenegaud and company and its eventual choice of a new home is thus turned into compelling reading. Not merely is this a gripping story, however, but it also shows the virtues of rigorous analysis and logical argument.... I have rarely read a work which so successfully combines thoroughness and intellectual rigor with readability and the knack of engaging the reader's interest. - William Brooks The strength of Dr. Clarke's study is the wealth of evidence supplied, particularly from the account books of the Guenegaud company, housed in the archives of the Comedie-Francaise. Dr. Clarke has exploited this material, largely ignored by theatre historians, most judiciously.... In short, with its appendices - 14 illustrations of theatre architecture, numerous charts indicating value of shares, repertoire, box-office takings for different parts of the house, employees and associates - and rich bibliography, this is a most impressive work. It will be an invaluable work of reference for scholars and of benefit to students of theatre studies... - Noel Peacock

Dr. Clarke begins with the most thorough survey I know, and the first in English, of the crisis affecting all the Paris theatres in 1673, and her ability to tease out details and to show their place in the wider picture is soon apparent. The narrative of negotiations over the composition of the Guenegaud and company and its eventual choice of a new home is thus turned into compelling reading. Not merely is this a gripping story, however, but it also shows the virtues of rigorous analysis and logical argument... I have rarely read a work which so successfully combines thoroughness and intellectual rigor with readability and the knack of engaging the reader's interest. - William Brooks The strength of Dr. Clarke's study is the wealth of evidence supplied, particularly from the account books of the Guenegaud company, housed in the archives of the Comedie-Francaise. Dr. Clarke has exploited this material, largely ignored by theatre historians, most judiciously... In short, with its appendices - 14 illustrations of theatre architecture, numerous charts indicating value of shares, repertoire, box-office takings for different parts of the house, employees and associates - and rich bibliography, this is a most impressive work. It will be an invaluable work of reference for scholars and of benefit to students of theatre studies... - Noel Peacock

Author Information

Dr. Clarke received her Ph.D. from Warwick University. She is currently Senior Lecturer in the Department of French at the University of Durham. She is the author of Circe, edition critique (Corneille) (Exeter University Press) and co-author of French Theatre in the Neo-Classical Era, 1550-1789 (Cambridge University Press), as well as many articles and reviews.

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