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Plays on the Move

Plays on the Move
Plays on the Move
Focussing on John Phillip’s The Comedy of Patient and Meek Grissill, but using the non pedagogical Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis by Sir David Lyndsay as a control, this essay explores the migratory potential of pedagogical drama; the methodological challenges which this poses to an understanding of historical spectatorship, and the rewards of viewing the drama of this period from the point of view of its “consumers.” In particular, it suggests ways in which a critical response can be developed to cope with plays that have moved between different institutional auspices such as grammar school, choir school, and court, and are extant finally in print form. It argues that, although learning as a process; the importance of ethical gender relations; folly, and dramatic self reflexivity all constitute enduring features of this genre’s content and style, they have varying values dependent on the context of performance. Consequently the critical challenges of migratory drama should first be addressed with respect to the history of single plays rather than genres, since it was the capacity of the play to meet the real or imagined needs of the consumer at the point of reception which determined its suitability. It suggests that Phillip’s Comedy needs to be revalued according to such criteria.
111-129
Narr Francke Attempto Verlag GmbH + Co. KG
McGavin, John J.
d5270e50-7abc-4b77-981d-ac68d3110b4a
Dutton, Elisabeth
McBain, James
McGavin, John J.
d5270e50-7abc-4b77-981d-ac68d3110b4a
Dutton, Elisabeth
McBain, James

McGavin, John J. (2015) Plays on the Move. In, Dutton, Elisabeth and McBain, James (eds.) Drama and Pedagogy in Medieval and Early Modern England. Narr Francke Attempto Verlag GmbH + Co. KG, pp. 111-129.

Record type: Book Section

Abstract

Focussing on John Phillip’s The Comedy of Patient and Meek Grissill, but using the non pedagogical Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis by Sir David Lyndsay as a control, this essay explores the migratory potential of pedagogical drama; the methodological challenges which this poses to an understanding of historical spectatorship, and the rewards of viewing the drama of this period from the point of view of its “consumers.” In particular, it suggests ways in which a critical response can be developed to cope with plays that have moved between different institutional auspices such as grammar school, choir school, and court, and are extant finally in print form. It argues that, although learning as a process; the importance of ethical gender relations; folly, and dramatic self reflexivity all constitute enduring features of this genre’s content and style, they have varying values dependent on the context of performance. Consequently the critical challenges of migratory drama should first be addressed with respect to the history of single plays rather than genres, since it was the capacity of the play to meet the real or imagined needs of the consumer at the point of reception which determined its suitability. It suggests that Phillip’s Comedy needs to be revalued according to such criteria.

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Published date: 30 October 2015
Organisations: English

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 383483
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/383483
PURE UUID: 06ba69a1-61dd-4d97-ba7e-445d5d89022a

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Date deposited: 17 Nov 2015 10:49
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 21:43

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Contributors

Author: John J. McGavin
Editor: Elisabeth Dutton
Editor: James McBain

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