Women Players in England 1500-1660

Book excerpt: Offering evidence of women's extensive contributions to the theatrical landscape, this volume sharply challenges the assumption that the stage was all male in early modern England. The editors and contributors argue that the pervasiveness of female performance affected cultural production, even on the professional London stages that used men and boys for women's parts. In short, Women Players in England 1500-1660 shows that women were dynamic cultural players in the early modern world.