121: The Stage Players Complaint (1641)

The Stage-Players Complaint by Anonymous (printed 1641)

This is a performance of a dialogue between two players, Cane of the Fortune and Reed of the Friars, complaining that the plague has closed the playhouses. Of course, we know from afar that there's worse to come for the theatre in a very short time. The times are a changing, and not for the better. Amidst the general hope for employment is a call for clemency for the stage itself. It will not be heard, and within a year of the printing of this dialogue the theatres will be closed, and then pulled down - a subject for covered in other texts available on this podcast - The Actors Remonstrance and An Ordinance for the Utter Suppression and Abolishing of All Stage Plays and Interludes (available in this playlist https://audioboom.com/playlists/4620467-down-with-this).
Performed by Robert Crighton as Cane - who is called Quick presumably for the speed of his tongue - and Rob Myson as Reed - who is called Light, because of the nimbleness of his feet.

The text for this pamphlet can be found variously online - there's a nice neat and tidy version here. http://www.luminarium.org/renascence-editions/player2.html

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