ABSTRACT
Comedies were the most common type of new productions in the theaters during the 1695–1705 decade and had the highest proportion of musical numbers, outside of explicitly musical works like masques and dramatick operas. They were integral to the success of both companies, particularly during the early seasons. William Congreve’s Love for Love was the first play staged at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and a triumph for the new company. A few months later, Colley Cibber’s Love’s Last Shift did much to save the Patent Company’s 1695–96 season. Each became a regular part of its respective company’s repertoire during the following decade.
