ABSTRACT
Over the last century, just like in the historical scholarship of John’s reign, tectonic shifts have occurred in our understanding of the history of early modern theater in England. Not only has the early modern professional theater’s important role in the establishment of a sense of nationhood been established 1 but also, perhaps more importantly for the purposes of the ensuing argument, we now understand that the relationship between the various professional acting companies (adult as well as children’s) resembled less the famous “War of the Theatres” or “Stage Quarrel”—based on a rather literal reading of the Poetomachia, which may well have been an elaborate publicity-stunt—and more a cooperative competition between fellow members of a “guild.” 2 Likewise, our understanding of the business of playwriting and the meaning of the appearance of playtexts in print provides further important contexts for our reading of the plays in the forms that were handed down to us. 3 We also have a clearer picture about the various audiences, as well as the influence of licensing, censorship, and political control generally on the production and performance of playtexts. 4
