Backgrounds: On Wit. After reading these short pieces by contemporary writers and critics, I felt like I had a better understanding of how comedic plays were written and judged - what was considered well done, and what was not. Backgrounds: The Collier Controversy. Comedic theater was obviously a hot topic, judging by the accusations and defenses posed by different contemporaries regarding the value or immorality of the theater. Backgrounds: Steele and Dennis. The amazing thing about these selections is that both men are convincing in their arguments and it is clear that competing philosophies regarding comedy on the stage are being fought for rigorously. Backgrounds: Stages, Actors ... This section gives a good overview of the more technical side of the theater - the actors, the stage sets, the theater itself. My only suggestion would be more pictures or drawings - I had a hard time picturing some of the things that were described. Criticism: From Lamb to the Present There's a wide range of views on these dramas. What is most enjoyable is seeing how some of these scholars are able to make connections and find meaning in things that on the surface don't seem to be connected. Some of the arguments are more convincing than others. Overall Impressions This volume definitely gives the reader a greater sense of both the cultural situation of the time when these dramas were written, as well as a more complete appreciation of the works included in this anthology. For reviews of the dramas themselves, see the works themselves. ( )

That's comedy meaning "funny as in big Puritan collars" and not "funny ha-ha."