Restoration and EighteenthCentury Comedy, ed. Scott McMillin. 2nd edition.  Norton Critical Editions. Norton, 1997.

    Several years ago an undergraduate class and I produced the rudiments of a web site that materialized, as it were, the idea that in London in the "long eighteenth century" (1660-1800), when professional theaters again became part of London life with the restoration of monarchy, many aspects of London life were interconnected with the theater and with each other in complex, three-dimensional ways for which a web is a natural metaphor.  An actress, for instance, is simultaneously her individual self, a contributor to all the plays in which she performed, an example of the situation and status of women, a wearer of costumes on stage and selected fashions off, a resident of some address, and so on.  She lives and performs at certain dates, with certain people, despite certain events or attitudes, with the help of certain events or attitudes.  She has parents, mentors, lovers, rivals, patrons, fans, proteges.  Her "node," therefore, is linked to many others.
    The goal of this project is to organize and create many nodes--verbal, visual, possibly auditory, possibly including MOOs, video sequences, or other uses of the medium--and to identify for each node as many interconnections within the site, and to other sites, as possible.  Throughout the project, we will try to link everything to a Timetable, so that people may enter the site through particular dates; to a Map of the London theatre district, so that they may enter through particular places; to related web sites and to an annotated bibliography of valuable works in other media, especially print (the Book Shelf).
       At each class meeting, we will focus on a particular play and its performances, but everyone will also have prepared new material to add to the web.  That new material will either relate to the play in question, or to that person's "editorship" (explained below), which in turn will include special analytical or historical projects, large and small, that are to become part of the web.  Everyone is responsible for suggesting connections and improvements for everyone else's proposed additions.  Depending on the size of the class, everyone will have special responsibility for leading the discussion of one or two plays.
    Everyone will write one original critical essay which may be framed as a conference paper, print journal article, or electronic journal article.  Grading will be as follows: 34% class vote on general contribution to the project; 33% my judgment of the article; 33% my judgment of your performance of your "special project(s)"--things you focus on in your editorial task.  Note: we can't possibly perfect this project in a semester.  That's not expected.!

The editors needed are as follows (I include fragmentary but possibly helpful notes about what each does, so that you can begin thinking about which one you would like to be):

Editor for Graphics--Designs physical appearance of all pages we create, vets all images,making sure they are labelled and linked, finds and annotates relevant Internet sites.  Creates Map (if possible).

Editor(s) for Spaces, Places, and Things--the physical and material world
    (A)London, playhouses, theater district, other public places used by or referred to in plays, theater outside London.  Indicates sites for map.
    (B)Material culture. Clothing, housing, travel, food, sanitation..... Special references to theater and theater people.

Editor(s) for People
    (A) Theater people--performances, letters, diaries, autobiographies. Issues of preparation for theater careers, especially training, family connections, etc.  Primary sources.  Also, brief or extended bios of significant actors, managers, directors, technicians, dancers or musicians, patrons, enemies, and playwrights, with special attention to links.
    (B) Audience--experience of playgoing, reports in personal records, attitudes towards players, relation of real lives to drama.  Primary sources.

Editor for the Business of Theater  Censorship, competition, costs of production, relation to larger economic picture.  Relation to other forms of entertainment, including other arts, print media, public shows, free spectacles.

Editor for Professional Responses and Respondents: reviewers, puffers, critics, theorists from then to now--specific plays/performances and drama in general.  Primary sources from microforms and special collections.

Editor for Staging:  styles and crafts connected to the physical production of plays: lighting, costumes, sets, special effects, acting/directing methods, and design of the theater evening (interludes, orange ladies, et al).

Editor for Politics: particular issues relating to court or government; class; ethnicity; gender: religion.  Effect on plays, and vice versa.

Editor for Plays as Books: print publication and intertextuality; translations and adaptations

Editor for Performance History and Videography?--eighteenth-century theatre as it has survived into the twenty-first century

Editor for MOO uses?  Possibility: Karaoke Plays.   Provide the user a script for a short scene, an actor's copy, giving brief cues and his/her own speeches, but not the speeches of the other characters.  S/he is to "speak"  on cue and to indicate actions or reactions (verbs supplied).  Correct entry cues robot actor to speak and/or move.  Incorrect entry cues prompter.

Everyone is responsible for the Timeline,  for finding interior links and specific external links, for the Book Shelf, and for providing images and new Map references to the graphics .

A reading list for the plays follows.The first play, which is not in either of the books, will be Sir William D'Avenant's The Siege of Rhodes Part I,  which is available through the Library from LION, which you will want to learn how to use if you haven't already, or you can just link to my copy.  After we have met the first time, I will work out a specific timetable for reading and other reports.  I would like your critical essays to be read (or excerpted) and discussed at the final class meeting.
Play Reading List:

For
August 28            Davenant, The Siege of Rhodes, Part I.     1656/1661    LION
September 11      Dryden, Aureng-Zebe  1675        LION
September 18      Wycherley, The Country Wife 1675    Norton collection
September 25       Etherege, The Man of Mode    1676    Norton collection
Octoboer 2           Behn, The Rover                    1677    Norton collection
October 9            Otway, Venice Preserved        1682    LION
October 16          Pix, The Spanish Wives            1696    Meridian collection
October 23          Congreve, The Way of the World 1700 Norton collection
October 30        Centlivre, A Bold Stroke for a Wife    1718    Meridian collection
November 6       Steele, The Conscious Lovers        1722   Norton collection
November 13    Gay, The Beggar's Opera        1728    LION
November 20    Lillo, The London Merchant    1731    LION
November 27    Sheridan, The School for Scandal    Norton collection
December 4       Cowley, The Belle's Stratagem 1780    Meridian collection