ENG 3311 English Literature through the Sixteenth Century: Primary Sources

Access prompt books for Shakespeare’s plays from the collection of prompt books in the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC. Prompt books are the script of the play marked up to show notes on a specific production, including any changes made to the play (cutting scenes, rearranging dialogue, etc.), and may include instructions on technical production elements such as lighting, music, and stage directions. The collection covers 42 plays from a production of Twelfth Night in the 1600’s to a 1975 production of The Tempest, and includes British, American, and international productions. Search features include a browse by play, simple, and advanced search. Interactive features include viewing two prompt books of the same play side-by-side, an introduction to prompt books and common annotations seen in them, and a chronology. A section on case studies delves more deeply into seventeen productions of various plays. There is a glossary and biographies of well-known Shakesearian actors and directors. Adam Matthew.