Rival Queens: Actresses, Performance, and the Eighteenth-Century British Theater

Table of Contents

C o n t e n t s Introduction: At Stage’s Edge 1 C h a p t e r 1 The Economics of Celebrity 31 Chapter 2 “Real, Beautiful Women”: Rival Queens 61 Chapter 3 Actresses’ Memoirs: Exceptional Virtue 92 Chapter 4 Actresses and Patrons: The Theatrical Contract 122 Chapter 5 The Actress and Performative Property: Catherine Clive 151 Chapter 6 The Actress, Travesty, and Nation: Margaret Woffington 189 Chapter 7 The Actress and Material Femininity: Frances Abington 226 epilogue: ContraCted virtue 265 notes 285 BiBliography 339 index 365 aCknowledgments 381 i l l u s t r at i o n s 1. Critical Balance of the Performers at Drury-Lane Theatre 2 2. “Scale of Tragedians” 4 3. “Scale of Comedians” 5 4. “David Garrick and Mrs. Pritchard in The Suspicious Husband” 7 5. “Mr. Smith in the Character of Alexander” 69 6. “Rival Queens of Covent Garden and Drury Lane” 77 7. Possibly Nell Gwyn 96 8. “Mrs. Oldfield the celebrated Comedian” 102 9. “Residence of the late Mrs. Clive at Twickenham” 154 10. “Mrs. Clive from the Picture at Strawberry Hill” 155 11. Mrs. Clive as the Fine Lady of Lethe 157 12. “Woffington’s First Interview with Manager Rich” 190 13. “Mrs. Margaret Woffington” 192 14. The Female Volunteer 209 15. “Mrs. Barry as Sir Harry Wildair” 211 16. “Frances Abington as Lady Bab Lardoon” 232 17. “Mrs. Abington in the Character of Aurelia” 243 18. “Mrs. Abington as Estifania” 251 19. “Miss Younge, Epilogue to The Runaway” 253 20. “Mrs. Wilson, Prologue to Polly Honeycombe” 254 21. “Mrs. Yates, Epilogue to The Earl of Warwick” 255 22. “Mrs. Abington, Epilogue to the Tragedy of Zingis” 256 23. “Mrs. Abington as Miss Prue” 262 24. “David Garrick” 263 25. “Miss Younge in the Character of Hermione” 267 26. “Mrs. Yates in the Character of Calista” 268 27. “Miss Younge in the Character of Artemis[i]a” 269 28. “Mrs. Lessingham in the Character of Oriana” 270 29. “Portraits in the Character of the Muses” 275 ...