Although prologues and epilogues are a large part of Restoration drama they have rarely been studied in depth. This work by Solomon begins to rectify that lack by considering how these types of paratexts support-or undermine-gender norms when an actor speaks the words. Solomon begins by defining types of prologues and epilogues and then she explores those types in detail. She also offers several case studies, one of Anne Bracegirdle (a famous and famously virginal actress) and the other of an epilogue as famous as its play, which serves as an example of the period's conflict between tragic plays and comic, often bawdy, epilogues. The author argues that the body and persona of the actress worked as a prop or metatext, so that Nell Gwyn's well-known affair with Charles II supported the shift from tragic denouement to comic epilogue, and Anne Bracegirdle's customary virginity allowed her to speak directly, even radically, to her female audiences. Although sometimes overly reliant on comparisons to modern female stand-up, Solomon's work is nonetheless thoughtful and very well supported, offering a new way of understanding particular Restoration plays and the wider theatrical world of the period. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. * CHOICE * Illuminating and insightful. * Times Literary Supplement *
