Publisher's Synopsis
John Fletcher (1579-1625) was a Jacobean playwright. Following William Shakespeare as house playwright for the King's Men, he was among the most prolific and influential dramatists of his day; both during his lifetime and in the early Restoration, his fame rivaled Shakespeare's. Fletcher is considered an important transitional figure between the Elizabethan popular tradition and the popular drama of the Restoration. He wrote some of his plays with Francis Beaumont; a dramatist in the English Renaissance theatre. Philip Massinger (1583-1640) was an English dramatist. His finely plotted plays, including: A New Way to Pay Old Debts, The City Madam and The Roman Actor, are noted for their satire and realism, and their political and social themes. Between 1623 and 1626 Massinger produced unaided for the Lady Elizabeth's Men, then playing at the Cockpit Theatre, three pieces, The Parliament of Love, The Bondman and The Renegado. With the exception of these plays and The Great Duke of Florence, produced in 1627 by Queen Henrietta's Men, Massinger continued to write regularly for the King's Men until his death.
