Women Dramatists, Humor, and the French Stage: 1802 to 1855 [Hardcover]

Filling a critical void, this book examines French women dramatists of the nineteenth-century who staged works prior to the lifting of censorship laws in 1864. Though none staged overtly feminist drama, Sophie de Bawr, Sophie Gay, Virginie Ancelot, and Delphine Girardin questioned patriarchal dominance and reconstructed ideals of womanhood.1. Revisiting Women, Humor, and the French Stage 2. Sophie de Bawr: Successful Resistance, Resisting Success 3. The Shifting Stages of Sophie Gay's Theater Career 4. Virginie Ancelot's Comedy for Women 5. Delphine Gay de Girardin: The Muse Takes Center Stage 6. Conclusion

Women Dramatists, Humor and the French Stageclearly and concisely presents authors whose work has been forgotten to ourdetriment. Joyce Johnstons readings of these plays are judicious, and herexamples and analysis are enlightening. & The important questions that thisbook raises about genre, gender, and theatrical authorship will also interestscholars working on womens writing more generally. (Cary Hollinshead-Strick,Nineteenth-Century French Studies, Vol. 44, Winter, 2015-2016)

Women Dramatists, Humor, and the French Stage is a much-needed and well documented study of comedy by early nineteenth-century women playwrights. In addition to information about the authors' lives, and the performances and reception of their plays, Johnston's insightful analysis focuses on their subversive use of humor in comedies that give us a glimpse into the lives of French women during the first half of the century while critiquing social and gender norms behind a fa?ade of laughter. - Cecilia Beach, Director, Women's and Gender Studies, Hagar Chair, Alfred University, USA

Johnston's captivating study brings to light some highly entertaining theatrical works by nineteenth-century French female playwrights that, although successful in their day, have been neglected until very recently. Her book convincingly demonstrates how female dralƒ]