| One major but rarely studied era of change in French theatre is the moment of its institutional formation, which took place during the first half of the sixteenth century---a moment often referred to as the shift from medieval to Renaissance or Early Modern performance. As Paris grew into a centralized Renaissance capital city during the reigns of Francois I (1515--47) and Henri II (1547--59), performance was confined to certain spaces and assigned certain textures, inscribed by what governing bodies saw as the proper way to conduct life in their Renaissance city. No single set of documents tells more about the relationship between Paris and performance than the city's laws and legislation. The relevant official documents fall into three general categories: laws passed by the king, legislation of the Parlement of Paris, and municipal regulations.;The first chapter introduces the project, outlining the methodology used, offering a description of lawmaking institutions, and giving a detailed explanation of sources. Chapter 2, "The Theatrical City," shows how laws and municipal performers interacted in Paris, describes the hierarchy of the different groups of performers who were legally censored or sponsored, and offers a picture of typical audience participation in performances. Chapter 3, "Public and Private Performers," looks at more traditionally-studied groups of actors: confraternities and guilds; clerks and students; and court performers. Chapter 4, "A Topography of Paris," considers places of performance in light of urban development and changes in the allocation of space; the city's first permanent theatre, temporary theatre structures, and costumes used in performance and regulated by sumptuary laws are discussed. Chapter 5, "Censorship," explores the legal reasoning behind suppression of certain kinds of performance, including arguments based on contemporary religion, politics, and urban issues. Chapter 6, "Sponsorship," looks at the other side of the censorship issue, revealing that almost twice as many laws were passed in support than in suppression of performance, and introduces the office of master of the revels. The last chapter assembles a picture of the ways in which performers integrated themselves into the urban environment, revealing the first significant steps toward the Early Modern stage. |
