Rare Theater Books

Vondel, Joost van den (17 November 1587 – 5 February 1679) Dutch playwright, poet translator. A collection of almost all the plays, over half in first editions; also the major poetry and translations. 48 separate works bound in 12 vols, quarto. 11 in uniform contemporary vellum, 1 in modern gray wrappers. Mostly published by Abraham De Wees (1639- 1696). All the important the plays are collected here including Lucifer (1654)* (said to have influenced John Milton), Jeptha (1659)** (his "theatrical compass"), Adam in Ballingschap (1654), Leewendalers (a glorification of the Peace of Münster, called the most perfect drama our poet has left us.) Included are Vondel's translations of Euripides' Feniciaensche van Thebes [Phoenician Women] (1668) and Sophocles' Herkules in Trachin (The Trachiniae) (1668). Vondel's translations of the works of Ovide are collected (1671), as are his translations of Virgil in two editions (in prose, De Wees, 1646 and in verse, Visser, de Coup, et. al. after De Wees plates,… Read More

1765 Siege of Calais French Play by de Belloy Seven Years War France Patriotism
Pierre-Laurent de Belloy was an 18th-century French playwright who was relative popular during his lifetime. His popularity was rooted in his recurring themes of patriotism in his plays. One such example was his 1765 play 'The Siege of Calais'. Following France's defeat in the Seven Years' War, the French public longed for promotion of French patriotism and Belloy delivered, even though more iconic figures like Voltaire were pessimistic regarding such plays.
Item number: #15364
Price: $499
BELLOY, de Pierre-Laurent
Le siege de Calais, tragedie. Par M. de Belloy. Représentée pour la premiere fois, par les Comédiens Français ordinaires du Roi
A Paris : Chez la venue Duchesne, 1765.

Details:
·
Collation: Complete with all pages; 3 parts in 1
o
'Le Siege de Calais, Tragedie' –xvi, 118, [2]
o 'Examen Impartial' – 39, [1]
o 'Lettres…' –96
o Large folding map
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Language: French
·… Read More

1616 Robert Garnier Tragedies French Theater Plays Ancient ROME Brutus Porcia
Robert Garnier was a 16th-century French poet who is best-known for his collection of tragic plays. These tragedies, however, did not necessarily resemble of the tragic play of classical literature – they were much shorter and featured long monologue speeches followed by melodic chorus sections rather than more traditional back-and-forth dialogue.
This 1616 edition of Garnier's Tragedies
includes each of his tragic works:
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'Porcie'
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'Cornelie'
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'Marc-Antoine'
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'Hippolyte'
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'La Troade'
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'Antigone ou la Piete'
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'Les Juives'
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'Bradamante'
Item number: #20575
Price: $599
GARNIER, Robert
Les tragedies de Robert Garnier, conseiller dv roy, lieutenant general criminel au siege presidial & seneschaussee du Maine
Roven: Raphaël du petit Val, 1616

Details:

· Collation: Complete with all pages
o
646
o
Includes engraved title page
·… Read More

1692 Plays of Pierre Corneille French Theatre Le Cid Nicomede Drama 5v SET Paris
Pierre Corneille was a famous 17th-century French playwright often thought to be outdone only by Moliere. Corneille wrote some of the best plays in French literature including Le Cid and Nicomede, all of which are included in this five-volume 1692 set of the works of Corneille.
Item number: #20622
Price: $950
CORNEILLE, Thomas

Le Theatre
Paris: Chez Pierre Traboüillet, 1692.

Details:

· Collation: Complete with all pages; 5 volumes
o Vol. I – lx, [6], 560, [4]
o Vol. II – lviii, [2], 363 (i.e. 563), [1]
o Vol. III – xxxvi, 504
o Vol. IV – 504
o Vol. V – 473, [1]
· Language: French
· Binding: Leather; tight and secure
· Size: ~6.5in X 3.75in (16.5cm x 9.5cm)
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20622Photos available… Read More

1651 TERENCE Comedies Greek Roman Plays Theatre Farnaby Heinsius Classical ROME

"I am human, and I think nothing of which is human is alien to me."
– Terence, The Self-Tormentor

Terence was a 2nd-century BC Roman playwright who is most remembered for his comedies. His six plays, which all survive, were composed after he was freed from slavery. His plays were composed in simple Latin and were popular during the Middle Ages, despite having prevalent themes of paganism throughout.

Published in 1651, this Latin edition was edited by Daniel Heinsius with annotations by Thomas Farnaby, and includes each of works of Terence:
• Andria (The Girl from Andros)
• Hecyra (The Mother-in-Law)
• Heauton Timorumenos (The Self-Tormentor)
• Phormio (Phormio, the Parasite)
• Eunuchus (The Eunuch)
• Adelphoe (The Brothers)

Item number: #21396
Price: $499

TERENCE

Pub. Terentii Comoediæ sex

Amstelodami: printed for A. Swall & T. Childe, 1694. First edition.

Details:
• Collation: Complete with… Read More

Grosset & Dunlap, 1938. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover with Dust Jacket. Near Fine/Good. Illustrated by Samuel Nisenson. Publisher's orange cloth with stamped titles. 7.75 inches tall; 125 pages, Illustrated by Samuel Nisenson. The bindings are tight and square. Text clean, light even toning. Minimal shelf handling wear. The dust jacket in a protective Mylar sleeve has a sun-faded spine with small loss on the tips and light edge wear. The front panel presents very well.. With simple text, many picture and diagrams, and a wealth of practical advice, Mr. Bergen tells you exactly how to master this fascinating art. [from DJ Flap] Background Information: Edgar John Bergen was an American ventriloquist, actor, comedian, vaudevillian and radio performer, best known for his proficiency in ventriloquism and his characters Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. He was the father of actress Candice Bergen.

8° (mm 174x118), pp. IV, 44. Frontespizio entro bordura silografica. Legatura coeva in cartoncino ricoperto da carta decorata del '700. Ottimo esemplare.
First Italian translation of Lucianus' Perì Orchéseos, a text whose Latin version had so much success during the Renaissance theoretical debate about literary genres.
Prima edizione in italiano, molto rara, del Perì Orchéseos del filosofo di Samosata, che tanta fortuna ebbe nel corso del Rinascimento (cfr. A.M. Andrisano, La fortuna del De saltatione di Luciano nel Rinascimento: il caso di Rinaldo Corso, "Italianistica: rivista di letteratura italiana", XLVII, 3, 2018, pp. 45-58). Strutturato come dialogo fra Licino (alter ego dell'autore) e il suo contraddittore Cratone, il testo rappresenta un vero e proprio manifesto in difesa dell'arte della danza e della sua figlia legittima, la pantomima. La traduzione commentata è dedicata - da uno pseudonimo, "Crittodunamio", non identificato - al celebre ballerino e coreografo Antonio Muzzarelli… Read More

First Edition of this Tony Award winning play

Rare "Connoisseur Edition." Print book regarding Shakespeare and his plays. Illustrated Edition

Signed. First Edition. Near Fine / near fine. 50th anniversary of the Dallas Theater Center. The book is signed by the late Paul Baker, who was the founding Director in 1959. Baker was also a founder of the Booker T. Washington School for the Performing Arts in Dallas. Book has a slight discoloration on the very bottom edge of the cover, otherwise excellent. The dust jacket has slight shelf wear on the front cover, but no wrinkles or edgewear. Paul Baker has signed on the front free end page (no inscription).

Book cover shows modest shelf wear - pages clean, bright and unmarked, light wrinkle to lower corner of pages – spine solid and undamaged.
Ex-library copy containing light stamps and/or stickers, no pockets.
No dust jacket issued with this book.
Proceeds benefit Friends of the Library.
"Honest and reliable service - every book hand-packaged with care."

'The impressive array of scholars gathered in this collection, all experts in the field, read the plays with nuance and situate them deftly within their cultural and historical contexts. Scholars of contemporary theater and drama and of African American literature will find value in this engaging collection.' Choice
'For students and scholars of American theatre and drama generally and African American theatre and drama most particularly, this is an extremely valuable critical source.' Harry Elam, Stanford University, USA
In the last fifty years, American and World theatre has been challenged and enriched by the rise to prominence of numerous female… Read More

New York, New Directions, 1979, hardcover, 116 pp, First Edition, First Printing, Fine in Near Fine dustjacket, Signed by the Author without inscription on the front endpaper. Straight, tight and clean with no wear or markings. Dustjacket unclipped bearing price, slight edge nicks, mostly to head and heel of spine, in new Brodart sleeve. A later but significant work published only four years before his unfortunate death and born out of the journals the author had retained for nearly four decades, Vieux Carré is an experience re-created with all the pain, compassion, and wry humor of the playwright's own 1938-39 sojourn in the New Orleans French Quarter vividly intact. ISBN 9780811207270

Book Fine with Near Fine Dust Jacket. All around edges are red. First Edition stated with First Printing Line. (Hard to photograph). Five Star authentication card laid in with Borders New York Book signing event sheet listing the 10/24/2007 signing event. Hologram on dust jacket. Signature only with authentication sticker on dedication page. No personalization or inscription.

The Works of Molière
French and English, in ten volumes
London, printed for D. Browne without Temple-Bar, and A. Millar in the Strand 1755
Rare et élégante édition ancienne bilingue des œuvres de Molière. 10 volumes in-12 (10,5 x 17,1 cm) reliure anglaise plein veau glacé de l'époque. Une gravure en tête de chaque pièce, soit 30, et un portrait gravé. Dos à 5 nerfs. Plats joliment ornés d'une roulette dorée et de fleurons dorés. Roulette intérieure dorée, roulette sur les coupes. Tranches marbrées. Ex libris Linley Blathwayt.
Défauts aux pièces de titre et de tomaison. Petits manques de cuir au dos du tome 1. Charnières des tomes 1 et 10 fendues. 3 coins défectueux, 1 coiffe arasée. Quelques frottements et menus défauts. Papier un peu jauni. Bon exemplaire sinon.
Portrait gravé d'après Mignard, (16), XXXVI, 336 pp. 2 gravures. Vie de Molière, L'étourdi, le Dépit amoureux
(4), 369 pp. L'Avare, les Précieuses ridicules, Dom Garcie de Navarre. 3 gravures
(4), 395 pp. L'Ecole… Read More

The Plays of William Shakespeare in ten volumes, with the corrections and illustrations of various commentators to which are added Notes by Samuel Johnson…
The second édition London, MCDDLXXVIII
Bon exemplaire de cette célèbre et excellente édition ancienne des pièces de William Shakespeare. La dernière et la plus complète parue du vivant de Samuel Johnson.
10 volumes, forts in-8 plein veau glacé blond. Dos à 5 nerfs, roulette sur les coupes, pièces de titre de maroquin rouge.
Reliures frottées, quelques épidermures, 1 feuillet dérelié au tome 1, sans manque. Taches d'encre sur quelques tranches (notamment au tome 8) et quelques plats. La reliure du tome 4, légèrement différente (en basane). Quelques cahiers jaunis. Rares rousseurs et mouillures marginales. Mais intérieurs très propres dans l'ensemble. Menus défauts aux coiffes et coins.
Un bon exemplaire, malgré les défauts signalés, bien complet des deux portraits de Shakespeare, du fac-simile de l'écriture de Shakespeare,… Read More