What did publicity look like before the eighteenth century? What were its uses and effects, and around whom was it organized? The essays in this collection ask these questions of early modern London. Together, they argue that commercial theater was a vital engine in celebrity¿s production. The men and women associated with playing¿not just actors and authors, but playgoers, characters, and the extraordinary local figures adjunct to playhouse productions¿introduced new ways of thinking about the function and meaning of fame in the period; about the networks of communication through which it spread; and about theatrical publics. Drawing on the insights of Habermasean public sphere theory and on the interdisciplinary field of celebrity studies, Publicity and the Early Modern Stage introduces a new and comprehensive look at early modern theories and experiences of publicity.

Builds on recent research on publics, fame, and celebrity in the early modern period

1. Introduction Allison K. Deutermann (Baruch College, CUNY) and Musa Gurnis (Washington University, St Louis).- Part One: People Made Public.- 2. Local Characters Onstage and Off Musa Gurnis (Washington University in Saint Louis).- 3. Bodies Public: The Roaring Girl and the Rise of Celebrity Matthew Hunter (Texas Tech University).- 4. Celebrity No-Show: John Taylor's The Great Eater of Kent Karen Raber (University of Mississippi).- 5. Jonson's Ridicule of Shakespeare in "To the Reader" of The Alchemist James P. Bednarz (Long Island University).- Part Two: Imaginary People and the Social Imaginary.- 6. Fictional Celebrities and the Repertory System Richard Preiss (University of Utah).- 7. Robert Armin's Nest of Ninnies and the Public Punchline Adhaar Noor Desai (Bard College).- 8. Extravagant and Wheeling Characters Allison K. Deutermann (Baruch College, CUNY).- Part Three: Knowing Audiences.- 9. Coriolanus in the Marketplace PiersBrown (Kenyon College).- 10. "Methinks I see the brave Hieronimo!": Dramatic Convention and Audience Experience in the London Commercial Theater Lauren Robertson (Columbia University).- 11. Afterword Joe Roach (Yale University).