Lovers' Debates for the Stage

The actress and author Isabella Andreini won international renown playing the bold, versatile, and intellectual inamorata of the commedia dell'arte. After her death, her husband Francesco Andreini continued publishing her works, among them the thirty-one amorosi contrasti--or lovers' debates-- presented in this volume. Available in English for the first time, Lovers' Debates enables readers to envision the commedia dell'arte through the words of its most revered diva. Lovers flirt boldly, trade bawdy insults, exhibit their learning, and drive each other mad in stage dialogues that showcase Isabella's skill in composition and drama. Sparkling with wit and bursting with dynamic energy, these brilliant lovers' dialogues for the stage hold strong appeal not only for specialists in early modern literature and women's studies, but for enthusiasts, scholars, and practitioners of classic and contemporary theatre.