The Records of Early English Drama is delighted to announce the open access publication of a new edition in the REED series. The second East Anglian regional collection of medieval and renaissance dramatic records, for Suffolk, edited by James Stokes, is now available on REED Online.
This definitive collection of Suffolk's dramatic records casts light on a county rich in performative traditions. The more notable among these are parish and civic drama; performance in both monasteries and private households; numerous medieval and renaissance travelling players in provincial England; women in performance; musicianship of the highest order; material for the deep study of patronage in all its forms; local playing circuits, including some that extended into adjacent counties; a county-wide theatrical infrastructure that made complex productions possible; and much more that will likely prove useful to both students and other scholars in their study of early drama, culture, and history. Presentation of the records includes extensive descriptive and historical headnotes, translations, essays on the history and the dramatic traditions of Suffolk; and a select bibliography. The collection goes a long way toward filling in the picture of East Anglian drama that is emerging as the REED project moves forward.
James Stokes, Professor Emeritus and 'Distinguished Professor in the Humanities,' University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, is also editor of REED: Somerset and REED: Lincolnshire. He has authored numerous scholarly articles, and is a former president of the Medieval and Renaissance Society.