Music in English Children's Drama of the Later Renaissance

This scholarly work offers a groundbreaking examination of how music functioned within the often-overlooked world of children's theater companies during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. Austern's interdisciplinary approach merges musicology with theater history and literary analysis to reveal how these young performers shaped London's theatrical landscape through their innovative use of musical elements in dramatic productions. The book demonstrates that these companies were not mere imitators of adult troupes but originators of significant theatrical conventions that would influence English Renaissance drama as a whole.

What makes this study particularly compelling is its recovery of a marginalized aspect of theatrical history, giving proper weight to the children's companies that have long been overshadowed by their adult counterparts. Readers interested in Renaissance drama, early modern performance practices, or the intersection of music and theater will find rich material here that fundamentally reshapes our understanding of this creative period. Austern's research provides a crucial corrective to traditional theater histories, establishing that these young performers were integral to—rather than peripheral within—the vibrant world of London's professional stage.