John Dryden
An Evening’s Love: or, the Mock-Astrologer
London, 1691

The Clark owns one of the most important John Dryden collections in the world, including his published works, correspondence, literary manuscripts, and annotated copies of his works. One of the most interesting items is a promptbook copy of Dryden’s play An Evening’s Love. Marked-up with line cuts and other notations for performance, this book illuminates the specific theatrical mechanics involved in the play’s late-seventeenth-century production. The promptbook survives in its original paper wrappers, which have been inscribed with the play’s title on the front and rear covers.