Fran Connor teaches Shakespeare at Wichita State, so it might be surprising that he is recommending a play by two of the bard’s rivals. He tells us why on today’s Why Should I Read This.
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Thomas Decker and Thomas Middleton are far less famous than their contemporary William Shakespeare, but their 1611 comedy, The Roaring Girl takes place somewhere Shakespeare never portrayed: contemporary London. The Roaring Girl is enthusiastic about London's newly vibrant, prosperous youth culture. Its central scene takes place in a shopping mall. It features young lovers, Sebastian Wengrave and Mary Fitz-Allard, who want to marry despite her wealthy father's disapproval. They get help from The Roaring Girl's title character Moll, a cross-dressing thief with a strong moral code. She leads them and us through London's strangely exciting criminal underworld, using her street smarts to ensure the young couple weds. With Sebastian, Mary and especially Moll as our guides to a very prefab London, Decker and Middleton show us that the kids are all right.
