When the English monarchy was restored in 1660, English theaters were re-opened as well, but with big changes to the playhouses, the plays, the personnel, and the audiences from when they’d been shut down 11 years before. King and courtiers were enthusiastic patrons of the theater, especially its comedies, which drew on traditional roles including fops and fallen women, cuckolds and witty couples, curious virgins and male and female rakes. In this class, we will read, discuss, and write about five Restoration comedies and their contexts, along with current scholarship on them. Our ambitious final project will be to recreate the atmosphere of a Restoration playhouse during an afternoon performance.