The different versions of Hamlet constitute one of the most vexing puzzles in Shakespeare studies. In this groundbreaking work, Shakespeare scholar Terri Bourus argues that this puzzle can only be solved by drawing on multiple kinds of evidence and analysis, including book and theatre history, biography, performance studies, and close readings.

Did Shakespeare really join John Fletcher to write Cardenio, a lost play based on Don Quixote? With an emphasis on the importance of theatrical experiment, a script and photos from Gary Taylor's recent production, and essays by respected early modern scholars, this book will make a definitive statement about the collaborative nature of Cardenio.

The different versions of Hamlet constitute one of the most vexing puzzles in Shakespeare studies. In this groundbreaking work, Shakespeare scholar Terri Bourus argues that this puzzle can only be solved by drawing on multiple kinds of evidence and analysis, including book and theatre history, biography, performance studies, and close readings.

Did Shakespeare really join John Fletcher to write "Cardenio," a lost play based on "Don Quixote"? In 2009, the world's first academic symposium dedicated to the "lost play" was convened in New Zealand. Since then, a flurry of activity has confirmed the play's place in the literary canon. Drawing on cutting-edge scholarship and organized around the first full-scale production of Gary Taylor's recreation of the Jacobean play, these sixteen essays suggest the play was not "lost" but was instead deliberately "disappeared" because of its controversial treatment of race and sexuality.
Breaking new ground, this collection gives equal attention to Shakespeare, Cervantes, and Fletcher. With an emphasis on the importance of theatrical experiment and performance, a copy of Taylor's script, a photographic record of Bourus's production, and historical research by respected scholars in the fields of early modern England and Spain, this book makes a bold and definitive statement about the collaborative nature of Cardenio.