02354cam a22003613u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003701000130007804000110009104100170010205000070011910000140012624500200014026400510016030000470021133600260025833700260028433800360031050000310034650801290037752011970050653400450170365300600174865300430180865300340185165300300188570000170191585600430193299900170197537546UtSlPG20260610133845.0mcr n260607r2011||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  a68005122  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPR1 aAnonymous14aThe Female Wits 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2011  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2011-09-27  aProduced by Chris Curnow, Katie Hernandez, Joseph Cooper
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
http://www.pgdp.net  a"The Female Wits" by Anonymous is a comedic play written in the early 18th century. This satirical work is an exploration of the dynamics between male and female playwrights during a time when women were beginning to assert their presence in the literary world. The narrative centers around three women playwrights, symbolically representing figures like Mary de la Riviere Manley, as they navigate the challenges of theatrical criticism and gender bias.  The opening of "The Female Wits" introduces us to the character Marsilia, a self-important poetess preparing for a rehearsal, showcasing her vanity and obsession with flattery. As she interacts with her maid and a fellow playwright, Mrs. Wellfed, the dialogue reveals their competing egos and the absurdity of their ambitions. Their conversations are rife with sarcastic commentary on the nature of theatrical productions, the role of women in writing, and the relentless quest for approval in a male-dominated literary world. This initial act sets up a humorous exploration of the characters' follies, presenting a lively and exaggerated backstage atmosphere filled with melodrama and wit. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aManley, Mrs. (Mary de la Rivière), 1663-1724 -- Drama  aTrotter, Catharine, 1679-1749 -- Drama  aPix, Mary, 1666-1720 -- Drama  aWomen dramatists -- Drama1 aHook, Lucyle40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37546  c78386d78386