The Sisters is a Carolinestage play, a comedy written by James Shirley. It was the last of Shirley's plays performed in London prior to the closing of the theatres in September1642, at the start of the English Civil War. "Slight in substance, The Sisters is excellent in matter of technique, and especially in...structural unity...."
The play was revived in the Restoration era by Sir Thomas Killigrew and his King's Company, c. 1668-70. The copy of the play that served as the production's prompt book has survived, in the collection of Sion College. It is a copy of the 1653 Six New Plays, though only the text of The Sisters was annotated by Charles Booth, the King's Company prompter. The annotations reveal specific details of the revival production's staging, and mention fifteen members of the company by name, including Nell Gwyn and Margaret Hughes.
Synopsis
The play is set in the northern Italian city-state of Parma, which is under the rule of Prince Farnese. Paulina and Angellina are the two noble sisters of the title, the nieces of Antonio. Paulina, proud and extravagant, is determined to marry the prince; Angellina is her temperamental opposite, gentle, modest, eager to become a nun. Antonio wishes to moderate the extremes of both young women's characters, and convert them into a balanced gentility. Paulina's marital ambition has lately been confirmed by some wandering astrologers — who are actually a group of bandits in disguise, led by Frapolo. He and his band return to Antonio's castle, now disguised as Prince Farnese and his court. Paulina is completely fooled, and prepares to leave with Frapolo and with all her jewels and plate. The real Prince Farnese arrives, however, motivated partly to witness Paulina's extravagant vanity, and partly to arrange a marriage between Angellina and one of his courtiers, Lord Contarini. Instead, Farnese falls in love with Angellina himself — but she refuses him, since she has fallen in love with Vergerio, Lord Contarini's page. When Angellina makes her feelings known, a surprise is in store for all involved — though no one familiar with the conventions of English Renaissance comedy will be astonished to learn that Vergerio is a lady in disguise. She is Pulcheria, the daughter of the Viceroy of Sicily and Lord Contarini's former love. Contarini is delighted to have her back; and Angellina decides to accept the prince's offer or marriage. Frapolo tries to brave out his disguise; when this fails, he admits his deception. Paulina's pride takes a mighty tumble: not only does she lose the prince to her sister, but her nurse reveals that Paulina is her own daughter, and not Angellina's sister at all. The false prince Frapolo and the false gentlewoman Paulina end up as husband and wife.
