In Beaumarchais and the Theatre, William D. Howarth recounts the colorful and remarkable life of Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (1732-1799), author of Le Mariage de Figaro. Framing the life of Beaumarchais within the broad historical context of pre-revolutionary France, Howarth considers the momentous events of the mid-to-late eighteenth century which shaped both political and theatrical history.Beaumarchais and the Theatre includes analyses of Beaumarchais plays which discuss their critical receptions, their influence on contemporary drama and their legacy. In addition, Howarth provides analyses of sketches and fragments only recently re-discovered, as well as a discussion of the operatic adaptations of Le Marriage de Figaro and Le Barbier de Seville by Mozart and Rossini respectively. Beaumarchais and the Theatre is acomprehensive, authoritative study of one of the most significant playwrights to emerge from eighteenth-century France. It will prove an invaluable contribution to the field of theater history.