Abstract: The prologues written by Jean Gracieux, a seventeenth-century French comedian known as Bruscambille, staged (in a comical or serious fashion) the economy of performance at a time when specialized playhouses were burgeoning and entrance fees were being systematically charged. Actors were accused of being “mercenaries”–and behind this accusation the status of the theatre was being called into question. Bruscambille had to explain why paying for tickets was necessary, while at the same time ensuring his own advancement.
