LEFT-HANDED LIBERTY: A Play About Magna Carta

New York: Grove Press, 1965. First Edition . Illustrated Coated Cardstock. Very Good/No Jacket. 7 7/8" Tall. This play was commissioned by the Corporation of the City of London to commemorate the 750th Anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta (1215), and was first performed at the Mermaid Theater in June 1965. There are 22 speaking parts, and 12 roles for extras. "When I accepted this commission, I knew little more about the Charter than what I had been taught at the age of fourteen. It was a considerable surprise for me to discover how soon the agreement between John and the Barons was repudiated, and how unfortunate his reconciliation with the Pope had proved for the Baronial party. The apparent complete failure of the Charter struck me as a more fruitful theme for a play than the more obvious one of the events leading up to Runnymeade." [Author's Notes] 104 pages, with prefatory matter, and Appendix. Covers show slight discoloration and shelf-use; label of prior owner on rfEP/second title; text is clean and strong.