This collection investigates the evolution of English dramatic forms during the formative Tudor period that preceded the Elizabethan era. Frederick S. Boas, a noted scholar of Elizabethan drama, curates these texts to demonstrate the structural and thematic shifts in comedy from the late fifteenth century through the mid-sixteenth century. The volume argues that these specific plays serve as essential precursors to the dramatic conventions later perfected by Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

Scholars and students of theater history frequently cite this collection as a useful primary source for understanding the transition from medieval morality plays to early modern comedy. The editorial commentary is noted for its academic rigor and its ability to place these lesser-known works within the broader timeline of English literature.