AFTERPIECE


Meaning of AFTERPIECE in English

n.

Supplementary entertainment offered after a full-length play in 18th-century England.

A short comedy, farce, or pantomime was presented to lighten the five-act Neoclassical tragedy that was commonly performed. A reduced admission price for latecomers, usually after the third act, enabled less-sophisticated playgoers and working people to see the end of the drama and the one-act afterpiece.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.