Avra Sidiropoulou is Lecturer at the graduate Theatre Studies program of the Open University of Cyprus.

"A fresh perspective on the impact of Jarry, Craig, Appia, Wagner, and Stein, among others, on present praxis... Part of Palgrave Macmillan's 'What Is Theatre?' series, this book is a must read for those interested in both a theoretical and 'practice-related context in which to examine and evaluate' the contemporary theater director-auteur. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals." - CHOICE "The writing is fast paced and engaging. In its brevity, but also by the frequent recasting of the key arguments in fresh language, Sidiropoulou instructs even as she delights. This work should go a long way toward re-opening the American student mind." - Stavros Deligiorgis, Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature, University of Iowa, USA

• Introduction: Auteurism: A New Theatre for a Changed Perception of the World   The Rise of the Modern Auteur  Artaud and his Legacy  Beckett's Later Drama   Auteur Practice  Languages of the Stage: The Means to an End  Authorship and Authority: The Conquest of the Text