Historical Dictionary of French Theater

Edward Forman is senior lecturer in French in the School of Modern Languages at the University of Bristol. He has collaborated with Merlin Thomas as musical director for a number of his French-language productions (Le Cid and Le Mariage de Figaro) and has continued involvement with such performances at Bristol.

This new addition to the relatively recent series Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts attempts to put the whole of French theater into the dictionary format. The author’s introductory essay is concise and straightforward, outlining the important periods and highlighting the major themes and people. The dictionary begins with a chronology, starting with a performance in 1283 and ending with new productions in 2009. The span of dates underscores the importance of the topic. The dictionary itself covers authors, actors, plays, themes, and concepts. More than 400 entries vary in length from a paragraph to up to three pages and contain cross-references. Entries for theater conventions such as Aside and Chorus are defined with particular attention to how they are used in the French theater. The volume finishes with an extensive bibliography divided by time periods and by concepts within the time periods. An excellently presented volume. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.