J. Michael Walton – författare

Translating Classical Plays is a selection of edited papers by J. Michael Walton published and delivered between 1997 and 2014. Of the four sections, each with a new introduction, the first two cover the history of translating classical drama into English and specific issues relating to translation for stage performance. The latter two are concerned with the three Greek tragedians, and the Greek and Roman writers of old and new comedy, ending with the hitherto unpublished text of a Platform Lecture given at the National Theatre in London comparing the plays of Plautus with Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. The volume is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in staging or translating classical drama.

Translating Classical Plays is a selection of edited papers by J. Michael Walton published and delivered between 1997 and 2014. Of the four sections, each with a new introduction, the first two cover the history of translating classical drama into English and specific issues relating to translation for stage performance. The latter two are concerned with the three Greek tragedians, and the Greek and Roman writers of old and new comedy, ending with the hitherto unpublished text of a Platform Lecture given at the National Theatre in London comparing the plays of Plautus with Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. The volume is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in staging or translating classical drama.

In this updated and extended edition of The Greek Sense of Theatre, scholar and practitioner J.Michael Walton revises and expands his visual approach to the theatre of classical Athens. From the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides to the old and new comedies of Aristophanes and Menander, he argues that while Greek drama is seen now as a performance-based rather than a strictly literary medium, more attention should still be paid to the nature of stage image and masked acting as part of this conception.

In this updated and extended edition of The Greek Sense of Theatre, scholar and practitioner J.Michael Walton revises and expands his visual approach to the theatre of classical Athens. From the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides to the old and new comedies of Aristophanes and Menander, he argues that while Greek drama is seen now as a performance-based rather than a strictly literary medium, more attention should still be paid to the nature of stage image and masked acting as part of this conception.

''In this masterful reevaluation of Euripides, Michael Walton recasts the playwright in light of his resonance for today''s translators and directors. Springing from the rehearsal room rather than the page, Walton shows us not only why we are ready for Euripides, but why we so desperately need him.'' Mary Louise Hart, Associate Curator of Antiquities, J. Paul Getty Museum

''A useful, reader-friendly introduction aimed at non-specialists, [it] offers detailed summaries of Euripides'' plays, along with keen observations on their relevance for today''s theater.'' Rush Rehm, author of Radical Theatre

Euripides Our Contemporary is a major new study of the work of the great classical tragedian that illuminates his work and demonstrates both its vitality and how it continues to speak to us today. Taking a thematic approach to Euripides'' plays it provides the reader with a wide-ranging and thorough appreciation of the writer''s entire canon. For students, teachers and practitioners this is the best single-volume treatment of the writer''s work, considering the plays for their accessibility and for their focus on issues and concerns which are as significant as ever in the modern world.

Divided into three sections, the book first examines ''Domesticating Tragedy'', the manner in which Euripides gave the world of myth an application to ordinary life. The second section tackles the ''Grand Passions'': characters under extraordinary pressure and the extent to which personal responsibility can be absolved through various aspects of circumstance. The third looks at the nature of Euripides'' theatre and his acknowledgment of it, the great roles and the playwrights of the last hundred years whose craft seems most influenced by his work. An Appendix at the end of the book provides a short summary of the plots of all nineteen plays.

''In this masterful reevaluation of Euripides, Michael Walton recasts the playwright in light of his resonance for today''s translators and directors. Springing from the rehearsal room rather than the page, Walton shows us not only why we are ready for Euripides, but why we so desperately need him.'' Mary Louise Hart, Associate Curator of Antiquities, J. Paul Getty Museum

''A useful, reader-friendly introduction aimed at non-specialists, [it] offers detailed summaries of Euripides'' plays, along with keen observations on their relevance for today''s theater.'' Rush Rehm, author of Radical Theatre

Euripides Our Contemporary is a major new study of the work of the great classical tragedian that illuminates his work and demonstrates both its vitality and how it continues to speak to us today. Taking a thematic approach to Euripides'' plays it provides the reader with a wide-ranging and thorough appreciation of the writer''s entire canon. For students, teachers and practitioners this is the best single-volume treatment of the writer''s work, considering the plays for their accessibility and for their focus on issues and concerns which are as significant as ever in the modern world.

Divided into three sections, the book first examines ''Domesticating Tragedy'', the manner in which Euripides gave the world of myth an application to ordinary life. The second section tackles the ''Grand Passions'': characters under extraordinary pressure and the extent to which personal responsibility can be absolved through various aspects of circumstance. The third looks at the nature of Euripides'' theatre and his acknowledgment of it, the great roles and the playwrights of the last hundred years whose craft seems most influenced by his work. An Appendix at the end of the book provides a short summary of the plots of all nineteen plays.

A student edition of this challenging and popular tragedy with notes and commentary.

The most controversial of the Greek tragedians, Euripedes is alsothe most modern in his sympathies, a dramatist who handles the complexemotions of his characters with extraordinary depth and insight.

Wronged and discarded by her husband, Medea gradually revealsher revenge in its increasing horror, while the audience is led tounderstand the incomprehensible; a woman who murders her own children.Since its first production (431 BC), the play has exerted anirresistible attraction for actors and directors alike.

Translated by J.Michael Walton.