Sarah Stanton - Böcker

This Guide is a concise reference to the theatre of the world, with entries on playwrights, actors, directors, critics and entertainers; on theatres, organizations and companies; on traditions, styles and genres of performance. Entries extend back to Sanskrit drama and the theatre of ancient Greece as well as encompassing contemporary practitioners. The emphasis is on performance in its broad sense, including popular entertainment as well as scripted drama, with entries on circus, musical theatre and pantomime, on male and female impersonation, gay and lesbian theatre, as well as Indian festival and Japanese puppet theatre, and the classic and contemporary theatre of Europe and North America. Four contextual essays provide the reader with the background to the great theatre traditions of Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East. This book not only reflects the diversity and authoritativeness of the parent Cambridge Guide to Theatre, but also offers an accessible compactness.

This 2002 Companion is designed for readers interested in past and present productions of Shakespeare's plays, both in and beyond Britain. The first six chapters describe aspects of the British performing tradition in chronological sequence, from the early staging of Shakespeare's own time, through to the present day. Each relates Shakespearean developments to broader cultural concerns and adopts an individual approach and focus, on textual adaptation, acting, stages, scenery or theatre management. These are followed by three explorations of acting: tragic and comic actors and women performers of Shakespeare roles. A section on international performance includes chapters on interculturalism, on touring companies and on political theatre, with separate accounts of the performing traditions of North America, Asia and Africa. Over forty pictures illustrate peformers and productions of Shakespeare from around the world. An amalgamated list of items for further reading completes the book.