The Essential Theatre » (10th Edition)

Oscar G. Brockett enjoys an international reputation as a theatre historian. A Distinguished Scholar honoree of the American Society of Theatre Research, he has received career achievement awards from both the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. He is a recipient of the Robert Lewis Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre Research. After receiving his Ph.D. from Stanford University, he taught at several major American universities and at the University of Bristol in England. He has also served as President of the American Theatre Association, Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas, Editor of Theatre Journal, and on the editorial board of the Asian Theatre Journal." He held the prestigious University of Texas Z.T. Scott Family Chair in Drama and was the Director of the Center for Dramatic and Performance Studies for several years. Dr. Brockett is the author of many articles in leading journals and has written several books, including "History of the Theatre" and "The Essential Theatre." He is currently a Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and the Dean of the Fellows of the American Theatre."

Robert J. Ball has ample experience as a successful teacher of Introduction to Theatre and Theatre Appreciation courses at a number of large and small universities, including Trinity University, the University of Texas, and Vanderbilt University. He is also a practicing actor and director with numerous professional credits in American regional theatres, as well as credits for national and international touring productions. Dr. Ball received his Ph.D. in theatre history and criticism from the University of Texas and is currently the Chair and Artistic Director of the Theatre Arts program at the University of the Incarnate Word.

The Tenth Edition of THE ESSENTIAL THEATRE will inspire readers to become excited about theatre. The combined authorship of an authoritative theatre historian and his former student, an active theatre historian himself, provide an excellent understanding of the origins and development of the theatre—ideal for an introductory theatre course. In the 35 years since it was first published, THE ESSENTIAL THEATRE has established a reputation as one of the most comprehensive, authoritative surveys of the theatre in academia. Now in a new full-color format with many representations of current and classic performances, this book will encourage readers to become active theatergoers and fans. THE ESSENTIAL THEATRE, 10e, works in tandem with its companion anthology, PLAYS FOR THEATRE, 10. The scripts in PLAYS serve as a foundation for discussion of the various types of theatrical experience explored in the book.

Booknews

An introduction to theater displaying the diversity and richness of stage productions from Ancient Greece to the multimedia designs of Josef Svoboda. The new edition travels the spectrum of playwriting and production, the foundations of the craft, its manifestations in Elizabethan drama and African American projects, and the elements of theatrical space and production design, playwriting, directing, acting, costume design, lighting, sound, and new mixed media experiments. Brockett (U. of Texas, Austin) returns to 14 seminal plays to illustrate examples in the text, providing exceptional continuity. Includes photographs and illustrations. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Part I: Foundations
1.The Nature of Theatre
2.Performance, Audience, and Critic
3.The Playscript. Part II: Varieties Of Theatrical Experience
4.Festival Theatre: Greek, Roman, and Medieval Theatre Experiences
5.Creating a Professional Theatre: Elizabethan England, Italian Commedia dell'Arte, and Seventeenth-Century France
6.From Melodrama to Realism
7.The Modernist Temperament: 1890-1940
8.Reevaluation, Decentralization, and Subsidization
9.Contemporary Diversity. Part III: Theatrical Production
10.Theatrical Space and Production Design
11.Playwriting and Dramaturgy
12.Directing and Producing
13.Acting
14.Scenic Design.
15.Costume Design and Makeup
16.Lighting Design, Sound, and Multimedia. Appendix: Opportunities to Work in the Theatre.
Glossary. Bibiliography. Credits.