The Essential Theatre

By (author) Brockett, Oscar; By (author) Ball, Robert; By (author) Fleming, John; By (author) Carlson Andrew
Description
Whether you are a theatre major looking forward to a career in the arts or a non-major interested in an overview to increase your appreciation as an audience member, THE ESSENTIAL THEATRE, 11th Edition, provides an engaging, insightful, and informative resource that will enrich your theatre experience throughout your life. Written by highly respected teachers and theatre historians, the text has earned its reputation as one of the most comprehensive, authoritative surveys of the theatre. Its vibrant treatment of theatre practice--past and present--catalogs the origins of theatre through postmodernism and performance art. The Eleventh Edition includes an all-new chapter devoted to musical theatre, new "Then and Now" boxes that link theatre history to present-day, and numerous new photos--including photos of actors you will quickly recognize from film and television.
Table of contents
Preface. PART I: FOUNDATIONS. 1. The Nature of Theatre. 2. The Audience and Criticism. 3. The Play. 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. Theatre in the 1800s. 7. Modernism in the Twentieth Century: 1900–1960. 8. Decentralization and Subsidization: New Directions. 9. Contemporary Theatre and Its Diversity. 10. Musical Theatre. 11. Asian and African Theatre. PART III: THEATRICAL PRODUCTION. 12. Theatrical Space and Production Design. 13. Playwriting and Dramaturgy. 14. Directing and Producing. 15. Acting. 16. Scene Design. 17. Costume Design and Makeup. 18. Lighting and Sound Design. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.
Biographical note
Oscar G. Brockett will always have an international reputation as a theatre historian. A Distinguished Scholar honoree of the American Society of Theatre Research, he received career achievement awards from both the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. In addition, he was 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 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 editorial board member of the ASIAN THEATRE JOURNAL. He held the prestigious University of Texas Z.T. Scott Family Chair in Drama and was director of the Center for Dramatic and Performance Studies for several years. Dr. Brockett authored many articles in leading journals and several books, including HISTORY OF THE THEATRE. At the time of his passing, he was serving as 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. John Fleming, a former Brockett student, was chosen by the Brockett estate to extend the legacy of Oscar Brockett''s foundational text. He has taught Introduction to Theatre, Theatre History, and a variety of other classes at the University of