This is the first collection of scholarly essays on Albee's work in over a decade. It comprises new studies of well-known plays, such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf , discussions of lesser-known dramas, an interview with the playwright, a chronology and a bibliography. Mann and his contributors approach Albee as an innovator in theatrical form, filling a critical gap in theatrical scholarship.
English Renaissance Drama (Blackwell Guides to Literature)
Added by: dovesnake | Karma: 1384.51 | Fiction literature | 25 November 2008
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The book considers the London theatrical culture which took shape in the 1570s and came to an end in 1642. * Places emphasis on those plays that are readily available in modern editions and can sometimes to be seen in modern productions, including Shakespeare. * Provides students with the historical, literary and theatrical contexts they need to make sense of Renaissance drama. * Includes a series of short biographies of playwrights during this period. * Features close analyses of more than 20 plays, each of which draws attention to what makes a particular play interesting and identifies relevant critical questions. * Examines early modern drama in terms of its characteristic actions, such as cuckolding, flattering, swaggering, going mad, and rising from the dead.
The history of European drama began at the festivals of Dionysus in ancient Athens, where tragedy, satyr-drama and comedy were performed. Understanding this background is vital for students of classical, literary and theatrical subjects, and Alan H. Sommerstein's accessible study is the ideal introduction. The book begins by looking at the social and theatrical contexts and different characteristics of the three genres of ancient Greek drama. It then examines the five main dramatists whose works survive - Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes and Menander - discussing their styles, techniques and ideas, and giving short synopses of all their extant plays.
