Dramaturgy: Production History

A continuation of More Theatre: Stage to Screen to Television, this new volume brings the previous volumes into the new millennium, covering the years 1993-2001. All volumes cover productions that have been performed in all of three media: stage, screen, and television. Whether the production began on the stage, screen, or television is not part of the criteria; it is only necessary that it eventually was performed in all three media. Where new information was added to old entries, the entries have been repeated. Plenty of new entries have been added, as many new shows have qualified for inclusion since the last volume. Each entry includes a brief historical overview of the evolution of the stories behind the various productions, followed by a list of the production titles, along with production dates and credits. The stage, screen and television fan and researcher alike will not be able to dispense with this fun and useful tool.

These volumes will be of interest and value to a wide range of researchers, students, and general readers. No other publication attempts to synthesize the voluminous detail of this work. It will be a widely used addition at reference desks. --CHOICE

Supplementing the late William Leonard's original two-volume work, published in 1981, this book lists nearly 150 plays staged in America (on and off Broadway and in significant regional productions), Great Britain, and elsewhere, that were made into films and dramatized for television. As in the base volumes, there is a detailed synopsis of each work (novel, story, play), along with critical comment from England and America, plus career backgrounds of the playwrights and authors. Following that is the historical progression of each production through 1992, ranging from Alladin, first staged in the Covent Garden in London in 1813, and Around the World in 80 Days, which premiered in Paris in 1874 and ran for well over a year, to The Wizard of Oz and Ziegfeld from more recent times. Most of the entries here were not documented in the initial volumes, since they had not yet been produced in all three media, which is the criterion for this work. Cast listings and production credits for all stagings theatre, films, and television accompany each individual title. A separate section includes additions and corrections for material chronicled in the earlier volumes."

First published in 1986, this compilation offers a guide to the major aspects of contemporary British theatre. In the period covered, Britain was among the world leaders in theatre as the post-war years saw a remarkable surge in theatrical creativity, associated with the experimental, innovatory and diverse range and styles of playwrights such as John Osborne, Arnold Wesker, Samuel Beckett, Tom Stoppard and Harold Pinter. Directors came into their own as theatrical entrepreneurs and the new medium of television provided a further channel for the talents of writers such as Dennis Potter and distinguished actors including Ian McKellen, Alan Howard, Judi Dench and Sinead Cusack to name but a few. This volume contains entries on playwrights and their plays, on prominent directors, actors and theatre groups; on alternative theatre, schools of dramatic practice and stage history; on certain critical categories and theatre terminology. It will be of interest to students of drama, the critic, the aspiring writer or actor, and a desirable acquisition for theatre enthusiasts.

These highly praised day-by-day calendars of plays produced at the major London theaters cover major west-end theaters, thus dealing with all the big productions and names, revivals of the classics, and opera and ballet productions. Wearing lists each production in chronological arrangement of playbills. With full production and contemporary review information for each play and comprehensive indexes. Every scholar and critic concerned with English theatre for the period...will want and need to consult these volumes.

An informative and scholarly survey by Donald Mullin, Victorian Actors and Actresses in Review, compiles extensive critical assessments by contemporary reviewers of some 250 British and American players who performed between 1837 and 1901. Backstage

This work provides a ready reference to significant productions of plays on the London stage during the period 1837 through 1901 and includes extensive information concerning both plays and players. The compiler's introduction offers a fascinating overview of the cultural and social attitudes toward theatre in the Victorian Era, and the ways in which theatre reflected societal changes, class differences, and the tastes and interests of the theatre-going public. This single-volume reference offers a wealth of previously unobtainable factual information and an opportunity for broader study of a large array of theatrical personalities.

Though first performed some 400 years ago, the plays of William Shakespeare still continue to capture the popular imagination and are produced by numerous companies around the world. This reference describes over 140 Shakespeare companies and festivals worldwide. Each company or festival is profiled in a separate entry. Entries are grouped in chapters devoted to particular states or countries, and provide historical, organizational, demographic, and production information. Each profile describes the history of the festival or company; its organization, including staffing and budgeting; its physical facilities and performance site; the demographics of its audience and the community where it is located; and the company's or festival's approach to producing Shakespeare's plays. Each entry begins with a headnote providing essential information, such as the name, address, box office phone number, length of season, principal staff members, facilities, annual attendance, and budget. Each closes with a chronological listing of all Shakespeare's plays produced by the organization, and resources for further information.

An important resource for any scholar working on the production history of Shakespeare's plays. . . . Because each entry has a complete list of sources, the book can be used as a helpful bibliography for locating reviews of productions. Choice

A major contribution to the history of American theatre, this book records in one volume all available data about theatres built in this country before 1915. The first comprehensive reference work of its kind, the Directory of Historic American Theatres identifies 886 theatres ranging from forgotten second-floor opera houses to elaborate performance centers still in use today. The data collected here is based on exhaustive questionnaire and follow-up mailings to historical societies, libraries, theatres, and individuals involved in historic preservation.

The second volume of The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre covers the Americas, from Canada to Argentina, including the United States. Entries on 26 countries are preceded by specialist introductions on theatre in post-colonial Latin America, the theatres of North America, puppet theatre, theatre for young audiences, music theatre and dance theatre. The essays follow the series format, allowing for cross-referencing, both within this volume and between volumes. Each national entry is written by specialists in the particular country and the volume has its own teams of regional editors, overseen by the main editorial team based at the University of York in Canada, headed by Don Rubin. Each entry covers all aspects of theatre genres, practitioners, writers, critics and styles, with bibliographies, over 200 black & white photographs and an index. The countries covered are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Commonwealth Caribbean, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic and El Salvador.

An encyclopedic guide to all aspects of the American theatre from its earliest history to the present, with over 2,300 cross-referenced entries on people, venues, plays, and other theatrical phenomena. There are over 100 topical entries covering theatre in several major US cities and such disparate subjects as African-American, Asian and Hispanic theatre, theatre architecture, scenic design, gay and lesbian theatre, magic, unions, puppetry, and alternative, popular forms (such as circus, vaudeville, burlesque, tent shows). Arranged alphabetically, the entries help to redefine the domain of the American theatre. The Guide is supplemented with an extensive bibliography and biographical index, the latter covering over 3,000 individual entries. This revised edition, building on the work of over 80 expert contributors and including numerous corrections, updates and over 40 new entries reinforces its reputation as the most up-to-date guide to American theatre available.

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This companion volume to American Theatre Companies, 1749-1887 (Greenwood Press, 1986) is an indispensable guide to an aspect of American theatre covered by no other reference work. Salient facts about resident acting companies of the period in the United States are presented in an easy-to-use format. Information from hundreds of published and unpublished sources relating to the dates, places, personnel, policies, and repertories of the most durable theatrical groups is encapsulated and arranged for easy access. Each entry includes dates and locations of the company's operations, names of managers with information about their artistic and business practices, as well as facts about key performers, designers, technicians, and other support personnel. An added dimension is provided in the analysis of each group's repertory and assessment of its commercial and artistic achievement. A bibliography of published sources used in the entry, as well as a guide to archival resources for further study are included.

Because of its contemporary coverage, this volume is particularly interesting and useful. . . . Reference collections that deal with theater questions could find it a good source even without its two predecessor volumes, but the set as a whole is recommended. Choice An outstanding reference collection is completed with the publication of Durham's American Theatre Companies, 1931-1986, an indispensable guide to an aspect of American theatre not covered elsewhere. The American theatre has undergone a process of decentralization and the focus has shifted from Broadway, once the proving ground for all nationally known theatre talent, to fine regional theatres across the nation. This volume surveys the fifty-year period in which this transformation occurred. The work consists of seventy-eight entries that profile a wide range of types of theatre companies including art theatres, units of the Federal Theatre project, workers' theatre, experimental theatre groups, ethnic theatre groups, children's theatre companies, and regional repertory companies, large and small. The Profiles section contains information-packed narratives from both published and unpublished sources that describe, analyze, and evaluate management policies, facilities, personnel, and repertories of these organizations. Each entry contains an extensive list of key personnel, including managers, designers, actors, and actresses, as well as plays that company produced. A bibliography of sources and a guide to archival resources for further study follows each entry. Two additional appendices are devoted to chronological and state-by-state listings of theatre companies. The volume concludes with an index of personal names and play titles. This important resource should be a part of every university's reference collection. It will be consulted by students and scholars of theatre and drama, American history, American popular culture, and American social and cultural history, as will its companion volumes American Theatre Companies, 1749-1887 (Greenwood Press, 1986) and American Theatre Companies, 1888-1930 (Greenwood Press, 1987).

Documentation for approximately three hundred shows, from A Trip to Coontown (1898) to 1981's Dreamgirls, is provided in part I. The title of each show is followed by its theatre, opening date, number of performances, complete list of creative personnel, cast credits, and, where appropriate, a list of the show's songs. Each entry also contains a plot summary, a survey of critical comment, and, where significant, an analysis of the show's historical context. Part II includes biographical entries for major performers, writers, and directors, and notes on those organizations which encouraged the growth and development of black theatre in New York City. The Dictionary concludes with a chronology of all shows included in the text, a discography of black shows, and a selected bibliography of studies related to black theatre history and criticism.