Theatre: Encyclopedias and More

Since its 1998 publication, the International Encyclopedia of Dance has been the definitive source on this expressive art form, documenting all types of dance around the world and throughout history. Now available in an affordable, attractive paperback edition, this indispensable reference makes a stunning addition to the small library. In six volumes, the Encyclopedia offers authoritative coverage of the full spectrum of dance, including theatrical, ritual dance-drama, folk, traditional, ethnic, and social dance. Extensive historical and cultural overviews of many nations appear along with articles on specific dance forms, music and costumes, performances, biographies of dancers and choreographers, and much more. The set features nearly 2,000 alphabetically arranged articles, an exhaustive index, full cross-references, and more than 2,300 illustrations. Amazing in its scope and dazzling in its diversity, the Encyclopedia is like no other reference work on dance. Accessibly written and arranged for use by a wide audience, it is essential for academic and public libraries, and every arts and humanities aficionado.

The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre is a large international co-operative undertaking focusing on the history of world theatre. In six volumes, it aims to document artistic development all over the world, country by country, region by region. International and detailed, coverage includes playwriting, music theatre, dance theatre, theatre for young audiences, puppet theatre, design, architecture and developments in theatre technology, theatre training, criticism and scholarship. The work is a project of The International Theatre Institute, The International Federation for Theatre Research, The International Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing Arts, and The International Association of Theatre Critics, with the support of UNESCO and the UNESCO World Decade for Cultural Development. The volumes record and analyze world theatre in some 177 countries, from 1945 to the present day. Written by leading scholars, critics and theatre practitioners from each country and edited by authorities in each region, they explore through text and illustration, the relationship between each national theatre community and the unique society from which it springs.

Substantially revised and updated for this new edition, this is the most comprehensive guide to the history and current practice of worldwide theatre available today: • Covers all major playwrights, works, traditions, theories, companies, venues and events • Details the origins of popular theatre tradition • Discusses the work of actors, directors and designers • Explains theatre architecture and design • Written by over 100 expert contributors • Illustrated throughout Providing information, assessment and entertainment, The Guide will prove an indispensable reference tool both for students of theatre, and the general theatregoer alike.

First published in 1984, Gerald Bordman's Oxford Companion to American Theatre is the standard one-volume source on our national theatre. Critics have hailed its wealth of authoritative information (Back Stage), its fascinating picture of the volatile American stage (The Guardian), and its well-chosen, illuminating facts (Newsday). Now thoroughly revised, this distinguished volume once again provides an up-to-date guide to the American stage from its beginnings to the present. Completely updated by theater professor Thomas Hischak, the volume includes playwrights, plays, actors, directors, producers, songwriters, famous playhouses, dramatic movements, and much more. many commercially successful plays (such as Getting Gertie's Garter), plus entries on foreign figures that have influenced our dramatic development (from Shakespeare to Beckett and Pinter). New entries include recent plays such as Angels in America and Six Degrees of Separation, performers such as Eric Bogosian and Bill Irwin, playwrights like David Henry Hwang and Wendy Wasserstein, and relevant developments and issues including AIDS in American theatre, theatrical producing by Disney, and the rise in solo performance. Accessible and authoritative, this valuable A-Z reference is ideal not only for students and scholars of theater, but everyone with a passion for the stage.

This the second English language edition of the classic text, A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology subtly juxtaposes the visual demonstrations of the performers craft, from a wealth of Oriental and Occidental sources. Whereas most Western research is concerned with naturalism and psychological realism in acting, the Dictionary focuses on the performer's arduous and eclectic craft. More than just a dictionary, however, this is a handbook for theatre practitioners and a guide for students and scholars of transcultural performance. It is a result of ten years research conducted by Eugenio Barba and the International School of Theatre Anthropology (ISTA) based in Denmark. The Dictionary: *aims to expand our knowledge of the possibilities of the scenic body, and of the spectators response to the dynamics of performance *includes practical sections on balance, opposition and montage, among other techniques discusses issues including The Text and the Stage, The Dilated Body, and Energetic Language *provides over 600 illustrated examples of the performers craft, in black and white and color. This new edition contains three new chapters - Exercises, Eurasian Theatre and Organic Theatre - and 20 new pictures.