The Oxford Companion to American Theatre
- ISBN-10
- 0195034430
- ISBN-13
- 9780195034431
- Category
- Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics / General
- Pages
- 734
- Language
- English
- Published
- 1984
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Author
- Gerald Martin Bordman
Description
First published in 1984, Gerald Bordman's Oxford Companion to American Theatre has established itself as the standard one-volume source on our national theatre. It has been hailed for its "wealth of authoritative information" (Back Stage), for its "fascinating picture of the volative American stage" (The Guardian), for its "well-chosen, illuminating facts" (Newsday). The distinguished actor Jose Ferrer wrote "I'm in awe of the scholarship and research that have gone into the making of this book." And The Los Angeles Times called it "the almost perfect gift book for both the student and the theatre lover."Now Bordman has thoroughly revised this redoubtable volume, once again providing a completely up-to-date guide to the American stage from its beginnings to the present. Here are over 3,000 entries on playwrights, plays, actors, directors, producers, songwriters, famous playhouses, dramatic movements, and much more. Readers will find summaries of plays as varied as The Contrast, Francesca da Rimini, Arsenic and Old Lace, Our Town, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; biographical sketches of Edwin Forrest and Bartley Campbell, Lillian Hellman and David Rabe, John Barrymore and Jessica Tandy, George Gershwin and Cole Porter; and entries on groups such as The Actors Studio, Christy's Minstrels, and the Provincetown Players. For the new edition, Bordman has added entries on such recent plays as Fences, M. Butterfly, The Heidi Chronicles, and The Piano Lesson, as well as biographies of Len Cariou, Dustin Hoffman, Raul Julia, Tommy Tune, and August Wilson, to name a few. And as in the previous edition, Bordman gives readers as broad a picture of American popular theatre as possible, offering extensive coverage not only of classic works (such as Death of a Salesman) but also many commercially successful plays (such as Brother Rat or Getting Gertie's Garter), plus entries on foreign figures and productions that have influenced our dramatic development (from Shakespeare to Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter).Accessibly and attractively arranged in the two-column, A-Z format for which the Companion series is famous, this is a volume of enormous erudition, an essential reference for everyone who has a passion for the stage.
Get the book
Other editions
Similar books
-
The Oxford Companion to American Theatre
By Thomas S. Hischak, Gerald BordmanAlthough his rise was comparatively slow, Owens established himself in the public affection with his characterizations of Dr. Pangloss, Caleb Plummer, Paul Pry, Aminadab Sleek, and Timothy Toodle, many of which Burton had popularized ...
-
The Oxford Handbook of American Drama
By Heather S. Nathans, Jeffrey H. RichardsThis volume explores the history of American drama from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. It describes origins of early republican drama and its evolution during the pre-war and post-war periods.
-
The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television
By Thomas S. Hischak... actress Carrie Fisher (1956– ) and television director Todd Fisher (1958–). ... than deal with the hectic world of 622 RICE, EDWARD E. Tin Pan Alley.
-
The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television
By Thomas S. HischakHUGHES, LANGSTON 355 against his taller, dapper brother. The twosome were featured on Broadway in The Whirl of the World (1914), ... HUFFMAN, J[esse]. C. (1869–1935). Stage director. A very prolific Broadway director, he specialized in ...
-
American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle
By Gerald Martin BordmanGerald Bordman's American Musical Theatre has become a landmark book since its publication in 1978. It chronicles American musicals, show by show and season by season, and offers a running...
-
The Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance
By Dennis Kennedy"This Companion is a concise and updated version of The Oxford encyclopedia of theatre and performance (2 volumes, 2003)"--Pref.
-
The Oxford Handbook of The American Musical
By Stacy Wolf, Raymond Knapp, Mitchell MorrisThis text presents keywords and critical terms that deepen analysis and interpretation of the musical.
-
The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre
By Phyllis HartnollThis concise Companion is an essential reference work for anyone interested in the history of the world's treatre. Based on the original Oxford Companion to the Theatre, Third Edition, this...
-
The Oxford Companion to Canadian Theatre
By Leonard W. Conolly, Eugene BensonThe past twenty years have seen an extraordinary and exciting growth in Canadian theater. Today, 200 professional theater companies span the country and more than 10,000 published plays appear in...
-
The Cambridge Guide to American Theatre
By Don B. WilmethNew and updated encyclopedic guide to American theatre, from its earliest history to the present. An encyclopedic history of the American theatre--a must for all students, teachers and theatregoers. Over 2300 cross-referenced entries.