The most in-depth treatment of major playwrights. Three plays by William Shakespeare and two each by Sophocles and August Wilson are presented with thorough introductions and performance histories, photographs from recent and landmark productions, and a generous selection of commentaries, giving students an opportunity to study these masters in depth.
The strongest representation of: - Women playwrights with 10 important works representing a spectrum of periods and styles — from Dulcitius by Hrosvitha and The Rover by Aphra Behn to How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel and Far Away by Caryl Churchill.
- American multicultural plays with 6 important works including A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom by August Wilson.
- Contemporary plays with 19 plays — among them 6 Pulitzer-prize winners and 5 Tony Award Winners — that introduce students to major playwrights working today, including Tony Kushner, Conor McPherson, Lynn Nottage, and Sarah Ruhl.
Commentaries and Casebooks provide rich contexts. 57 commentaries — reviews; interviews with actors, directors, designers, and playwrights; important critical essays — give students a rich understanding of the plays and the contexts from which they emerge. 4 casebooks — including "The Woman Question in Late Nineteenth-Century Drama" and a "Production Casebook on
Death of a Salesman" — enable students to think critically about a play or group of plays through a focused study of journal entries, letters, newspaper accounts, stage designs, photographs, and director’s notes.
The most extensive collection of theater photographs. Hundreds of striking performance photographs accompany the plays. The playwrights-in-depth sections include photo essays and photographs of influential stage designs to help students imagine the plays on stage.
The fullest complement of editorial features providing help for students. - History, genres, and elements of drama. The book includes a succinct but thorough history of Western drama along with an introduction to the major genres and elements.
- Writing about drama. Class-tested material offers coverage of every stage of the writing process and sample student papers.
- Additional resources include a glossary of dramatic terms and a robust companion web site with study and discussion questions and writing assignments for each play.