In-depth treatment of William Shakespeare with both A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Othello included. The playwright and plays 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 the bard in depth.
A strong representation of:
- Women playwrights with 7 important works representing a spectrum of periods and styles ¾ from Dulcitius by Hrosvitha and The Rover by Aphra Behn to Far Away by Caryl Churchill and The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl.
- American multicultural plays important works including A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Fences by August Wilson, and selections from 365 Days/365 Plays by Suzan-Lori Parks.
- Contemporary plays with 7 plays ¾ among them 2 Pulitzer-prize winners and 2 Tony Award Winners ¾ that introduce students to major playwrights working today, including Tony Kushner, Conor McPherson, and Sarah Ruhl.
Commentaries and Casebooks provide rich contexts. 33 commentaries ¾ reviews; interviews with actors, directors, designers, and playwrights; important critical essays ¾ give students a richer understanding of the plays and the contexts from which they emerge. 2 casebooks including "A Stylistic Casebook on American Melodrama" and a "Production Casebook on Death of a Salesman" enable students to think critically about a play or genre of plays through a focused study of play excerpts, 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 playwright-in-depth section includes 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.