THEA 20500 The Role of the Director

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, famousplayhouses, dramatic movements, and much more. The book covers not only classic works (such as Death of a Salesman) but also many commercially successful plays (such as Getting Gertie's Garter), plus entries on foreign figures that have influenced our dramatic development (from Shakespeare toBeckett 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.

International in scope, this book is designed to be the pre-eminent reference work on the English-speaking theatre in the twentieth century. Arranged alphabetically, it consists of some 2500 entries written by 280 contributors from 20 countries which include not only top-level experts, but, uniquely, leading professionals from the world of theatre. A fascinating resource for anyone interested in theatre, it includes:- Overviews of major concepts, topics and issues;- Surveys of theatre institutions, countries, and genres;- Biographical entries on key performers, playwrights, directors, designers, choreographers and composers;- Articles by leading professionals on crafts, skills and disciplines including acting, design, directing, lighting, sound and voice.

From ancient Greek theatre to the latest developments in stage design, from the trance-dances of Sumatra to an extensive biography of the legendary actor-manager Eleonore Duse, the Encyclopedia provides unrivaled information across the broad sweep of theatrical activity. The Encyclopedia's inclusive approach encompasses opera and film, dance and radio, and para-theatrical, non-dramatic performances including circuses and carnivals, and parades and public executions--providing truly extensive coverage from ancient Greek theatre to the latest developments in London, Paris, New York, and around the globe. The Encyclopedia pays special attention to non-Western styles through articles on theatre and performance throughout the many countries and traditions of Asia and Africa. Numerous biographical entries cover the lives and work of major figures: actors, playwrights, directors, designer, company managers, and critics. A unique feature of the Encyclopedia is the series of articles on concepts, theories, and critical approaches, ranging from short definitions of terms like catharsis and monologue to more lengthy considerations of farce and tragedy. Race and theatre, the nature of acting, censorship, safety, special effects, and media and performance are all debated. In all, the 4,300 entries by renowned contributors remain accessible in language and approach and take advantage of the theoretical and historiographical developments in the field. The combination of rich detail and accessible language and style make The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance the resource of choice for readers interested in theatre and performance, from occasional playgoers to newspaper critics, students, and scholars.

(Table of Contents available at http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0720/2007023277.html )
Josephine Abady -- JoAnne Akalaitis -- Libby Appel -- Osceola Archer -- Pamela Berlin -- Martha Boesing -- Anne Bogart -- Jessie Bonstelle -- Julianne Boyd -- Vinnette Carroll -- Tisa Chang -- Martha Clarke -- Rachel Crothers -- Graciela Daniele -- Liz Diamond -- Glenda Dickerson -- Zelda Fichandler -- Minnie Maddern Fiske -- Maria Irene fornes -- Margarita Galban -- Mary Hunter -- Margo Jones -- Tina Landau -- Sue Lawless -- Elizabeth LeCompte -- Eva Le Gallienne -- Roberta Levitow -- Judith Malina -- Emily Mann -- Lynne Meadow -- Muriel Miguel -- Meredith Monk -- Agnes Morgan -- Gloria Muzio -- Sharon Ott -- Tina Packer -- Carey Perloff -- Antoinette Perry -- Shauneille Perry -- Dorothy Raedler -- Mary B. Robinson -- Carole Rothman -- Susan H. Schulman -- Ellen Stewart -- Susan Stroman -- Julie Taymor -- Barbara Ann Teer -- Nina Vance -- Margaret Webster -- Mary Zimmerman.

Contributors are Ileana Azor, Dalia Basiouny, Kate Bredeson, Mirenka Cechová, Marié-Heleen Coetzee, May Farnsworth, Anne Fliotsos, Laura Ginters, Iris Hsin-chun Tuan, Maria Ignatieva, Adam J. Ledger, Roberta Levitow, Jiangyue Li, Lliane Loots, Diana Manole, Karin Maresh, Gordon McCall, Erin B. Mee, Ursula Neuerburg-Denzer, Claire Pamment, Magda Romanska, Avra Sidiropoulou, Margaretta Swigert-Gacheru, Alessandra Vannucci, Wendy Vierow, Vessela S. Warner, and Brenda Werth.
A fascinating study of women in the arts, International Women Stage Directors is a comprehensive examination of women directors in twenty-four diverse countries. Organized by country, chapters provide historical context and emphasize how social, political, religious, and economic factors have impacted women's rise in the theatre, particularly in terms of gender equity. Contributors tell the stories of their home country's pioneering women directors and profile the most influential women directors practicing today, examining their career paths, artistry, and major achievements.

Contemporary Women Stage Directors opens the door into the minds of 27 prolific female theatre directors, allowing you to explore their experience, wisdom and knowledge. Directors give insight into their diverse approaches to the key challenges of directing theatre, including choosing projects, engaging with scripts, conceptualizing visual and acoustic production elements, collaborating with actors and production teams, building their careers, and navigating challenges and opportunities posed by gender, race and ethnicity. The directors featured include Maria Aberg, May Adrales, Sarah Benson, Karin Coonrod, Rachel Chavkin, Lear deBessonet, Nadia Fall, Vicky Featherstone, Polly Findlay, Leah Gardiner, Anne Kauffman, Lucy Kerbel, Young Jean Lee, Patricia McGregor, Blanche McIntyre, Paulette Randall, Diane Rodriguez, Indhu Rubasingham, KJ Sanchez, Tina Satter, Kimberly Senior, Roxana Silbert, Leigh Silverman, Caroline Steinbeis, Liesl Tommy, Lyndsey Turner, and Erica Whyman.These women are making profoundly exciting theatre in some of the most influential organizations across the English-speaking world-from Broadway to the West End, from the National Theatre in London to Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles. As generally mid-career professionals, they are informed by both their hard-earned expertise and their forward-looking energy. They offer astute observations about the current state of the art form, as well as inspiring visions of what theatre can accomplish in the decades to come.

3 volume set organized by name. See section on "Actresses and theatre managers" for more information