Readers Encyclopedia of World Drama Book

The first (and still best) single-volume reference of its kind, this comprehensive work traces world drama from its earliest ritual forms to modern times. Focusing on the literary content of the plays, it features articles by nearly 100 distinguished contributors. Categories include national drama, playwrights, plays, and genres. Listings by country present a historical survey of national dramas; individual entries for playwrights offer biographies and critical evaluations. The best, most historically relevant plays appear with a synopses as well as a critical commentary; includes all the major dramatic genres and numerous minor styles, plus short entries on a variety of subjects and an extensive appendix documenting the basics of dramatic theory. 350 b/w illus. Unabridged reprint of the classic 1969 edition. Literary content and criticism of major world dramas, from earliest forms to modern times. Easy reference, categorized by country, playwright, play, and genre. Commentary by nearly 100 distinguished scholars and critics, including Eric Bentley, Alfred Harbage, Jacques Guichamaud, Cedric Whitman, and Wallace Fowlie.Read More