The Concise Oxford Companion To The Theatre

Based on the Oxford Companion to the Theatre, this searchable database contains entries on theatrical styles, dramatists, performers, and directors, as well as information on theatres, festivals, and such technical topics as lighting, sound, and method acting.

When Gerald Bordman's Oxford Companion to American Theatre appeared in 1984, the distinguished actor Jose Ferrer proclaimed, "I'm in awe of the scholarship and research that have gone into the making of this book." The Los Angeles Times Book Review called it "the almost perfect gift book for both the student and the theatre lover," while Back Stage hailed it as "a major reference work [that] provides a wealth of authoritative information." The book quickly established itself as the standard one-volume resource on the American stage. Now Bordman gives us an abridgement of his massive original volume, eliminating many entries on minor plays and figures but preserving those articles that are of the widest general interest. The major achievements of playwrights Eugene O'Neill, Clifford Odets, Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, and many more are represented in hundreds of biographical sketches and summaries of individual plays. Also here are entries on performers ranging from Edwin Booth to John Barrymore, from Jessica Tandy to James Earl Jones. Extensive coverage is given to that most American of theatrical forms, the musical, and the often neglected achievements of the nineteenth century are also represented. In addition, this volume updates information on contemporary topics and includes a number of new articles. Altogether there are more than 2,000 entries, accessibly and attractively arranged in the two-column, A-Z format for which the Companion series is famous. Affordable, compact, and eminently "companionable," this work retains those qualities of erudition and entertainment that so distinguished the parent volume and makes them available to a much wider readership.

Seeking to provide a survey of the development of the theatre from its beginnings in primitive ritual to the present day in all countries that have a continuing theatrical tradition, this edition offers information on contemporary writers, directors, plays, companies and theatres, both metropolitan and regional. Entries dealing with technical subjects emphasize the historical perspective and are illustrated when necessary. Other illustrations are placed in thematically arranged groups and function independent of the text, showing the changes of vision in theatrical production over the past 2000 years. ISBN 0-19-211546-4 : $49.95.

Based on the bestselling Oxford Companion to English Literature, this is an indispensable, compact guide to all aspects of English literature. Over 5,500 new and revised A to Z entries give unrivalled coverage of writers, works, historical context, literary theory, allusions, characters, and plot summaries. Discursive feature entries supply a wealth of information about important genres in literature. For this fourth edition, the dictionary has been fully revised and updated to include expanded coverage of postcolonial, African, black British, and children's literature, as well as improved representation in the areas of science fiction, biography, travel literature, women's writing, gay and lesbian writing, and American literature. The appendices listing literary prize winners, including the Nobel, Man Booker, and Pulitzer prizes, have all been updated and there is also a timeline, chronicling the development of English literature from c. 1000 to the present day. Many entries feature recommended web links, which are listed and regularly updated on a dedicated companion website. Written originally by a team of more than 140 distinguished authors and extensively updated for this new edition, this book provides an essential point of reference for English students, teachers, and all other readers of literature in English.