The Oxford Companion to American Theatre - Hardcover

9780195034431: The Oxford Companion to American Theatre

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195034430 ISBN 13: 9780195034431

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1984

An encyclopedic reference guide to the American stage encompasses some three thousand entries covering the history, plays, playwrights, actors, producers, directors, and other facets of American theater

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About the Author:

Gerald Bordman is the author of many books, including American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle, Jerome Kern: His Life and Music, and Days to be Happy, Years to be Sad: The Life and Music of Vincent Youmans.

From Booklist:

Like a well-crafted revival of a beloved play, this new edition of a favorite reference book retains the flavor of the original production while significantly updating its content. The cast here is large and includes actors, choreographers, composers, dancers, designers, directors, lyricists, plays, playwrights, producers, theaters, and theater companies.

The text covers the American stage from its inception to the present, and the alphabetically arranged entries range in length from a few lines to a quarter of a double-columned page. Among the articles new to this edition are AIDS and the American theatre, Asian-American theatre and drama, Feminist theatre, 42nd Street redevelopment, Performance art, and Road tours. The authors note that to retain all the historical information of previous editions, individual articles have been condensed rather than eliminated. There is more variety here than on a vaudeville bill: hair and hairspray; urinetown and Uncle Tom's Cabin; and Tony 'n Tina's Wedding and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife are among the plays represented. Articles on individual theater artists often mention a biography or autobiography, a welcome enhancement to a ready-reference source such as this. To present as complete a picture of American theater as possible, entries on theaters beyond the Great White Way, such as the Arena Stage, the Goodman Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, American Conservatory Theatre, and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, are included. Capsule histories of every Broadway theater as well as several Off-Broadway houses are another new and notable feature. The volume is recommended for all public and academic libraries and would be useful in high-school libraries with theater and drama collections. Carolyn Mulac
Copyright � American Library Association. All rights reserved

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