Performing Arts - Theater - History & Criticism

In February 1999, Steven Sater conceived the radical notion of creating a rock musical from Frank Wedekind's notorious Symbolist drama, Frühlings Erwachen, and he enlisted his friend and writing partner Duncan Sheik in the enterprise. That night, Sater came home and began writing the...

A new guide to creating equitable, inclusive, and diverse community engagement in the arts.Author: Donna Walker-KuhnePublisher: Theatre Communications GroupPublished: 10/21/2025Pages: 200Binding Type: PaperbackWeight: 0.75lbsSize: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.60dISBN: 9781636702582About the AuthorAcknowledged as the nation's foremost expert in Audience Development by the Arts &...

"Smart and entertaining . . . Gefter shows why Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? hit the '60s like a torpedo." -NPR, Fresh Air "Delicious." -New York Times Book Review The behind-the-scenes story of a provocative play, the groundbreaking film it became, and how two...

Now that directors such as Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas, and Francis Ford Coppola are celebrated along-side movie stars, it is hard to imagine that little more than a century ago the director was a nameless, faceless entity-an overseer of workflow in the shuffle of...

The purpose of a high school drama or theatre arts program is to introduce students to as many aspects of drama as possible, to allow them to experience for themselves the diversity and excitement of theatre and to encourage them to develop the love...

Now the FX limited series Fosse/Verdon starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams with Lin-Manuel Miranda executive producing. "Wasson is a smart and savvy reporter, and his book abounds with colorful firsthand tales." -- Janet Maslin, New York Times "Fascinating . . . Wasson has...

Go behind the scenes of the Great White Way with this illustrated guide to the Theater District's hidden history--an essential book for your explorations of the district from a seasoned Broadway guide. Broadway is one of New York's greatest treasures, and where there is...

Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was not only a great magician but a great collector. Every corner of his townhouse at 278 West 113th Street in New York was filled with books, pamphlets, prints, clippings, playbills, and photographs documenting the history of magic and theatrical performance....

She is more violent than Lady Macbeth, more complex than Ophelia, more strategic than King Lear's daughters. She is the only Shakespearean character, male or female, whose entire life--from youth to old age--appears on stage. She is a wealth of insight into Shakespeare's understanding...

Inside the 100-year history of one of America's most elaborate movie palacesOpulent and nostalgic, Tampa Theatre is one of the most magnificent movie palaces of the early twentieth century. On the 100th anniversary of this iconic building, Tampa Theatre: A Century of Stories chronicles...

"Acting is a reflex, a mechanism for development and survival. . . . It isn't 'second nature, ' it is 'first nature.'"--Declan Donnellan This immensely popular and ever-practical book on acting takes a scalpel to the heart of actors' persistent fears, helping them to...

A how-to guide for theatermakers who want freedom from white supremacy in their creative practices The Antiracist Theatre offers readers the tools and foundational philosophy to create their own antiracist theatre ethos and delve into its three core principles: harm reduction, harm prevention, and...

One of the world's most revered costume suppliers and creators, Cosprop was founded by John Bright, an Oscar-and BAFTA-winning costume designer, collector, and philanthropist. The Costume House explores some of the most celebrated film and television series in history, from Merchant Ivory to Downton...

Part of the Penguin Orange Collection, a limited-run series of twelve influential and beloved American classics in a bold series design offering a modern take on the iconic Penguin paperback Winner of the 2016 AIGA + Design Observer 50 Books 50 Covers competition For...

How Shakespeare became Shakespeare: a riveting tale of London's first playhouse and the people--actors, writers, builders, investors--who built the Theatre. Between 1576 and 1598, a playhouse called the Theatre stood in the northeast suburbs of London, until it was secretly torn down and its...

A timeless classic on the art of theatre from the most influential stage director of the twentieth century. In this seminal and iconoclastic book, groundbreaking director and cofounder of the Royal Shakespeare Company Peter Brook draws on a life in love with the stage...

In a world of marquee names and big personalities, Jenny Anderson is a legend in her own right. As a celebrated Broadway photographer, she has worked with the most important performers in theatre and used the power of photography to tell the stories behind...

National Book Critics Circle Award Winner, Nonfiction NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2022 BY THE NEW YORKER, TIME MAGAZINE, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, VOX, SALON, LIT HUB, AND VANITY FAIR "Entertaining and illuminating."--The New Yorker * "Compulsively readable."--New York Times * "Delicious, humane,...

The authoritative edition of Richard II from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers. Shakespeare's Richard II presents a momentous struggle between Richard II and his cousin Henry Bolingbroke. Richard is the legitimate king; he...

The Viewpoints is a technique of improvisation that grew out of the postmodern dance world. It was first articulated by choreographer Mary Overlie, who broke down the two dominant issues performers deal with--space and time--into six categories. Since that time, directors Anne Bogart and...