The Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre

Description

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.

Colin Chambers is Emeritus Professor of Drama at Kingston University. Colin was Literary Manager of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1981 to 1997, and has also been a journalist and theatre critic. He is co-author with Richard Nelson of Kenneth's First Play and Tynan (both Royal Shakespeare Company), and he selected and edited for performance Three Farces by John Maddison Morton, which were produced at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond. As well as editing the Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre, Colin has written extensively on the theatre including Other Spaces: New Writing and the RSC, Playwrights' Progress (with Michael Prior), The Story of Unity Theatre, Peggy: The Life of Margaret Ramsay, Play Agent (winner of the inaugural Theatre Book Prize), Inside the Royal Shakespeare Company, Here We Stand: Politics, Performers and Performance - Paul Robeson, Isadora Duncan and Charlie Chaplin and Black and Asian Theatre in Britain: A History.

"Many contributors are established experts...but there are some superficial treatments as well, particularly by British writers assigned to American topics...The entry on Tony Kushner gets the title of the first part of Angels in America wrong; that on Terrence McNally omits mention of several of his major works; and the survey of lesbian theatre in the U.S. states that the Lesbian-Feminist Theater Collective of Pittsburgh was formed in 1937...Regrettably, there is no survey article on theater libraries or museums...At $195, the hardback edition of this resource, like many of its publisher's products, is considerably overpriced. The paperback, however, offers all types of libraries a generally reliable entry point into the diverse world of twentieth century dramatic and theatrical activity." - Rob Melton, Broadside, Winter 2007 "Topics are covered here that might otherwise prove elusive....A particular highlight is the collection of articles throughout written by practicing theater professionals....Valuable." - Library Journal "This work differs from other single-volume theater reference works because of the diversity of its contributors....not only entries by scholars but additional boxed entries written by active professional theater insiders....The result is a less academic, more interesting style than the typical reference work....covers a wider geographic terrain than the Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre and is more contemporary. Only in the Continuum volume, for example, are there entries on digital performance and the Internet....Recommended."--Booklist '...the work's international coverage is broad, it uses contemporary terminology, and it features highlights from performers' perspective (e.g. Performing Shaw by Daniel Massey). Recommended for general readers through professionals'. CHOICE * Blurb from reviewer * 'The book succeeds in making us aware of the multifarious aspects of modern theatre, political and sexual, as well as artistic'. THE STAGE * Blurb from reviewer * 'The text serves as a jumping off point, giving satisfactory information to readers seeking short answers...Topics are covered here that might otherwise prove elusive...A particular highlight is the collection of articles throughout written by practising theatre professionals...Valuable'. LIBRARY JOURNAL * Blurb from reviewer * "...work of astonishing scholarship and research...no reference library or centre of theatre research dare be without it... a cornucopia of reference into every aspect of theatre from performance to academia...many entries are devoted to important work in amateur theatre." - Amateur Theatre * Blurb from reviewer * 'a less academic, more interesting style than the typical reference work...covers a wider geographic terrain than the 'Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre' and is more comtemporary...only here, for example, are there entries on digital performance and the Internet...Recommended'. -- BOOKLIST * Blurb from reviewer *