Bedford Introduction To Drama (1876 Pages) - 5th edition

Summary: The finest selection of plays. The 53 chronologically arranged plays in The Bedford Introduction to Drama represent every major period from the classic age to the present, offering the most comprehensive selection available.

The most in-depth treatment of major playwrights. Three plays by William Shakespeare and two plays each by Sophocles and Tennessee Williams offer students a unique opportunity to study and write about these major figures. Accompanying t ...show morehe plays are thorough introductions and performance histories, photographs from recent and landmark productions, portraits or photographs of the playwrights themselves, a selection of commentaries, and bibliographies.

The most commentaries. Interspersed throughout the book are 82 commentaries that give students a richer understanding of the plays and the contexts from which they emerge. Featuring classic and contemporary reviews in addition to interviews, critical essays, and comments by the playwrights and other theater practitioners, the fifth edition offers the most extensive range of materials available.

A strong representation of women playwrights. The Bedford Introduction to Drama includes a broad spectrum of women playwrights and represents them with their most significant works: Dulcitius by Hrosvitha, The Rover by Aphra Behn, Trifles by Susan Glaspell, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Top Girls by Caryl Churchill, Fires in the Mirror by Anna Deavere Smith, Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks, and How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel.

A wide representation of American multicultural plays. The Bedford Introduction to Drama continues to offer an impressive array of important works by American multicultural playwrights such as A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez, Fences by August Wilson, M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang, Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks, and Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz.

The best representation of contemporary plays. By far the largest selection, 16 important plays -- including five Pulitzer-Prize winners and six Tony Award winners -- introduce students to major playwrights working today. Playwrights include Sam Shepard, August Wilson, Nobel Prize-winner Gao Xingjian, David Henry Hwang, Brian Friel, David Mamet, Tony Kushner, Edward Albee, Paula Vogel, and Nilo Cruz. Commentaries by and about
these major playwrights give students a perspective on contemporary theater unavailable in any other introductory drama text.

Extensive casebooks present cultural and historical contexts about specific plays and dramatic periods. Cultural Casebooks on "The Issue of Race and Othello" and "The Woman Question in the Late-Nineteenth Century" enable students to think critically about a play or group of plays through a focused study of important cultural contexts. Each casebook comprises an introduction to the topic followed by selected documents including journal entries, letters, newspaper accounts, and essays. The documents are accompanied by striking visuals -- woodcuts and other images of costumes and props, production photographs, and staging diagrams, drawings, and paintings -- that lend further insight on the subject.

The best, most extensive collection of theater photographs. Nearly every play is accompanied by at least one striking photograph. The playwrights-in-depth sections include photo essays (many of which show multiple productions), and photographs of influential stage designs help students understand drama as an interpretive art. Also included are photographs of the playwrights who are represented by multiple plays.

The fullest complement of editorial features -- providing more resources for students.

• Writing about drama. Class-tested material offers coverage of every stage of the writing process, a complete student paper, and a section on writing a theater review.
• History of drama. The book also includes a general introduction to the great ages and the major genres of drama; introductions to the periods, plays, and playwrights that constitute a succinct but thorough history of Western drama; performance histories for each play; and timelines for each period.
• Additional resources include a glossary of dramatic terms, selected bibliographies, and an annotated list of film, video, and audiocassette resources.