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The Oxford Guide to Plays
Edited by Michael Patterson
560 pages
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198x129mm
978-0-19-860418-1
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Paperback
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31 May 2007
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- Provides useful information and brief synopses of the 1000 most significant plays of world theatre
- Ideal for students, scholars, theatre professionals - especially directors - amateur drama enthusiasts, and theatre-goers
- Each entry contains essential information, including: title, author, date of writing, date of first performance, genre, setting, and composition of cast
- Each entry also includes a summary of the play's plot, and a brief commentary
- 80 major plays - from The Oresteia to Waiting for Godot - are treated at greater length
- An index of characters helps the reader to find particular characters, and to trace the trajectory of major historical and legendary characters - for example Iphigenia - through world drama, including in plays that do not have entries in the Dictionary
- An index of playwrights (with dates) enables the reader to find details of all the plays included by author
Anyone with an academic, professional, amateur, or recreational interest in the theatre is likely to want to look up details of particular plays sometimes - perhaps to check on the author, or on when they were first performed, or perhaps to see how many characters they have, and whether or not they would be suitable for their theatre company or drama group to perform.
The Oxford Dictionary of Plays provides essential information on the 1000 best-known, best-loved, and most important plays in world theatre. Each entry includes details of title, author, date of composition, date of first performance, genre, setting, and the composition of the cast, and more. A synopsis of the plot and a brief commentary, perhaps on the context of the play, or
the reasons for its enduring popularity, follow. Around 80 of the most significant plays - from The Oresteia to Waiting for Godot - are dealt with in more detail. Genres covered include: burlesque, comedy, farce, historical drama, kabuki, masque, melodrama, morality play, mystery play, No, romantic comedy, tragicomedy, satire, and tragedy.
An index of characters enables the reader to locate favourite characters, and trace the trajectory of major historical and legendary characters - such as Iphigenia - through world drama, including in plays that do not have entries in the Dictionary. An index of playwrights, with dates, allows the reader to find all the plays included by a particular author. Readership:
Students of drama and literature, drama and literature scholars and tutors, theatre professionals, especially directors looking for plays for performance, amateur drama enthusiasts, and informed theatre-goers.
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Michael Patterson, Professor of Theatre, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK Contributors:
Professor Peter Holland, formerly director of The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham
J. Michael Walton, professor of Drama, University of Hull, and director of the Performance Translation Centre
Jean Chothia, lecturer in English, University of Cambridge
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Review(s) from previous edition
"This is an astonishing work of scholarly reference that fills a conspicuous gap in the theatrical market. I've tested it against plays I've had to review and each time I've found it informative, illuminating and helpful. It is a remarkable achievement. - Michael Billington
"The work's strength is in Patterson's superb synopses. The volume is superbly formatted. It is a fascinating and accessible dictionary that invites a broad readership." - Jeremy Piper, THES
"This dictionary is a useful and efficient reference book for professionals and amateurs alike." - What's on in London
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Preface
Acknowledgements
Select Bibliography
Family Tree of main Characters in Shakespeare's History Plays
Thematic List of Plays
A-Z of Plays
Index of Characters
Index of Playwrights
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The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.
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