The Cambridge Guide to American Theatre [Hardcover]

Don B. Wilmeth (Editor), Tice L. Miller (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521401348 | ISBN-13: 978-0521401340 | Publication Date: April 30, 1993 | Edition: First Edition

This comprehensive guide provides coverage on American theater from its earliest history to the present, with special attention given to contemporary theater throughout the United States. The entries are arranged alphabetically and provide information on mainstream topics, marginalized and alternative theater, popular forms of theater (including the circus, vaudeville, burlesque, etc.) and key plays in the annals of American theater. Over eighty experts on American theater contributed entries to the guide. In addition to some 2,300 brief entries on people, venues, plays, and other theatrical phenomena, almost 100 topical entries are provided, covering theater in major US cities, essays on such disparate subjects as Asian-American theater, theater architecture, female and male impersonation, magic, costume, Shakespeare on the American stage, unions, Hispanic theater, lighting, dramatic theory, and much more. For further reading, approximately 1,000 additional sources are suggested in the text and in a supplemental bibliography. A special feature is a biographical index of more than 3,000 names mentioned in entries, providing dates and major occupations, and cross-listings are indicated throughout the guide.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This basic reference work begins with a historical introduction keyed to the guide's entries, then offers brief, alphabetically arranged essays on American theatrical figures--actors, playwrights, producers, directors, designers--as well as plays and major theaters from the art form's origins in Native American rituals to the present. In addition, more than 90 topical entries cover theatrical development in significant cities, ethnic and feminist theater, the history of theatrical nudity, stock companies, and vaudeville. A healthy bibliography and biographical index add to the volume's usefulness for the student and researcher. Wonderfully compact, well written, and generously illustrated, this is recommended for most libraries.
- Thomas E. Luddy, Salem State Coll., Mass.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Following in the tradition of the Cambridge Guide to World Theatre (1989), this work offers a "comprehensive view of the history and present practice of the theatre in the United States" that is appropriate for scholars, students, and general readers. Coverage is current through early 1992. The editors, university professors of theater, have made a special effort to cover contemporary theater.

The nucleus for this book was the U.S. entries from the Cambridge Guide to World Theatre, which were revised and updated. The editors have attempted to view American theater in the broadest possible terms, and to this end they include such topics as circus, magic, vaudeville, burlesque, and folk festivals. There are also entries on the theater of often-neglected groups, such as gay and lesbian, African American, Asian American, Chicano, and Yiddish. Also included are entries on theater in various U.S. cities and such topical entries as Children's Theatre, Frontier Theatre, Mime/Pantomime, Scenic Design, and Shakespeare in the American Theatre. A 20-page survey article on the history of American theater is very helpful, as are the extensive bibliography and the biographical index giving brief information about 3,000 individuals mentioned only within other entries. The alphabetically arranged entries on individuals, theater companies, theaters, and individual plays are long enough to adequately cover the topics. Many entries have suggestions for further reading at the end. Entries are signed with the initials of the contributor; these 80 experts are listed in the book. About 170 black-and-white illustrations add greatly to the portrayal of the world of American theater.

This guide is an excellent resource and will be welcome in all types of libraries. Librarians who enjoy using the Cambridge Guide to World Theatre can order this work with confidence. It is an excellent update to The Oxford Companion to American Theatre by Gerald Bordman (Oxford, 1984) and a fine work in its own right.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 559 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; First Edition edition (April 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521401348
• ISBN-13: 978-0521401340
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,924,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)