Dictionary of the Theatre, The Penguin: Third Edition (Dictionary, Penguin) [Mass Market Paperback]

John G. Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1995 | Series: Dictionary, Penguin

This dictionary provides a guide to the theatre. It includes entries on plays, players, playwrights, dramatic theory and critics, dramatic schools, academies, leagues and clubs, theatres, theatre terms, stage history, stage machinery, designers, decor and props.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Puffin; Revised edition (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014051287X
• ISBN-13: 978-0140512878
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,092,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Penguin Dictionary of the Theatre, May 19, 2000

By 

E. Merino "lamoira" (Mexico City, D.F. Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dictionary of the Theatre, The Penguin: Third Edition (Dictionary, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)

Concise and to the point. I have found most of the mainstream theatre genres and practisioners I have looked up in it. I must admit that some historical details are just skimmed through, accentuating only the famous works of an author or director. For a full spectrum, I find myself alternating between the Cambridge Paperback Guide to Theatre and this dictionary.

4.0 out of 5 stars Dry factual informative dated, September 6, 2006

By 

Shalom Freedman "Shalom Freedman" (Jerusalem,Israel) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Penguin dictionary of the theatre (Penguin reference books) (Paperback)

There is a new Penguin Dictionary of the Theatre dated 2004. The one being reviewed dates 1968. Naturally this means it is missing much the contemporary reader would like to know. Its definitions are dry, informative ones, and cover a wide- range of entries though one can feel a British focus.

Where I found it inadequate was in giving evaluations of the playwrights and works. For instance in the Arthur Miller entry there is no mention of the fact that 'Death of a Salesman' is still considered his most important work. And there is no explanation whatsoever of what that importance is. So too in the Shakespeare entry we get an overall classification of the plays in three periods without real description of the overall significance of Shakespeare's work.