Looking at Shakespeare: A Visual History of Twentieth-Century Performance [Hardcover]

Dennis Kennedy (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521780578 | ISBN-13: 978-0521780575 | Publication Date: February 11, 2002 | Edition: 2

Dennis Kennedy's comprehensive account of the main scenographic movements of the century investigates how visual elements affect Shakespeare on the stage. This second edition ranges through productions in Britain, Europe, Japan and North America and includes a new chapter on Shakespeare performance in the 1990s. There are more than twenty new illustrations, some of them in color, and previous references have been updated.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dennis Kennedy's Looking at Shakespeare is one of the most important assessments of Shakespearean production in the twentieth century we have to date, and will long hold that distinction." Comparative Drama, Mary Judith Dunbar, Santa Clara University, California

Book Description

Ranging widely over productions in Britain, Europe, Japan and North America, Dennis Kennedy gives a thorough account of the main scenographic movements of the century, investigating how the visual relates to Shakespeare on the stage. This second edition includes a new chapter on Shakespeare performance in the 1990s, bringing the story up to date by drawing on examples from a wide international field. There are more than twenty new illustrations, some of them in colour, and previous references have been updated.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 434 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (February 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521780578
• ISBN-13: 978-0521780575
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,953,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vivid and resounding study, April 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Looking at Shakespeare: A Visual History of Twentieth-Century Performance (Hardcover)

I stayed up all night reading Kennedy's smooth prose, which echoes like a clean white room. I was recommended this book by a professor who thought it would complement my graduate seminar on performance. That it does, indeed--and what's more, I strongly believe this work should be madatory for every undergrad Shakespeare course. It is breaks through the notions of Shakespeare on the stage as a merely western, standardized phenomenon, shaking up the image of the auld bard in a delightful manner. The images are especially astounding; I only wish I could have seen some of the wild international productions that Kennedy discusses here!