The Oxford Companion to American Theatre [Hardcover]

Gerald Bordman (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 1984

An encyclopedic volume about the American theatre from its beginnings to the present day. In addition to comprehensive coverage of America's leading actors, playwrights, directors, songwriters, playhouses, and dramatic movements, there are entries on the people and productions from overseas that have helped shape the US stage tradition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–In this new edition of the well-known A-to-Z reference work, Hischak extensively updates and revises Bordman's previous works (Oxford, 1984, 1992; o.p.). Besides the necessary additions and deletions of plays and people, this volume provides several articles on relevant topics, such as "Performance Art" and "AIDS and the American Theatre." The preface states that all "Tony Award, Pulitzer Prize, and New York Drama Critics Circle Award-winning American plays are now included"; however, there are a few omissions. In order to make room for this additional material and yet keep the companion to one volume, Hischak condensed and edited the previous edition, and, as a result, the information projects a more balanced and neutral tone. Unfortunately, the editing has also eliminated much of Bordman's ascerbic wit. Nonetheless, despite some quibbling with entries left intact and exclusion of some modern theatre personalities (e.g., Ann Reinking, Romulus Linney), this is a good choice for libraries needing to update their collections.–Betty S. Evans, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Like a well-crafted revival of a beloved play, this new edition of a favorite reference book retains the flavor of the original production while significantly updating its content. The cast here is large and includes actors, choreographers, composers, dancers, designers, directors, lyricists, plays, playwrights, producers, theaters, and theater companies.

The text covers the American stage from its inception to the present, and the alphabetically arranged entries range in length from a few lines to a quarter of a double-columned page. Among the articles new to this edition are AIDS and the American theatre, Asian-American theatre and drama, Feminist theatre, 42nd Street redevelopment, Performance art, and Road tours. The authors note that to retain all the historical information of previous editions, individual articles have been condensed rather than eliminated. There is more variety here than on a vaudeville bill: hair and hairspray; urinetown and Uncle Tom's Cabin; and Tony 'n Tina's Wedding and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife are among the plays represented. Articles on individual theater artists often mention a biography or autobiography, a welcome enhancement to a ready-reference source such as this. To present as complete a picture of American theater as possible, entries on theaters beyond the Great White Way, such as the Arena Stage, the Goodman Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, American Conservatory Theatre, and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, are included. Capsule histories of every Broadway theater as well as several Off-Broadway houses are another new and notable feature. The volume is recommended for all public and academic libraries and would be useful in high-school libraries with theater and drama collections. Carolyn Mulac
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 752 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1st edition (October 11, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195034430
• ISBN-13: 978-0195034431
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,786,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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