People who do not know theatre may think the only creative artist in the field is the playwright--with actors, directors, and designers mere "interpreters" of the dramatist's vision. Historically, however, creative mastery and power have passed through different hands. Sometimes, the playwright did the staging. In other periods, leading…

Organized along broadly historical lines, this comprehensive collection of outstanding plays includes 41 works from the classical Greek period to the contemporary. As an introduction to the theater, the collection is unmatched for its theatrical variety and cultural diversity. It provides: (1) a general introduction on reading and witnessing a…

Based on the idea that the focus of theater is human beings and thus that theater can be related to experiences already familiar to students, this book aims to provide both instructors and students with informative, incisive, and pleasurable knowledge about the theater. The book is divided into 6 parts and subdivided into chapters within each…

In spite of the importance of the one-act play as an art form and as a tool for teaching playwriting, authors of playwriting texts have devoted little space to the study of the form. Because of this neglect, there is no definition of the form that is simple and specific enough to undergrid efforts to teach or write it. In the absence of a solid…

Discusses ethnographic performance texts (sometimes called ethnotheatre or ethnodrama), which employ traditional techniques to mount a performance event as an alternative mode of research representation, with actors portraying actual research participants. Discusses ethnodrama's rationale, content and structure, participants and characters,…

Ponders what students might learn from a course in playwriting: the ability to think in vivid instances and moments; the habit of close observation of the details of human behavior; the ability to think through and see through cliches; making hard choices; sympathy; dreaming within limits; and concision. (SR)

Reproduces a conversation among playwrights, directors, and dramaturges participating in the Bonderman/IUPUI (Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis) experience. Features their answers to six questions regarding new play development, its focus, and influence on the world of theater for young audiences. (PA)

To provide both an enriching theatre experience for students and faculty and new opportunities for women artists, the Department of Theatre Arts and Speech at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey at Newark held a competition for new plays by New Jersey women playwrights. The winning play, Leni Hamilton's "The Fortress," a story of…

The playwrights-directors workshop at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) allows students of directing and playwriting to meet jointly to explore and solve problems in the creation and production of original one-act scripts. At the heart of the program is the belief that both playwriting and directing students profit from producing their efforts…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 16 titles deal with the following topics: (1) children's theatre activities at Karamu House in Cleveland, Ohio; (2) the development, implementation, and significance of story theatre as a theatrical art form and performance…

A survey of 547 college theater programs to determine the most frequently produced plays. (CH)

This comment on Roger D. Gross's definition of "style" explores the ramifications of that definition for the theatre teacher. It is noted that Gross's definition may help with two common pedagogic difficulties: (1) convincing students that theatre and drama of the past were regarded by their audiences and practitioners as entirely…

Examines the idea of developing a play through a group effort. Draws on personal experiences of seeing this kind of work since the 1970s. Details techniques that have been used with various groups in a series of drama workshops over the years. (PA)

This interview with Mexican-American, Octavio Solis, considers that many facets of his education and experience in the theater. Solis, interviewed by Bob Yowell, Northern Arizona University Theatre Department faculty member and that campus' producer of Solis' play "El Paso Blue," touches on the importance of his acting experience when…

Introduces substantial and procedural ethics for the educational theater director. (MS)