In "The Art of Theater," the author proposes and explains a claim that many theater people hold true in some form but have defended in a manner that has had almost no success outside discussions among themselves. The claim proposed is that, in an unqualified way, theater is a form of art. By that the author means theatrical performances are "what…

While it may be true that different interpretations of Shakespeare's words elicit varied responses, Shakespeare's popularity in Renaissance England was due in large part to his ability to appeal to a socially and educationally diverse audience. Shakespeare knew what it took to fill the seats. To encourage appreciation of Shakespeare's universal…

Summarizes a comprehensive study isolating long- and short-term recollections of young audiences in regard to characters, themes, scenography, objects, and sound effects of 26 theater productions over a 17-year period. Finds that, in general, young audiences recall more strongly those theatrical elements further removed from reality. (SR)

This study explores the communication experiences of two volunteer groups involved in the production of community theater musicals. Based on social exchange theory, it examined what group members perceived to be the positive benefits (primarily meeting people and having an opportunity to perform) and the negative costs (primarily disorganization,…