The Cambridge Guide to World Theatre Book

The Cambridge Guide to World Theatre is a new, illustrated, single-volume reference that emphasizes international theater and performance in its broadest sense. A-to-Z entries provide clear and concise information on traditions, theories, companies, playwrights, practitioners, venues and events. More than 300 photographs and drawings supplement the text to make this the ideal resource for theatergoers, general readers, students and professionals. The Guide contains an entry for any country with a significant theatrical past or present, from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe, exploring areas of world theater that are neglected in many contemporary works of reference. National entries explain the history and nature of theater movements, identifying prominent figures and activities. Information is given about not only the personalities and practice of Shakespeare's theater but also about performance in such places as Brazil, Nigeria, India and Japan; a short bibliography for further reading is also provided. The popular origins of theatrical traditions in ritual and festival are explained in The Guide and separate entries cover folk drama, street theater, mummer's plays, and many other types of performance. This comprehensive reference also includes reliable biographical and critical essays on the established leaders of the field, renowned actors, directors, and designers. It is filled with extensive cross references that lead the reader from one entry to another. The Guide also takes into account radio and television drama, ballet and opera in their theatrical context, and covers dance and music where they clearly interact with theater as performance. Martin Banham is Director of the Workshop Theater in the School of English of the University of Leeds, and author of several books on drama and theater. Editorial Advisory Board: James R. Brandon, University of Hawaii at Manoa; Ruby Cohn, University of California at Davis; Christopher Innes, York University, Ontario; Peter Holland, Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge; Tice L. Miller, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Peter Thomson, University of Exeter; Don B. Wilmeth, Brown University , Rhode Island; George Woodyard, University of Kansas