This introduction to theatre design explains the theories, strategies, and tools of practical design work for the undergraduate student. Through its numerous illustrated case studies and analysis of key terms, students will build an understanding of the design process and be able to: identify the fundamentals of theatre design and scenography recognize the role of individual design areas such as scenery, costume, lighting and sound develop both conceptual and analytical thinking Communicate their own understanding of complex design work trace the traditions of stage design, from Sebastiano Serlio to Julie Taymor. Demonstrating the dynamics of good design through the work of influential designers, Stephen Di Benedetto also looks in depth at script analysis, stylistic considerations and the importance of collaboration to the designer’s craft. This is an essential guide for students and teachers of theatre design. Readers will form not only a strong ability to explain and understand the process of design, but also the basic skills required to conceive and realise designs of their own.

Introduction to Theatre: a Direct Approach addresses the student who is not a theatre major, but is taking a single course. The text attempts to address the most salient points pertinent to a beginning theatre course.

Erika Fischer-Lichte's introduction to the discipline of Theatre and Performance Studies is a strikingly authoritative and wide ranging guide to the study of theatre in all of its forms. Its three-part structure moves from the first steps in starting to think about performance, through to the diverse and interrelated concerns required of higher-level study: Part 1 – Central Concepts for Theatre and Performance Research – introduces the language and key ideas that are used to discuss and think about theatre: concepts of performance; the emergence of meaning; and the theatrical event as an experience shared by actors and spectators. Part 1 contextualizes these concepts by tracing the history of Theatre and Performance Studies as a discipline. Part 2 – Fields, Theories and Methods – looks at how to analyse a performance and how to conduct theatre-historiographical research. This section is concerned with the 'doing' of Theatre and Performance Studies: establishing and understanding different methodological approaches; using sources effectively; and building theoretical frameworks. Part 3 – Pushing Boundaries – expands on the lessons of Parts 1 and 2 in order to engage with theatre and performance in a global context. Part 3 introduces the concept of 'interweaving performance cultures'; explores the interrelation of theatre with the other arts; and develops a transformative aesthetics of performance. Case studies throughout the book root its theoretical discussion in theatrical practice. Focused accounts of plays, practitioners and performances map the development of Theatre and Performance Studies as an academic discipline, and of the theatre itself as an art form. This is the most comprehensive and sophisticated introduction to the field available, written by one of its foremost scholars.

We're excited to announce the upcoming release of the SECOND EDITION of everyone's favorite Introduction to Theatre Arts, volume 1, available August 11! You'll love that this brand new edition is gender neutral, better organized, updated to reflect modern technology and social media, and has a 2020 copyright date! Even better, the Student Workbook is just that... a true individual workbook for each student. Luckily, we've retained all the elements that made the first edition of this book a top-selling theatre arts curriculum text year after year. You'll still find the daily bell work, fun puzzles, and quizzes and tests that you've come to rely on to make classroom management easier. This classroom-tested, year-long curriculum covers the entire spectrum of theatre: theatre history, scene work, acting, characterization, publicity, play production, games and improvisations, and more.

Providing a clear journey through centuries of European, North and South American, African and Asian forms of theatre and performance, this introduction helps the reader think critically about this exciting field through fascinating yet plain-speaking essays and case studies.

We're excited to announce the upcoming release of the SECOND EDITION of everyone's favorite Introduction to Theatre Arts, volume 1, available August 11! You'll love that this brand new edition is gender neutral, better organized, updated to reflect modern technology and social media, and has a 2020 copyright date! Even better, the Student Workbook is just that... a true individual workbook for each student. The second edition of the Teacher's Guide is also better laid out with the notes to the teacher now appearing on the same page as the corresponding student page. No more flipping back and forth between pages! Four additional sections in the Teacher's Guide make this student-friendly text also very teacher-friendly: teaching tools, evaluation tools, production tools, and tests and major projects. Tests even include two levels of difficulty, so your evaluations can match your students and your expectations.

From before history was recorded to the present day, theatre has been a major artistic form around the world. From puppetry to mimes and street theatre, this complex art has utilized all other art forms such as dance, literature, music, painting, sculpture, and architecture. Every aspect of human activity and human culture can be, and has been, incorporated into the creation of theatre. In this Very Short Introduction Marvin Carlson takes us through Ancient Greece and Rome, to Medieval Japan and Europe, to America and beyond, and looks at how the various forms of theatre have been interpreted and enjoyed. Exploring the role that theatre artists play — from the actor and director to the designer and puppet-master, as well as the audience — this is an engaging exploration of what theatre has meant, and still means, to people of all ages at all times. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.