Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Theatre: A Global Experience CO Essay: Navigating the World of the Theatre
Theatre as a Reflection of Culture
Universals of the Theatre
Tradition and Innovation
Why Theatre Today?
Chapter 2: The Audience Response
CO Essay: Partners in Performance
The Audience and the Actor: The Invisible Bond
The Audience Is a Community
Audience Members Construct Meaning as Individuals
Conventions of Audience Response
Political Theatre: Moving the Audience to Action
Meeting Theatre’s Challenges
The Critical Response
The Many Faces of the Critic
Chapter 3: Understanding Plays
CO Essay: Storytelling and Cultural Tradition
The Western Play Tradition
Story and Plot
Dramatic Structure
Dramatic Characters
Dramatic Language
Form and Innovation
Chapter 4: The European Written Tradition and Its Genres
CO Essay: Genre and Cultural Context
Genre and Theatrical Convention
Tragedy
Other European Genres
Comedy
Tragicomedy
Melodrama
Genre Today
Chapter 5: Performance Traditions: Legacy and Renewal
CO Essay: Performance Traditions: Living Cultural Heritage
Indian Sanskirt Theatre
Mime and the Commedia dell’Arte Tradition
Japanese Traditions
Kyogen
Kabuki
Chinese Opera
Carnival Tradition
Puppet Traditions around the Globe
Chapter 6: Alternative Paths to Performance
CO Essay: Other Authors, Other Texts, Other Forms
Creating through Improvisation
The Performance Ensemble and Collaborative Creation
Mime and Movement Theatre
Variety Entertainment
Storytelling
Documentary Theatre
Opera and Operetta
The American Musical
The Theatre of Images
Chapter 7: The Actor: Theatre’s Living Presence
Co Essay: The Thrill of Simulation
To Act Is Human
The Universal Qualities of Acting in the Theatre
What Does an Actor Do?
The Actor’s Dual Consciousness
Acting Reflects Culture
The Development of Actor Training
The Acting Profession Today
Acting in Performance Traditions
Chapter 8: The Director: The Invisible Presence
CO Essay: Where is the Director?
Directors Mold the Theatrical Experience
Directing, a Recent Art
The Director as Interpreter of a Dramatic Text
High-Concept Directing
The Director as Acting Guru
The Director as Auteur
The Director’s Personal Qualities
Chapter 9: Theatre Spaces and Environments: The Silent Character
CO Essay: Title to Come in Copyedit
Space and Theatrical Conventions Evolve Together
The Boundaries of Theatre Spaces
Cultural Meanings of Theatre Spaces
Traditional Theatre Spaces and Environments
Created and Found Spaces
Chapter 10: Approaches to Design
CO Essay: Title to Come in Copyedit
Costume, Makeup, and Masks in Performance Traditions
Sets, Lighting, and Sound Design in Performance Traditions
Western Stage Design Before the Interpretive Model
Contemporary Western Stage Design
Chapter 11: Setting the Stage
CO Essay: Designing the Characters' World
Goals of Set Design
The Set Designer’s Process: Collaboration, Discussion, Evolution
Principles of Composition
The Visual Elements of Set Design
The Set Designer’s Materials
Chapter 12: Dressing the Character
CO Essay: The Magic of Costumes
The Goals of Costume Design
The Costume Designer’s Process
Principles of Composition
Visual Elements of Costume Design
The Costume Designer’s Materials
Fabric, Ornaments, and Accessories
Hairstyles and Wigs
Makeup and Masks
Chapter 13: Lighting and Sound Design
CO Essay: Technology and Art in Partnership
Stage Lighting
The Lighting Designer’s Process
The Visual Elements of Lighting Design
Sound Design
The Sound Designer’s Process
Chapter 14: Making Theatre Happen
CO Essay: The Necessity of Theatre
Where Theatre Happens
Commercial and Not-for-Profit Theatre in the United States
Producing Theatre
Behind the Scenes: The Unsung Heroes of the Theatre
Methods of Collaboration
