Theatre Histories: An Introduction

'This compelling narrative demonstrates how performance is woven into the bedrock of human history ... The global reach ... offers tantalizing comparisons between different eras. What emerges is a sense of cultural independence that belies any notions of social Darwinism. The authors resist any positivistic readings of theatre history, instead equipping the reader with a range of critical tools. Each chapter is accompanied by case studies and different interpretive responses. Such variety introduces the student to the basics of critical theory and refuses to allow the reader easy answers.' – Jeremy Piper, artistic director, Challoner Theatre Company, in Times Higher Education Supplement

'By looking at theatre and performance from a global perspective and utilizing a range of critical methodologies, the authors have provided a work that more than any other currently available suggests the range and richness of theatre and performance history study today.' – Marvin Carlson, City University of New York

'Theatre Histories has finally achieved a new synthesis of performance studies and traditional theatre history, inflected with methodological insights from cultural studies and critical theory, that provides an appropriate pedagogy for the twenty-first century ... This book will significantly change theatre education. ' –  Janelle Reinelt, University of California, Irvine

'Finally we have a book that conceives theatre history in world terms and breaks down the Euro-American boundaries that have marginalised the theatres of other cultures for so long.' – Brian Singleton, The University of Dublin, Trinity College

'A refreshing alternative to traditional undergraduate texts.' – Judith Milhous, City University of New York

'This book is perhaps the firs

'A work that more than any other currently available suggests the range and richness of theatre and performance history study today.' – Marvin Carlson, City University of New York, USA

'This book will significantly change theatre education.' – Janelle Reinelt, University of California, Irvine, USA

'Globally ambitious in its scope, innovative in design, and open-ended in its challenge to the received histories, this new grand narrative will engage scholars and students at every level, whatever their particular interests in past performance.' – Jacky Bratton, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK

'Finally we have a book that conceives theatre history in world terms and breaks down the Euro-American boundaries that have marginalised the theatres of other cultures for so long.' – Brian Singleton, The University of Dublin, Trinity College

This new edition of the innovative and widely acclaimed Theatre Histories: An Introduction offers overviews of theatre and drama in many world cultures and periods together with case studies demonstrating the methods and interpretive approaches used by today's theatre historians.

Completely revised and renewed in colour, enhancements and new material include: 

• a full-colour text design with added timelines to each opening section
• a wealth of new colour illustrations to help convey the vitality of performances described
• new case studies on African, Asian and Western subjects
• a new chapter on modernism, and updated and expanded chapters and part introductions
• fuller definitions of terms and concepts throughout in a new glossary
• a re-designed support website offering links to new audio-visual resources, expanded bibliographies, approaches to teaching theatre and performance history, discussion questions relating to case studies and an online glossary