Synopses & Reviews
In his latest book, John Russell Brown sets out the grounds for a new and revealing way of studying Shakespeare's plays. By considering the entire theatrical event and not only what happens on stage, he takes his readers back to the major texts with a fuller understanding of their language and an enhanced view of a play's theatrical potential. Chapters on theatre-going, playscripts, acting, parts to perform, interplay, stage space, off-stage space, and the use of time all bring recent developments in Theatre Studies together with Shakespeare Studies.
Review
"Excellent supplementary reading for a theater or literature course on Shakespeare. Highly recommended."--A.F. Winstead, Choice
Synopsis
In his latest book, John Russell Brown offers a new and revealing way of reading and studying Shakespeare's plays, focusing on what a play does for an audience, as well as what its text says. By considering the entire theatrical experience and not only what happens on stage, Brown takes his readers back to the major texts with a fuller understanding of their language, and an enhanced view of a play's theatrical potential.
Chapters on theatre-going, playscripts, acting, parts to perform, interplay, stage space, off-stage space, and the use of time all bring recent developments in Theatre studies together with Shakespeare Studies. Every aspect of theatre-making comes into view as a dozen major plays are presented in the context for which they were written, making this an adventurous and eminently practical book for all students of Shakespeare.
About the Author
John Russell Brown is Professor of Theatre at Middlesex University.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Theatrical Events *
Part I: Audiences * Playgoing and Participation * Functions * Responses *
Part II: Actores * Texts and Techniques * Persons in a Play * Parts to Perform * Actions and Reactions * Visual Interplay * Improvisation *
Part III: Contexts * Stage Space * Off-Stage Space * Time *
Part IV: Plaus in Print * Reading * Study and Criticism