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Enjoyment of Theatre, The, 9th edition

Published by Pearson (January 4, 2013) © 2014

  • Jim Patterson University of South Carolina
  • Tim Donahue University of South Carolina
$101.32

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Brings theatre to life for students by showing the relationship and relevance of the performing arts to their everyday lives

The Enjoyment of Theatre’s balanced coverage of performance and history provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to theatre for both majors and nonmajors. This text establishes the aesthetic underpinnings of theatre art and then explores performance and production topics such as playwriting, acting, directing, design, and the theatre industry.  The Enjoyment of Theatre also covers the full span of theatre’s 2,500-year history. The authors make theatre come alive for students by showing them how theatre is relevant to their everyday lives.

  

Learning Goals

Upon completing this book, readers will be able to:

  • Understand today's theatre and the social impact of the theatre since its inception
  • Explore theatre's cultural and economic context
  • Context—A clearly written Context for each history chapter helps place theatre in time and space.
  • Spotlight sidebars—Twenty-five Spotlight sidebars placed throughout the book discuss key questions of theatre’s art and history.
  • Objectives—Clearly stated objectives at the beginning of each chapter help students focus on important topics.
  • Key terms—Key terms at the conclusion of each chapter alert students to significant concepts.
  • Glossary—A glossary of key terms at the end of the text includes definitions of all key terms with notation of the page on which the term first appears.
  • New chapter-A new chapter on musical theatre describes the evolution of America's unique contribution to world theatre.
  • Chapter on theatre design--The chapter on theatre design has been reconceived and rewritten in response to feedback from instructors using the text.
  • New illustrations and photographs--New illustrations and photographs will help students to visualize important places and events.

1) Brief Table of Contents

2) Full Table of Contents

 

1) Brief Table of Contents

 

Part I: Locating Theatre, Experiencing Plays: Theory and Criticism

 

Chapter 1: Theatre: Performance and Art

Chapter 2: Theatre: The Performing Audience: Three Roles

Chapter 3: How to Read a Play

Chapter 4: How to See a Play

Chapter 5: Mediating the Art and Business of Theatre

 

Part II: Today’s Theatre and Its Makers: Theatre Practice

 

Chapter 6: Making Theatre Today: The Context

Chapter 7: Playwrights

Chapter 8: Actors

Chapter 9: Directors

Chapter 10: Designers and Technicians

 

Part III: Theatre of Other Times and Places: Theatre History 

Part IIIA: Facade Stages (534 BCE–c. 550 CE)

 

Chapter 11: The Theatre of Greece

Chapter 12: The Theatre of Rome

Chapter 13: Theatre in the Middle Ages

Chapter 14: The Golden Ages of England and Spain

 

Part IIIC: Illusionism (c. 1550–c. 1950)

 

Chapter 15: The Italian Renaissance

Chapter 16: The Triumph and Decline of Neoclassicism

Chapter 17: Successful Failure: Theatre and Reform, c. 1750 to the 1950s

Chapter 18: The Rise and Triumph of Commercialism, c. 1750 to the 1950s

Chapter 17: Successful Failure: Theatre and Reform, c. 1750 to the 1950s

Chapter 18: The Rise and Triumph of Commercialism, c. 1750 to the 1950s

Chapter 19: Musical Theatre

Chapter 20: Eclectic Theatre, c. 1950–c. 2000

Chapter 21: US Theatre from 2000

Chapter 22: Global Theatre

 

 2) Full Table of Contents

 

Part I: Locating Theatre, Experiencing Plays: Theory and Criticism

 

Chapter 1: Theatre: Performance and Art

Why Theatre

Theatre as Performance

Theatre as Art

Theatre as Performing Art

 

Chapter 2: Theatre: The Performing Audience: Three Roles

Theatre as Performing Art: The Role of the Audience

Theatre as Cultural Expression: The Role of the Audience

Theatre as Business: The Role of the Audience

 

Chapter 3: How to Read a Play

Seeing versus Reading

Preliminary Work

Play Analysis Using the Parts of the Play

Organizing a Response

 

Chapter 4: How to See a Play

Experiencing the Performance

Preliminary Work

Performance Analysis

Organizing a Response

 

Chapter 5: Mediating the Art and Business of Theatre

Mediators of Theatre Art

Mediators of Theatre Business

 

Part II: Today’s Theatre and Its Makers: Theatre Practice

 

Chapter 6: Making Theatre Today: The Context

Theatre Spaces

Theatrical Venues in the United States

Professional Theatre

Amateur Theatre

Children’s Theatre

 

Chapter 7: Playwrights

The Nature of Playwrights and Playwriting

Sources of Plays and Playwrights

The Playwright’s Career

Training Playwrights

From Page to Stage: Professional Issues

What Is Good Playwriting?

 

Chapter 8: Actors

The Nature of Acting

Audition, Rehearsal, and Performance

What Is Good Acting

 

Chapter 9: Directors

The Nature of Directing

The Director at Work

Training Directors

What Is Good Directing?

 

Chapter 10: Designers and Technicians

Elements of Design

Areas of Design

The Process of Design

Playscript Interpretation and Design

Practical Considerations

The Technical Director

Training Designers

 What  Is Good Design?

 

Part III: Theatre of Other Times and Places: Theatre History

Theatre: Present and Past

The Sweep of Theatre History

 

Part IIIA: Facade Stages (534 BCE–c. 550 CE)

 

Chapter 11: The Theatre of Greece

Context

Theories of the Origins of Theatre

Traits of Greek Theatre

Plays and Playwrights

Theatre Buildings and Practices

The End of Athens’ Golden Age

 

Chapter 12: The Theatre of Rome

Context

Roman Festivals and Theatre of the Republic

The Empire and the End of the Roman Drama

The Breakup of the Empire

The Eastern (Byzantine) Empire and Theatre

 

Part IIIB: Emblem, Environment, and Simultaneity (c. 950–c. 1650)

 

Chapter 13: Theatre in the Middle Ages

Context

Early Medieval Drama and Theatre

Medieval Culture and Theatre, c. 1200–1550

The End of Medieval Religious Theatre: The Transformation of Medieval Secular Theatre

 

Chapter 14: The Golden Ages of England and Spain

Context

The Renaissance in England: The Age of Shakespeare

The Closing of English Theatres

The Spanish Golden Age

 

Part IIIC: Illusionism (c. 1550–c. 1950)

 

Chapter 15: The Italian Renaissance

Context

Mainstream Theatre

An Alternative Theatre: Commedia dell’Arte

Italy: Eclipse

 

Chapter 16: The Triumph and Decline of Neoclassicism

French Theatre

English Restoration Theatre and Beyond (1660–c. 1750)

English Theatre in America

 

Chapter 17: Successful Failure: Theatre and Reform, c. 1750 to the 1950s

Context

Three Countries, Two Experiences

First Wave: Romanticism, 1750–1850

Second Wave: Realism, 1850–1950

Realism and Naturalism: Three Important Leaders

Third Wave: Avant-Gardism, 1890–1950

Avant-Garde Theatres and Movements

 

Chapter 18: The Rise and Triumph of Commercialism, c. 1750 to the 1950s

Context

Commercial Theatre

Drama in the Commercial Theatre

 

Chapter 17: Successful Failure: Theatre and Reform, c. 1750 to the 1950s

Context

Three Countries, Two Experiences

First Wave: Romanticism, 1750–1850

Second Wave: Realism, 1850–1950

Realism and Naturalism: Three Important Leaders

Third Wave: Avant-Gardism, 1890–1950

Avant-Garde Theatres and Movements

 

Chapter 18: The Rise and Triumph of Commercialism, c. 1750 to the 1950s

Context

Commercial Theatre

Drama in the Commercial Theatre

Theatres and Production Practices

The Decline of Commercial Theatre

Responses to Commercial Theatre

 

Chapter 19: Musical Theatre

Context

The American Musical Emerges

Song Forms

Musicals since 1950

 

Chapter 20: Eclectic Theatre, c. 1950–c. 2000

Context

Avant-Garde Theatre

Professional Theatre

The Decline and Cultural Displacement of Theatre

 

Chapter 21: US Theatre from 2000

Context

Theatrical Changes

Commercial and Not-for-Profit Theatre

Theatrical Trends in the New Millennium

The Long View

 

Chapter 22: Global Theatre

Context

The East

The Islamic World

Sub-Saharan Africa

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