Revised and expanded edition for use with all Drama and Theatre Studies A & AS specifications.

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.

Now in a second edition, Theatre Studies: The Basics is a fully updated guide to the wonderful world of theatre. The practical and theoretical dimensions of theatre – from acting to audience – are woven together throughout to provide an integrated introduction to the study of drama, theatre and performance. Topics covered include: dramatic genres, from tragedy to political documentary theories of performance the history of the theatre in the West acting, directing and scenography With a glossary, chapter summaries and suggestions for further reading throughout, Theatre Studies: the Basics remains the ideal starting point for anyone new to the subject.

Few individuals have positioned their work more controversially or consequently than Richard Schechner within the pivotal debates that define Performance Studies. The Rise of Performance Studies is the first collection of essays to critically examine the profound contributions that Schechner has made to Performance Studies as a discipline.

An interactive text covering the requirements of undergraduate and diploma courses in theatre, drama and performing arts, successfully integrating both practical and theoretical work. The authors draw on considerable experience of contemporary practice and provide fascinating examples of theatre at work through text and improvisation.

A2 Drama and Theatre Studies: The Essential Introduction for Edexcel builds on the skills developed during the AS year to provide clear and informative guidance to Units 3 and 4 of the specification. The textbook provides further information on rehearsing, performing, directing and textual analysis, together with new material on deconstructing a script, devising theatre and preparing for the final examination. Features of the text include: overviews of specification and assessment requirements written and practical exercises a glossary of useful words and terms in-depth analysis of the three key plays – Dr Faustus, Lysistrata and Woyzeck extension exercises to stretch the more able student worked examples to illustrate best practice sources for further study advice on study after A Level. Written by a chief examiner and a principal moderator, this book and its companion volume for AS Level offer informed and supportive exercises to ensure that students reach their maximum potential in achieving A Level success.

From Acting to Performance collects for the first time major essays by performance theorist and critic Philip Auslander. Together these essays provide a survey of the changes in acting and performance during the crucial transition from the ecstatic theatre of the 1960s to the ironic postmodernism of the 1980s. Auslander examines performance genres ranging from theatre and dance to performance art and stand-up comedy. In doing so he discusses an impressive line-up of practitioners including Antonin Artaud, Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook, Willem Dafoe, the Wooster Group, Augusto Boal, Kate Bornstein, and Orlan. From Acting to Performance is a must for all students and scholars interested in contemporary theatre and performance.

This book considers the state of contemporary theatre education in Great Britain is in two parts. The first half considers the national identities of each of the three mainland nations of England, Scotland, and Wales to understand how these differing identities are reflected and refracted through culture, theatre education and creative learning. The second half attends to 21st century theatre education, proposing a more explicit correlation between contemporary theatre and theatre education. It considers how theatre education in the country has arrived at its current state and why it is often marginalised in national discourse. Attention is given to some of the most significant developments in contemporary theatre education across the three nations, reflecting on how such practice is informed by and offers a challenge to conceptions of place and nation. Drawing upon the latest research and strategic thinking in culture and the arts, and providing over thirty interviews and practitioner case studies, this book is infused with a rigorous and detailed analysis of theatre education, and illuminated by the voices and perspectives of innovative theatre practitioners.