The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Stage

by Edited by Stanley Wells , Sarah Stanton

• ISBN13: 9780521792950
• ISBN10: 0521792959
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-06-10
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This Companion is designed for readers interested in past and present productions of Shakespeare's plays, both in and beyond Britain. The first six chapters describe aspects of the British performing tradition in chronological sequence, from the early staging of Shakespeare's own time, through to the present day. Each relates Shakespearean developments to broader cultural concerns and adopts an individual approach and focus, on textual adaptation, acting, stages, scenery or theatre management. These are followed by three explorations of acting: tragic and comic actors and women performers of Shakespeare roles. A section on international performance includes chapters on interculturalism, on touring companies and on political theatre, with separate accounts of the performing traditions of North America, Asia and Africa. Over forty pictures illustrate peformers and productions of Shakespeare from around the world. An amalgamated list of items for further reading completes the book.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations	ix
List of contributors	xiii
Preface	xv
Shakespeare plays on Renaissance stages	1	(20)
Gary Taylor
Improving Shakespeare: from the Restoration to Garrick	21	(16)
Jean I. Marsden
Romantic Shakespeare	37	(21)
Jane Moody
Pictorial Shakespeare	58	(18)
Richard W. Schoch
Reconstructive Shakespeare: reproducing Elizabethan and Jacobean stages	76	(22)
Marion O'connor
Twentieth-century performance: the Stratford and London companies	98	(20)
Robert Smallwood
The tragic actor and Shakespeare	118	(19)
Simon Williams
The comic actor and Shakespeare	137	(18)
Peter Thomson
Women and Shakespearean performance	155	(19)
Penny Gay
International Shakespeare	174	(20)
Anthony B. Dawson
Touring Shakespeare	194	(18)
Peter Holland
Shakespeare on the political stage in the twentieth century	212	(18)
Wilhelm Hortmann
Shakespeare in North America	230	(29)
Michael A. Morrison
Shakespeare on the stages of Asia	259	(25)
John Gillies
Ryuta Minami
Ruru Li
Poonam Trivedi
Shakespeare and Africa	284	(16)
Martin Banham
Roshni Mooneeram
Jane Plastow
Further reading	300	(10)
Index	310