Chapter 1What Is the Theatre? 6
Chapter 2What Is a Play? 20
Chapter 3The Ancients 40
Chapter 4The Middle Ages 72
Chapter 5The Renaissance 88
Chapter 6The Theatre of Asia 118
Chapter 7The Royal Era 140
Chapter 8The Modern Theatre: Realism 162
Chapter 9The Modern Theatre: Antirealism 190
Chapter 10The Musical Theatre 216
Chapter 11Theatre Today 232
Chapter 12The Actor 286
Chapter 13The Playwright 312
Chapter 14Designers and Technicians 338
Chapter 15The Director 396
Chapter 16The Critic and the Dramaturg 438