I genuinely enjoyed reading this. (Applause Books). Danielle.Barry@raritanval.edu Textbook Revolution is a student-run site dedicated to increasing the use of free educational materials by teachers and professors. Somehow the author of the chapter on acting connects Quintilian (rhetoric) to Delsarte (reflexology) through signifying gesture. It appears that the authors attempted to produce a comprehensive overview of the theatre discipline in general, past to present, which will necessitate some updating as the theatre discipline pivots and evolves. It is also a good resource for students to understand Genre and how it relates to the different types/styles of theater; and the student will benefit greatly from understanding of how theater affects our day-to-day lives. The different aspects of theatrical practice are strongest in the design and directing chapters. It does not strip away the feeling of magic but to add wonder for the artistry that make a production work well. The writing is extremely clear and accessible, which is perfect for an introductory course. 8. While one could argue about what the authors chose to include (and what was notably left out), the topics that made their way into the book are discussed in an orderly fashion. Reviewed by Jeanne Tiehen, Assistant Professor, Susquehanna University on 3/10/20, Theatrical Worlds covers the necessary material that can be found in comparable introduction to theatre textbooks. It starts out as an overview of the theatrical process, examining the different areas of production, performance and design, then shifts to an exploration of Shakespeare throughout the past five centuries, shifts to a journey through the history of musical theatre and then finishes with a broad, shallow sketch of world theatre. This is an interesting and frustrating text. No production images of the play are offered, no images of global or divergent directorial or design interpretations to enliven the text. This text covers a lot of ground; perhaps too much. This might have been a cross-cultural and artistic exploration of conceptual and realized performance, a history of Shakespeare as divergent theatrical production, ranging across contemporary practice, the work of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Peter Brook, Peter Hall, Yukio Ninagawa, Julie Taymor, on directors’ and actors’ visions of Shakespeare on stage, Shakespeare on film, in prisons, in schools, in site specific locations, warehouses, swimming pools, in London’s Globe Theatre, or as the deconstructed viscerally exciting immersive theatre of Britain’s Punchdrunk Theatre). They added an excitement and a broadening to one's concept of theatre. I have been very hard on this book because I strongly believe that intro texts targeted primarily to non-majors should draw new audiences to live theatre. There is a little bit of script analysis in the first chapter, where the writer mentions protagonist and antagonist and some important points in the plot. Theatrical Worlds consists of three sections: I Creating a World – Mapping Reality: An Introduction to Theatre, II Theatrical Production, with chapters on Acting, Directing, Set Design, Costume Design, Lighting Design, and III Special Topics, with chapters on Genre, The World of Shakespeare, The American Musical, and World Theatre. The only parts that might have to be updated involve things like technology (in the lighting chapter) and changes in the geo-political climate (e.g., the segment on Chinese censorship). The five chapters of Part II on theatrical production seem to narrow the target readership down to theatre majors, or students who clearly intend to participate in theatre production either as performers or designers. The book uses a lot of images, sidebars and quotes to illuminate the text (more at the beginning than later). read more. There are individual aspects of theatre that are covered well, but in total it is not comprehensive. While the discussion may be a little elevated for a basic or introductory course, they are well-written and include a number of good examples. It is best for students who have little to no exposure to the arts and all the components that come together to create a production. Additionally, the multiple contributors do not necessarily create an internally inconsistent message (the number of contributions may actually insulate it from expressing a narrow viewpoint), but there are a few content overlaps and perhaps a few content gaps as each individual chapter is connected one to the next. I lappreciated the insiders take on some of the general theatre practices, making being involved in the theatre world less intimidating for the reader. This not to say the writing was flawed in any way beyond what I may have cited. Modularity – 4 - There were times that text was indeed in big blocks with little relief to the eye or brain. Given the tremendous cultural changes and historical moments of the last five years, "Theatrical Worlds" would benefit from revisions and updates, including a nod towards the #metoo movement and Black Lives Matter, the success of "Hamilton" and the Broadway shutdown of 2020. I would prefer them to be separated. It also addresses theoretical ideas that theatre scholars continue to debate, a broad understanding of theatre practices in other parts of the world, and interesting interviews with professionals in the field. For some reason the letters c and e have been exchanged in many words. in response to the high cost of theatre textbooks which commonly retail between $90 and $120 for new editions. Theatre technology and performance spaces change rapidly, so naturally the text isn't as current as desired. No scholarly sources, references, footnotes, or works cited are listed. It would also be possible to assign a single section for an introductory course on one of the topics – for example, the lighting design section for an introductory lighting design class, making elements of this textbook useful to more specialized courses. There appears to be an attempt at making some of the subjects discussed more relevant in terms of today's social and political movements at the expense of subjects that should... Theatrical Worlds could benefit from a graphic design artist’s input and reorganization of text and image as well as some dynamic website integration with web links directing readers to supportive images, film and in depth related reading. The text is very digestible. As one might expect in an intro text for non-majors, part two is the most comprehensive, probably because it best reflects the authors' primary... The chapter then addresses some of the uses of theatre, with the topics of drama therapy, evangelical agitprop, documentary theatre and case studies of activist theatre practice. This section is an attempt to place theatre in a social and historical context. TO: Open Textbook Network There is no index or glossary, but the text is searchable and does include terms in bold font throughout that may aid students in locating specific vocabulary terms. A very useful book for any course in the overview of theatre and a good reference for individual theatre practices. The Roxbury Community College librarian was able to provide a pdf through the University of Florida website which was extremely helpful. I would prefer that "World Theatre" be eliminated as a separate section and the book was more inclusive of non-western practices and history throughout the entire text. Elements to review: The breadth involved allows this text to be useful to an introductory course – introducing students to the world of theatre. Reviewed by Tinamarie Ivey, Faculty, Linn Benton Community College on 6/20/17, This text is extremely helpful as a general resource and overview of theater. The origins of western theatre are given short shrift. I would say that the text will not be obsolete very quickly and or be able to be updated fairly easily. There was no distortion of images or chart and the display did a very nice job of highlighting quotations and including "sidebars" that are useful for furthering more in depth discussion of specific examples. It is only partially comprehensive, I experienced no issues accessing, displaying, or navigating the text. 10. The topics introduced in the first chapter develop the purpose and value of theatre and lead the student into the production chapters. TEXTBOOK. The acting chapter contains little aside from Stanislavski (whose "system" is covered well), there are no chapters on playwriting or dramaturgy, and no full chapter on script analysis (although the basics of the climactic plot structure are covered in the introduction). For three years, he was an artistic associate and company member of the award-winning Chesapeake Shakespeare Company and has worked as an actor for a variety of theatres in New York City, Chicago, and Baltimore. The Special Topics chapters are organized well and provide considerable insight, but often include references that are not explained in context. There really aren't many charts. There is mention of the minstrel shows and the historical relevance thoug I believe that it would be beneficial to add a section addressing the progress of the movement of African Americans in theater after that. Hardback ISBN13: 978-0073382203. As one might expect in an intro text for non-majors, part two is the most comprehensive, probably because it best reflects the authors' primary interests. While it does not have a glossary or index, it is searchable, which is a plus. Paperback. Some of the formatting (blue highlighted sections) of information was unclear, regarding how or why it was separate from the original thread. CDN$ 178.99 (4 used & new offers) Backwards & Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays Jul 7 1983. by Professor Emeritus David Ball Ph.D. and Michael Langham. read more. Part II consisting of five chapters on theatrical production and Part III of the book consisting of four chapters on unrelated special topics can be subdivided into separate reading sections - but they would appear to address very differentiated student needs as practical or theoretical specialists. Overall, the content provides an entrée to as many aspects of a very complicated and multifaceted art form as can be expected from one book. The book does provide handsome images and charts, though more would be welcome, as well as captains explaining their significance. I realize that Theater is a big subject and this text does a good job covering a nice variety - there is alot of Shakespeare in ratio to other subjects; it would seem that Commedia dell'arte could be properly explained: it is an extremely important Genre that greatly influenced not only Moliere but slapstick comedy (in fact the word 'slapstick' comes from the battochio used in commedia); Though, this in no way diminishes the value of the text for the new learner. Content is generally accurate - to the extent that we take the authors on trust as no attributions to sources are indicated. It is the flow between sections that frustrated me. The online version of "Theatrical Worlds" appears to have the copyright year of 2014, which is reflective of the topics covered. This book is a decidedly mixed bag. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience. 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