検索キーワード： 歴史・批評

How do master storytellers compel us? There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story, but few have used a scientific approach. In The Science of Storytelling, Will Storr applies dazzling psychological research and cutting-edge neuroscience to our myths and archetypes to show how we can tell better stories, revealing, among other things, how storytellers - and also our brains - create worlds by being attuned to moments of unexpected change.

Writing with his customary verve and wit, author Ethan Mordden follows the steady liberation of gay themes on the American stage. The story begins in the early twentieth century, when gay characters were virtually banned from productions. The 1920s saw a flurry of plays closed on moral grounds as well as the Wales Padlock Act, which forbade representation of "sex degeneracy". While authorities made consistent attempts to shutter the movement, the public remained curious, and after a few decades of war making, a truce broke out when The Boys In the Band became a national smash hit.

Written in 1593, King Richard III is one of Shakespeare's earliest plays. This play differs from its predecessors, being amore structured piece, examining the development and motivations of a single character, Richard Duke of Gloucester, who will stop at nothing to gain control of the throne occupied by his brother Edward IV.

Joel Grey, the Tony and Academy Award-winning Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret finally tells his remarkable life story. Born Joel David Katz to a wild and wooly Jewish American family in Cleveland, Ohio in 1932, Joel began his life in the theater at the age of 9, starting in children’s theater...

Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh gives intimate access to the mind of one of the most brilliant dramatists of his century, whose plays reshaped the American theater and the nation's sense of itself. This astute, deeply researched biography sheds a light on Tennessee Williams's warring family, his guilt, his creative triumphs and failures, his sexuality and numerous affairs, his misreported death, even the shenanigans surrounding his estate.

The riveting story of the rivalry between the two most renowned actresses of the nineteenth century: legendary Sarah Bernhardt, whose eccentricity on and off the stage made her the original diva, and mystical Eleonora Duse, who broke all the rules to popularize the natural style of acting we...

The Theatrical Event discusses the objectives of theater studies by focusing on the communicative encounter between performer and spectator - the theatrical event. A theatrical event includes the presentation of a performance and the attention of an audience; in this sense, every performance - on stage or in the street, historical or contemporary - that is watched by an audience is a theatrical event. The concept underlines the "eventness" of all encounters between performers and spectators.

Peter Brook's seminal book, The Empty Space, sets out many of the ideas about theater which have informed his lifelong work as a theater director, from his iconic "white box" production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and his groundbreaking adaptation of The Mahabharata, to his ongoing work at the International Centre for Theatre Research. More than 50 years on from its first publication in 1968, The Empty Space remains a cornerstone of thinking about theater.

Throughout history, there has been a consistent crossover between show business and espionage, often producing some of the most extraordinary undercover agents, and occasionally leading to disastrous and dangerous failures. The fact that one relies on publicity and the other on secrecy might seem to rule out a successful symbiosis, but as both require high levels of creative thinking, improvisation, disguise and role-play, they inevitably attract some remarkably similar personalities. Stars and Spies is the first history of the interplay between the two worlds.

Britannia Rules the Stage: The 1980s British Invasion of Musical Theater is a comprehensive exploration of one of the most transformative moments in the history of musical theater. This book delves into the influence of British musicals, such as "Cats," "Phantom of the Opera," and "Les Misérables," in reshaping the landscape of musical theater on Broadway and beyond.

How is immersive and interactive technology integrated into theatre? How did the 'digital boom' and Covid-19 pandemic expand this integration? How does this integration affect the work, and the accessibility of the work? This brief study examines the intersection of the augmented, mixed, and...

What are neurodiverse aesthetics? How and where do neurodiverse aesthetics appear, and how do they positively affect the wider theatrical culture? How can we all contribute to a neurodiversity-affirming theatre industry? This brief study celebrates neurodiversity and deconstructs...

From the legendary New Yorker theater critic and Tony Award winner, a moving memoir about American theater’s golden age. In These Foolish Things, the acclaimed author and seminal drama critic of the New Yorker for more than twenty years captures the events and people who informed his life...

Trace the dramatic history of live performance as humanity's sacred storytelling rituals evolve into commercial Broadway. This immersive narrative reveals how the earliest gatherings transformed into a global arts and entertainment industry. Discover the architectural wonders, visionary...

Experience the thrilling evolution of performing arts and cultural storytelling from ancient rituals to digital stages. Whether you are commuting through a busy city or relaxing at home, this fast-moving historical journey transports you directly into the heart of live drama. Discover how early...

Uncover the captivating history of magic, where daring illusionists master the psychology of deception to defy reality. Perfect for your morning commute, this mysterious journey transports you from dimly lit taverns to massive arena stages. Experience the wonder and suspense of an era when...

Experience the dramatic evolution of live performance, from ancient sacred rituals to modern theatrical rebellion. Whether you are seeking a deep dive during a focused commute or looking to satisfy a craving for cultural history, this sweeping narrative brings centuries of stagecraft to life...

This is the perfect study guide to the complete works of Shakespeare, covering everything from the romantic comedy of Romeo and Juliet to the tragedy Macbeth, alongside his Elizabethan history plays, sonnets, and other poems. With detailed plot summaries and an in-depth analysis of the major...

When does popular entertainment become art—and who is responsible when it does not? In The Theatre, celebrated drama critic George Jean Nathan delivers a sharp, unapologetic assessment of the American stage during the early twentieth century. Nathan examines a theatrical culture in which safe...

“Acting is a reflex, a mechanism for development and survival.... It isn’t ‘second nature,’ it is ‘first nature.’” —Declan Donnellan This immensely popular and ever-practical book on acting takes a scalpel to the heart of actors’ persistent fears, helping them to release their...