Reading the Material Theatre (Theatre and Performance Theory) by Ric Knowles

by Ric Knowles

Ric Knowles develops and demonstrates a method of theatrical performance analysis involving the entire theater experience, from production to reception. Five case studies provide a first-step introduction to key terms and areas of performance theory. They include the cultural work performed by a major Shakespearean repertory theater, a small nationalist theater devoted to new play development, a major New York-based avant-garde touring theater company, and a British socialist company dedicated to the work of Shakespeare, as well as a range of international festivals.

Paperback Bunko

First published May 1, 2004

Reviews

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowles' books is one of the most important texts on understanding theatre in its socio-cultural context. Although the wide variety of theatre companies, performance venues, performance contexts, and so on prevent Knowles from giving an ideally thorough examination, he provides a lot of clues for what to look at when examining theatrical materialism--including questions about perfromance production, locations, architecture, relations to space and community, promotion, and organization of spaces within the theatre building. The book provides illustrative examples--including a set of case studies which make up the latter half--that flesh out and clarify many of the issues Knowles raises as part of the meaning-making interplay of semiotics and cultural materialism that goes into theatrical production and reception.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great combo of theory in the first section and case studies in the second section (case studies include Stratford Festival).