Modern Drama: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #458

by Kirsten E. Shepherd-Barr

The story of modern drama is a tale of extremes, testing both audiences and actors to their limits through hostility and contrarianism. Spanning 1880 to the present, Kirsten E. Shepherd-Barr shows how truly international a phenomenon modern drama has become, and how vibrant and diverse in both text and performance.

This Very Short Introduction explores the major developments of modern drama, covering two decades per chapter, from early modernist theatre through post-war developments to more recent and contemporary theatre. Shepherd-Barr tracks the emergence of new theories from the likes of Brecht and Beckett alongside groundbreaking productions to illuminate the fascinating evolution of modern drama.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theatre, Writing, Drama

136 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2016

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reaching back into the early days of late modern theatre, Shepherd-Barr illuminates a small sliver of theatre history - not a Christmas panto or Disney-fied stage adaption of a popular movie to be seen in her book - by focusing her critical attention on those artists attempting to move the medium forward. Often it is society, specifically London, Berlin and New York, that has to rush in after these playwright in order to keep up with the mode, whether it be female empowerment, anti-imperialism or engaging with the absurd. Most often the plays that get talked about are offensive to mainstream complicity, will to whip up outrage to the point of a riot while we postmoderns look back and barely bat a eyelid. Several playwrights get an extended biography covering a couple of the decades-spanning chapters, while many more get about a paragraph or even a couple of lines to sum up the impact one of their plays had. Not enough of the ones I like, but just enough groundwork laid very shortly to introduce readers to the highlight reel, sort of the YouTube clips in paper form!

[Jada]

excellent overview of modern drama and it gave me some food for thought for my lit exam

[Funda Guzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Derşi toplu anlatılmış . Daha uzun olsa sıkılırdım muhtemelen ama konu üzerine derinlemesine bilgi almak isteyenler için yeterli olmayacaktır . Fikir edinmek istiyorsanız çok iyi bir kaynak .