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The first panoramic survey of its kind, The Cambridge Companion to Modernist Theatre is a wide-ranging guide to modernism's myriad theatrical manifestations and permutations. Covering such diverse movements as naturalism, symbolism, expressionism, surrealism, dadaism, futurism, and absurdism and ranging over many genres, including comedy, tragedy, the play of ideas, agitprop, and epic theatre, the book provides a comprehensive examination of how theatre was shaped by modernism - and in turn shaped it - as it was practised around the globe. Arranged into two halves focusing respectively on theatrical forms and major themes, the volume features chapters examining how modernist playwrights, scenographers, actors, and directors engaged with such key social, political, and cultural issues of the day as philosophy, science, religion, sexuality, gender, race, intermediality, and interculturalism. An authoritative resource for students and researchers alike, this Companion attests to the pertinence of theatre and modernism both historically and in the contemporary world.
List of contents
Part I. Forms and Genres: 1. Naturalism Lawrence Switzky; 2. Problem Plays, Discussion Plays, and Plays of Ideas Brad Kent; 3. Symbolism and Expressionism Julia A. Walker; 4. Futurism, Dadaism and Surrealism Stanton B. Garner, Jr.; 5. Agitprop and Epic Theatre Jennifer Buckley; 6. Theatre of the Absurd Emilie Morin; 7. Tragedy Olga Taxidou; 8. Comedy Sos Eltis; Part II. Themes and Issues: 9. Philosophy and Theory David Kornhaber; 10. Science Daniel Ibrahim Abdalla and Kirsten E. Shepherd-Barr; 11. Religion Rebecca Kastleman; 12. Sexuality Penny Farfan; 13. Race Paul J. Edwards; 14. Intermediality James Moran; 15. Interculturism Brian Singleton; 16. Geographies and Temporalities E.J. Westlake.
About the author
Brad Kent is Professor of British and Irish Literatures at Université Laval. He has been a visiting fellow at Brasenose College and St Catherine's College, both at the University of Oxford, twice a visiting fellow at the University of Texas's Harry Ransom Center, and a visiting professor at Trinity College Dublin. His publications include George Bernard Shaw in Context (Cambridge, 2015), The Selected Essays of Sean O'Faolain (2016), and, as general editor, an eight-volume edition of the writings of George Bernard Shaw (2021).David Kornhaber is Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of Theatre & Knowledge (2019) and The Birth of Theater from the Spirit of Philosophy: Nietzsche and the Modern Drama (2016), editor of George Bernard Shaw's Major Cultural Essays (2021), and co-editor of Tom Stoppard in Context (Cambridge, 2021). He is co-editor-in-chief of the journal Modern Drama.
