The American Stage

by Ron Engle (Editor), Tice L. Miller (Editor)

Overview

This is the first book to focus on the economic and social forces that shaped American theater throughout its two hundred and fifty year history. The collection of essays, written by leading theater historians and critics of American theater, represent a variety of methodologies and approaches. Arranged chronologically, the volume explores such topics as anti-theatrical legislation in Colonial America; the theater's response to slavery, prostitution, alcoholism, and women's rights; the significance of Black American musical comedy; women managers in nineteenth-century American theater; economic welfare in the Federal Theater Project; theater nostalgia during the Reagan era; and contemporary issues of multiculturalism in today's theater. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of American theater and social and cultural history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521034937
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	12/14/2006
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	344
Sales rank:	825,565
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.79(d)

Table of Contents

List of illustrations; Notes on the contributors; Preface Ron Engle and Tice L. Miller; Acknowledgements; Introduction: American theatre history scholarship Oscar G. Brockett; 1. The theatre and its audience: changing modes of social organisation in the American theatre Douglas McDermott; 2. Puritan mercantilism and the politics of anti-theatrical legislation in colonial America Peter A. Davis; 3. 'Lady-managers' in nineteenth-century American theatre Vera Mowry Roberts; 4. Hustlers in the house: the Bowery Theatre as a mode of historical information Rosemarie K. Bank; 5. Museum theatre and the problem of respectability for mid-century urban Americans Bruce A. McConachie; 6. Social awareness on stage: tensions mounting, 1850–1859 Walter J. Meserve; 7. The development of the American theatre program Marvin Carlson; 8. The Hyers Sisters: pioneers in black musical comedy Errol Hill; 9. Money without glory: turn-of-the-century America's women playwrights Felicia Hardison Londré; 10. 'For laughing purposes only': the literature of American popular entertainment Brooks McNamara; 11. E pluribus unum: Bernhardt's 1905–1906 farewell tour Stephen M. Archer; 12. Commercialism glorified and vilified: 1920s theatre and the business world Ronald H. Wainscott; 13. Quicksilver revisited: a portrait of the American stage in the 1930s Charles H. Shattuck; 14. The economic structure of the Federal Theatre Project Barry B. Witham; 15. The American Repertory Theatre (1946–1947) and the repertory ideal, a case study Daniel J. Watermeier; 16. Sojourning in Never Never Land: the idea of Hollywood in recent theatre autobiographies Thomas Postlewait; 17. Consuming the past: commercial American theatre in the Reagan era Alan Woods; 18. Narrative strategies in selected studies of American theatre economies Margaret M. Knapp; 19. Multiculturalism versus technoculturalism: its challenge to American theatre and the functions of arts management Stephen Langley; 20. Checklist of selected books on American theatre, 1960–1990 Don B. Wilmeth; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"As we contend with the impending death of the NEA and NEH, The American Stage becomes a timely and telling collection of essays. As these authors cogently demonstrate, theatre is neither "a plaything of the elite" nor a product of a select group of artists who want to parade around the stage to live out their darkest fantasies." Theatre Survey Volume 36:2

"...not only a valuable resource for students interested in 'how economic and social forces have shaped the American theatre in its 250-year history' but a fascinating historical document in its own right." Richard Wattenberg, Essays in Theatre

"...informative collection of 20 essays, written by some of the eminent authorities in various fields...a book that students of theater and popular culture in general will want to read." Ray Browne, Journal of American Culture

"...a fascinating volume in its diversity of subject and approach and one that every serious student of American theatre should read and every library should own." Mary Henderson, Broadside Newsletter

"All in all, The American Stage is an enjoyable read whether taken as a whole or taken chapter-by-chapter according to interest. Recommended for all who are involved in serious theatre research or simply curious about the colorful history of the American theatre." Alma J. Bennett, Journal of American Culture

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