Theatre as Human Action

An Introduction to Theatre Arts

An accessible introductory textbook that informs students about theatre by looking at the theoretical and practical aspects—from the nature of theatre and drama to how it reflects society—and by examining the processes of playwrights, actors, designers, directors, producers, critics, and more.

Theatre as Human Action is the ideal textbook to introduce students to the various aspects of theatre, especially for those who may have little or no theatergoing experience. Seven diverse plays are described to the reader from the start, and then returned to throughout the book so that students can better understand the concepts being discussed. Both the theoretical and practical aspects of theatre are explored, from the classical definition of theatre to today’s most avant-garde theatre activities. Types of plays, the elements of drama, and theatre criticism are presented, as well as detailed descriptions of the different jobs in theatre, such as actor, playwright, director, designer, producer, choreographer, and more. The book concludes with a look at where and how theatre is evolving in America and the latest changes and innovations today.
This fourth edition has been greatly expanded and updated, including:
The introduction of four new plays—Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Fences; Angels in America; and Hadestown—in addition to Macbeth, You Can’t Take It With You, and HamiltonA discussion of the rise of social media in raising awareness and replacing traditional review outletsAn entirely new, enhanced section on diversity and inclusion in theatreAn updated selection of playwrights featured, including Terrence McNally, Lynn Nottage, Tony Kushner, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, to better reflect the diversity of those writing for the theatre today.Featuring full-color photographs, updated discussion questions, new topics for further research, and potential creative projects, the fourth edition of Theatre as Human Action is an invaluable resource to introduce students to the world of theatre.

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