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debbie tucker green: Critical Perspectives
by Siân Adiseshiah Jacqueline BoltonThis long-awaited book is the first full-length study of the work of the extraordinary contemporary black British playwright, debbie tucker green. Covering the period from 2000 (Two Women) to 2017 (a profoundly affectionate, passionate devotion to someone (-noun)), it offers scholars and students the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge critical debate engendered by tucker green’s innovative dramatic works for stage, television, and radio. This groundbreaking book includes contributions by a range of outstanding scholars, including black playwriting specialists, world-leading contemporary theatre scholars and some of the very best emerging researchers in the field. While always focused on the precision and detail of tucker green’s work, this book simultaneously reframes broader debates around contemporary drama and its politics, poses new questions of theatre, and provokes scholarly thinking in ways that, however obliquely, contribute to the change for which the plays agitate.
Debris: Debris - Osama The Hero - After The End - Love And Money (Oberon Modern Plays Ser.)
by Dennis KellyAn odyssey of pain, blood, love and loss.An unreal journey through two disturbed minds, and the unfolding events leading up to the self crucifixtion of their father in the front room. Enter the insane world of siblings Michael and Michelle. Debris is a depraved vision of an alien world seen through their eyes.Debris was developed whilst Kelly was on attachment at the National Theatre Studio. A production by the Latchmere Theatre opened at Battersea Arts Centre in March 2004.
Deburau: Pierrot, Mime, and Culture (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Edward NyeThis volume analyses the nature of the mime art of Deburau and of the pantomime performances of the Théâtre des Funambules in Paris in the context of Romantic art, literature and socio-political thought. Deburau and the Théâtre des Funambules are characteristic of Romantic art in that they are closely associated with certain aspirations for social reform, even revolution. Deburau was an iconic figure for intellectuals such as George Sand who effectively considered him to be part of the ‘poète-maçon’ movement. Edward Nye examines this fascination as well as the myth which developed from it. With its unique framing in art, literature and politics, this book is a must read for undergraduates and postgraduates in theatre, literary studies, and the Romantic period.
Deburau: Pierrot, Mime, and Culture (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Edward NyeThis volume analyses the nature of the mime art of Deburau and of the pantomime performances of the Théâtre des Funambules in Paris in the context of Romantic art, literature and socio-political thought. Deburau and the Théâtre des Funambules are characteristic of Romantic art in that they are closely associated with certain aspirations for social reform, even revolution. Deburau was an iconic figure for intellectuals such as George Sand who effectively considered him to be part of the ‘poète-maçon’ movement. Edward Nye examines this fascination as well as the myth which developed from it. With its unique framing in art, literature and politics, this book is a must read for undergraduates and postgraduates in theatre, literary studies, and the Romantic period.
Decadence: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
by David WeirThe history of decadent culture runs from ancient Rome to nineteenth-century Paris, Victorian London, fin de siècle Vienna, Weimar Berlin, and beyond. The decline of Rome provides the pattern for both aesthetic and social decadence, a pattern that artists and writers in the nineteenth century imitated, emulated, parodied, and otherwise manipulated for aesthetic gain. What begins as the moral condemnation of modernity in mid-nineteenth century France on the part of decadent authors such as Charles Baudelaire ends up as the perverse celebration of the pessimism that accompanies imperial decline. This delight in decline informs the rich canon of decadence that runs from Joris-Karl Huysmans's À Rebours to Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Aubrey Beardsley's drawings, Gustav Klimt's paintings, and numerous other works. In this Very Short Introduction, David Weir explores the conflicting attitudes towards modernity present in decadent culture by examining the difference between aesthetic decadence--the excess of artifice--and social decadence, which involves excess in a variety of forms, whether perversely pleasurable or gratuitously cruel. Such contrariness between aesthetic and social decadence led some of its practitioners to substitute art for life and to stress the importance of taste over morality, a maneuver with far-reaching consequences, especially as decadence enters the realm of popular culture today. 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.
Decadence: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
by David WeirThe history of decadent culture runs from ancient Rome to nineteenth-century Paris, Victorian London, fin de siècle Vienna, Weimar Berlin, and beyond. The decline of Rome provides the pattern for both aesthetic and social decadence, a pattern that artists and writers in the nineteenth century imitated, emulated, parodied, and otherwise manipulated for aesthetic gain. What begins as the moral condemnation of modernity in mid-nineteenth century France on the part of decadent authors such as Charles Baudelaire ends up as the perverse celebration of the pessimism that accompanies imperial decline. This delight in decline informs the rich canon of decadence that runs from Joris-Karl Huysmans's À Rebours to Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Aubrey Beardsley's drawings, Gustav Klimt's paintings, and numerous other works. In this Very Short Introduction, David Weir explores the conflicting attitudes towards modernity present in decadent culture by examining the difference between aesthetic decadence--the excess of artifice--and social decadence, which involves excess in a variety of forms, whether perversely pleasurable or gratuitously cruel. Such contrariness between aesthetic and social decadence led some of its practitioners to substitute art for life and to stress the importance of taste over morality, a maneuver with far-reaching consequences, especially as decadence enters the realm of popular culture today. 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.
Decadent Plays: Salome; The Race of Leaves; The Orgy: A Dramatic Poem; Madame La Mort; Lilith; Ennoïa: A Triptych; The Black Maskers; La Gioconda; Ardiane and Barbe Bleue or, The Useless Deliverance; Kerria Japonica; The Dove
by Adam Alston and Jane DesmaraisPoisoned cigars, seductive apparitions, minds and empires in the last of their decline and the most notorious kiss in dramatic history – decadent plays challenged the moral as much as the dramatic imagination of their own day, and continue to probe horizons of taste and the possibilities of stagecraft. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many writers reacted to urban modernity by embracing decadent themes and styles, and dramatists were no exception. Decadence offered these writers a framework for exploring nonconformist identities and beliefs that challenged behavioural norms as much as the desirability of modern progress. Decadent plays were at once behind the times in their celebration of antiquity, and forward-thinking in their staging of themes that have become all the more timely in the 21st century, including queerness, unconventional eroticism, and critiques of empire and industrial progress. Equally, the diversity of decadent drama cannot be pigeon-holed; many of these plays still have the capacity to offend worldviews, and invite us to interrogate present-day conventions and propriety. International in scope and eclectic in content, this edited anthology is an authoritative and accessible introduction to a fast-expanding field of decadent literature. The first publication of its kind to deal with decadent drama, and featuring plays translated into English for the first time, Decadent Plays: 1890 to 1930 breaks new ground by foregrounding decadence as a dramatic sensibility in this most pivotal of periods in the history of modern drama. Featuring canonical and little-known works by Oscar Wilde, Michael Field, Lesya Ukrainka, Rachilde, Remy de Gourmont, Jean Lorrain, Leonid Andreyev, Gabriele D'Annunzio, Maurice Maeterlinck, Izumi Kyoka, and Djuna Barnes, this anthology is an essential introduction to decadent drama that will pique the interest of specialists and non-specialists alike.
Decadent Plays: Salome; The Race of Leaves; The Orgy: A Dramatic Poem; Madame La Mort; Lilith; Ennoïa: A Triptych; The Black Maskers; La Gioconda; Ardiane and Barbe Bleue or, The Useless Deliverance; Kerria Japonica; The Dove
Poisoned cigars, seductive apparitions, minds and empires in the last of their decline and the most notorious kiss in dramatic history – decadent plays challenged the moral as much as the dramatic imagination of their own day, and continue to probe horizons of taste and the possibilities of stagecraft. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many writers reacted to urban modernity by embracing decadent themes and styles, and dramatists were no exception. Decadence offered these writers a framework for exploring nonconformist identities and beliefs that challenged behavioural norms as much as the desirability of modern progress. Decadent plays were at once behind the times in their celebration of antiquity, and forward-thinking in their staging of themes that have become all the more timely in the 21st century, including queerness, unconventional eroticism, and critiques of empire and industrial progress. Equally, the diversity of decadent drama cannot be pigeon-holed; many of these plays still have the capacity to offend worldviews, and invite us to interrogate present-day conventions and propriety. International in scope and eclectic in content, this edited anthology is an authoritative and accessible introduction to a fast-expanding field of decadent literature. The first publication of its kind to deal with decadent drama, and featuring plays translated into English for the first time, Decadent Plays: 1890 to 1930 breaks new ground by foregrounding decadence as a dramatic sensibility in this most pivotal of periods in the history of modern drama. Featuring canonical and little-known works by Oscar Wilde, Michael Field, Lesya Ukrainka, Rachilde, Remy de Gourmont, Jean Lorrain, Leonid Andreyev, Gabriele D'Annunzio, Maurice Maeterlinck, Izumi Kyoka, and Djuna Barnes, this anthology is an essential introduction to decadent drama that will pique the interest of specialists and non-specialists alike.
Decades (Modern Plays)
by Leo ButlerThe world's changin', we don't have to just 'make do' anymore. There's stuff out there, there's life, there's … people and experiencin' somethin' meaningful. California, 'Arry, Woodstock, out on the road like a rollin' bloody stone, it's Dylan, 'Arry, that's who I want to be. Yer seriously think I'm goin' to stick round here.Modern life isn't easy and it never has been. This explosive play by Leo Butler transports us through time, looking at what happens when the next generation begin to find their feet in an ever-changing world. Through a kaleidoscope of characters, we see tensions rocket and values crumble, exposing the best and worst of what it means to be human. This epic roller coaster of a play combines euphoria and despair as different generations of young people ask the same question: where do we go from here?Decades received its world premiere at Ovalhouse, London, on 7 June 2016 in a production by Brit School for Performing Arts and Technology.
Decades (Modern Plays)
by Leo ButlerThe world's changin', we don't have to just 'make do' anymore. There's stuff out there, there's life, there's … people and experiencin' somethin' meaningful. California, 'Arry, Woodstock, out on the road like a rollin' bloody stone, it's Dylan, 'Arry, that's who I want to be. Yer seriously think I'm goin' to stick round here.Modern life isn't easy and it never has been. This explosive play by Leo Butler transports us through time, looking at what happens when the next generation begin to find their feet in an ever-changing world. Through a kaleidoscope of characters, we see tensions rocket and values crumble, exposing the best and worst of what it means to be human. This epic roller coaster of a play combines euphoria and despair as different generations of young people ask the same question: where do we go from here?Decades received its world premiere at Ovalhouse, London, on 7 June 2016 in a production by Brit School for Performing Arts and Technology.
Decentered Playwriting: Alternative Techniques for the Stage
by Carolyn M. DunnDecentered Playwriting investigates new and alternative strategies for dramatic writing that incorporate non-Western, Indigenous, and underrepresented storytelling techniques and traditions while deepening a creative practice that decenters hegemonic methods. A collection of short essays and exercises by leading teaching artists, playwrights, and academics in the fields of playwriting and dramaturgy, this book focuses on reimagining pedagogical techniques by introducing playwrights to new storytelling methods, traditions, and ways of studying, and teaching diverse narratological practices. This is a vital and invaluable book for anyone teaching or studying playwriting, dramatic structure, storytelling at advanced undergraduate and graduate levels, or as part of their own professional practice.
Decentered Playwriting: Alternative Techniques for the Stage
Decentered Playwriting investigates new and alternative strategies for dramatic writing that incorporate non-Western, Indigenous, and underrepresented storytelling techniques and traditions while deepening a creative practice that decenters hegemonic methods. A collection of short essays and exercises by leading teaching artists, playwrights, and academics in the fields of playwriting and dramaturgy, this book focuses on reimagining pedagogical techniques by introducing playwrights to new storytelling methods, traditions, and ways of studying, and teaching diverse narratological practices. This is a vital and invaluable book for anyone teaching or studying playwriting, dramatic structure, storytelling at advanced undergraduate and graduate levels, or as part of their own professional practice.
Decentring Dancing Texts: The Challenge of Interpreting Dances
by J. LansdaleEleven authors analyse recent dance practices in the theatre, in club culture and on film, addressing dance in interdisciplinary relationship with music, painting and play texts. This text attempts to fill a gap with an up-to-date account of exciting and challenging new work, illuminated by fascinating new theoretical frameworks.
Decky Does A Bronco (Oberon Modern Plays Ser.)
by Douglas MaxwellDecky Does a Bronco is the tragi-comic story of a gang of nine-year-old boys who spend the summer of 1983 'Broncoing swings' in Girvan, on the west coast of Scotland. Broncoing (kicking the swing over the bar) is the social bench mark and a dangerous mixture of vandalism and sport.Decky is the smallest of the group and the only one who cannot Bronco. His friend David remembers the event of that summer, which at first seem hilarious but ultimately remain painful, as the boys are faced with an unthinkable tragedy and are thrown into a restless adulthood.
Decolonizing the Theatre Space: A Conversation
by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway Kwame Kwei-Armah Olivia Poglio-Nwabali2020 was a year in which global politics radically shifted, catalyzed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. This book is a response to that year, asking: was it a moment or is it a movement, and what fundamental changes within the arts industry need to come out of this time? The book includes over 20 interviews with some of the most pioneering Black cultural leaders from a wide range of senior executive positions in the arts within the UK, Europe, US and Africa. It documents the sea of change in arts leadership at the height of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, the pressure on organizations to confront and change their racial and ethnic make-up, and shines a light on the guiding ambitions, strategic plans and visions for the future to support the ongoing decolonization of arts organizations across the world. Learn from those who have walked the walk to support your vision for the future.
Decolonizing the Theatre Space: A Conversation
by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway Kwame Kwei-Armah Olivia Poglio-Nwabali2020 was a year in which global politics radically shifted, catalyzed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. This book is a response to that year, asking: was it a moment or is it a movement, and what fundamental changes within the arts industry need to come out of this time? The book includes over 20 interviews with some of the most pioneering Black cultural leaders from a wide range of senior executive positions in the arts within the UK, Europe, US and Africa. It documents the sea of change in arts leadership at the height of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, the pressure on organizations to confront and change their racial and ethnic make-up, and shines a light on the guiding ambitions, strategic plans and visions for the future to support the ongoing decolonization of arts organizations across the world. Learn from those who have walked the walk to support your vision for the future.
Dedication
by Nick DearPatron? Collaborator? Employer? Voyeur? Lover?Questioned about the nature of his relationship with the 3rd Earl of Southampton, William Shakespeare is on trial.The evidence: tender poems, financial dependency, attempted revolution.A compelling new drama set in Elizabethan England - a powder keg of sex, politics and power - Dedication by Nick Dear premiered at the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, in September 2016.
Deep Are the Roots: Trailblazers Who Changed Black British Theatre
by Stephen BourneIn Deep Are the Roots, Stephen Bourne celebrates the pioneers of Black British theatre, beginning in 1825, when Ira Aldridge made history as the first Black actor to play Shakespeare’s Othello in the United Kingdom, and ending in 1975 with the success of Britain’s first Black-led theatre company. In addition to providing a long-overdue critique of Laurence Olivier’s Othello, too-often cited as the zenith of the role, Bourne has unearthed the forgotten story of Paul Molyneaux, a Shakespearean actor of the Victorian era. The twentieth-century trailblazers include Paul Robeson, Florence Mills, Elisabeth Welch, Buddy Bradley, Gordon Heath, Edric Connor and Pearl Connor-Mogotsi, all of them active in Great Britain, though some first found fame in the United States or the Caribbean. Then there are the groundbreaking works of playwrights Barry Reckord and Errol John at the Royal Court; the first Black drama school students; pioneering theatre companies; and three influential dramatists of the 1970s: Mustapha Matura, Michael Abbensetts and Alfred Fagon. Drawing on original research and interviews with leading lights, Deep Are the Roots is a powerful study of theatre’s Black trailblazers and their profound influence on British culture today.
Deep Cut (Oberon Modern Plays)
by Philip RalphPassing Out. Fantastic. Best day. Nothing's ever come close. All your mates around you and you're looking forward to your next step and our next step was Deepcut!'18 year old Private Cheryl James from Llangollen was one of four young soldiers who died from gunshot wounds at Deepcut Barracks between 1995 and 2002.Cheryl’s parents wanted answers from the people responsible for their daughter’s care. But how do you begin to grieve when no one seems to have a proper explanation? What would give you the determination to continue asking awkward, demanding questions?Taken from original source material and powerful first hand testimonies, Deep Cut is a bold and compelling account of one family’s journey through a time they thought they’d never experience, to places they hoped they’d never be.
Deep Heat: Encounters with the Famous, the Infamous, and the Unknown
by Robin SoansThe verbatim monologues in Deep Heat are drawn from conversations Robin Soans has had or overheard, or are edited versions of interviews he has conducted in the course of research for his plays. Subjects range from people who have held high office to those who have blown them up; from those who live in large country houses to others whose home is two blankets and a pile of leaves in the corner of a disused garage. So much of what is passed on as historical fact is the version of events that those with an ulterior motive choose to project. This book doesn’t seek to judge, nor provide solutions; it seeks to redress the balance by giving a fair hearing even to those who may not share the same views as ours. Useful as audition pieces for actors, but equally of interest to the historian and sociologist in all of us. We are after all human, full of contradictions, and we can never inch our way towards greater self-knowledge if we don’t see more of the picture than is traditionally the case.
Definitely the Bahamas and Play House
by Martin CrimpSex, work, pregnancy, parents, weird neighbours, cleaning the fridge and dancing: Play House tells - in thirteen fleeting scenes - the story of a young couple's attempts to set up home.In Definitely the Bahamas, Frank and Milly relish the visits of Michael, their charming and successful only child. But what exactly is his relationship to the young student living in their house?Martin Crimp's Definitely the Bahamas was first staged at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, in 1987. It was revived there with Play House, a new play, in March 2012.
The Definitive Shakespeare Companion [4 volumes]: Overviews, Documents, and Analysis [4 volumes]
by Editor Joseph RosenblumThis expansive four-volume work gives students detailed explanations of Shakespeare's plays and poems and also covers his age, life, theater, texts, and language. Numerous excerpts from primary source historical documents contextualize his works, while reviews of productions chronicle his performance history and reception.Shakespeare's works often served to convey simple truths, but they are also complex, multilayered masterpieces. Shakespeare drew on varied sources to create his plays, and while the plays are sometimes set in worlds before the Elizabethan age, they nonetheless parallel and comment on situations in his own era. Written with the needs of students in mind, this four-volume set demystifies Shakespeare for today's readers and provides the necessary perspective and analysis students need to better appreciate the genius of his work. This indispensable ready reference examines Shakespeare's plots, language, and themes; his use of sources and exploration of issues important to his age; the interpretation of his works through productions from the Renaissance to the present; and the critical reaction to key questions concerning his writings. The book provides coverage of each key play and poems in discrete sections, with each section presenting summaries; discussions of themes, characters, language, and imagery; and clear explications of key passages. Readers will be able to inspect historical documents related to the topics explored in the work being discussed and view excerpts from Shakespeare's sources as well as reviews of major productions. The work also provides a comprehensive list of print and electronic resources suitable for student research.
The Definitive Shakespeare Companion [4 volumes]: Overviews, Documents, and Analysis [4 volumes]
This expansive four-volume work gives students detailed explanations of Shakespeare's plays and poems and also covers his age, life, theater, texts, and language. Numerous excerpts from primary source historical documents contextualize his works, while reviews of productions chronicle his performance history and reception.Shakespeare's works often served to convey simple truths, but they are also complex, multilayered masterpieces. Shakespeare drew on varied sources to create his plays, and while the plays are sometimes set in worlds before the Elizabethan age, they nonetheless parallel and comment on situations in his own era. Written with the needs of students in mind, this four-volume set demystifies Shakespeare for today's readers and provides the necessary perspective and analysis students need to better appreciate the genius of his work. This indispensable ready reference examines Shakespeare's plots, language, and themes; his use of sources and exploration of issues important to his age; the interpretation of his works through productions from the Renaissance to the present; and the critical reaction to key questions concerning his writings. The book provides coverage of each key play and poems in discrete sections, with each section presenting summaries; discussions of themes, characters, language, and imagery; and clear explications of key passages. Readers will be able to inspect historical documents related to the topics explored in the work being discussed and view excerpts from Shakespeare's sources as well as reviews of major productions. The work also provides a comprehensive list of print and electronic resources suitable for student research.
Deirdre of the Sorrows
by J. M. SyngeDeirdre of the Sorrows is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge, first performed at the Abbey Theatre by the Irish National Theatre Society in 1910
Dekker & Heywood: Professional Dramatists (English Dramatists)
by Kathleen E. McLuskieIn this addition to the English Dramatist Series, Kathleen McLuskie uses the work of Dekker and Heywood to investigate the relationship between plays and the cultural moment into which they are produced. As professional playwrights, Dekker and Heywood debated and constructed the categories of popular theatre and engaged over a long period with the changing politics of culture, religion and state. Their work, and this book, provide an important insight into the working context of Shakespeare and two of his most important contemporaries.