Theatrical Worlds
Theatrical Worlds covers an impressive number of ideas and areas, going into both the methods of individual theatre practitioners and the historical roots of the art of theatre. The beginning chapter of the book also explains the relevance of theatre to someone unfamiliar with theatre, or a young theatre artist at the beginning of study. It asks and elaborates on not only how theatre is made but also, the uses of theatre by posing the compelling question: “why theatre?” The quotes from key artists who have made significant contributions to the field add to the ideas of the book as well as the way the text is laid out or designed. The examples and ideas from all over the world add to the comprehensiveness and allow this book from becoming too American-centric.
Though several significant playwrights are mentioned, the role of the playwright could be further explored and is deserving of its own chapter. Dramaturgs could be mentioned as well. The mention of Directors as Auteurs is a good addition, though it is important to note that contemporary plays in copyright cannot be altered by Directors. There is no index or glossary but the table of contents seems sufficient as much of the contents of the chapters is about defining theatrical terms in an in-depth way.
The book accurately describes each element that makes up a theatrical collaboration as well as historical figures and events.
The content is relevant and takes into account recent theatrical productions as well as historical ones. There are always new examples and new plays, musicals, and technologies that will need to be incorporated. Already, the Musical Theatre section feels as if it’s missing something for not mentioning the ground swell caused by the musical “Hamilton”, which is not a fault of the book but simply speaks to the need for periodic updates. Sometimes the book refers to “recent productions” or specific software and technological equipment for designers and technicians. This makes the book very relevant, and longevity is easy to accomplish with periodic updates. Updates should be relatively easy to implement under the chapter headings and sections defined in the book.
The text is written in a compelling yet accessible way. Various authors are at work here and that becomes a strength of the book by adding to its variety. The jargon and technical terminology is clearly defined and easy to read and digest.
The book consistently uses both historical and contemporary ways of exploring the ideas and methods of each section. Each chapter consistently defines terms and identifies significant theatre practitioners.
The way the book is divided easy allows a professor to assign particular sections at different points within the course. It would also be possible to assign a single section for an introductory course on one of the topics – for example, the lighting design section for an introductory lighting design class, making elements of this textbook useful to more specialized courses.
The topics flow well and are presented in a logical, clear fashion. The last chapter “Special Topics” becomes a sort of “catch all” for topics the authors wanted to explore further: Genre, Shakespeare, The American Musical and World Theatre. It is hard to determine why those four subjects and not others, yet, each of those subjects is worth mentioning and the chapters hold interest.
The images were clear, well presented and added to the experience of reading the text. The bookmark icon to the right of the pdf screen allows the reader to navigate easily between chapters. There doesn't seem to be a way the user can add a bookmark, highlight text, or take notes. Those elements would be useful if technically available.
The text contains no grammatical errors.
The text is culturally inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities and backgrounds. The section on World Theatre includes theatre that though authentic to its origins, continues to evolve, dispelling the notion that world theatre is "static" or mired in past traditions. There are both traditional/historic and contemporary examples of theatre in India, Japan, China, The Middle East, West Africa, South Africa and Latin America.
This book seems best suited for non-theatre majors or those very new to the aspects of a theatrical production. The breadth involved allows this text to be useful to an introductory course – introducing students to the world of theatre. Many terms are defined and roles explained that those who have worked in and around the theatre will already be familiar with, but which would be illuminating for a newcomer to the field. That said, there are certain chapters, sections, or interviews in this book that could be pulled into a theatre history class or more specialized courses.