British Playwrights, 1880-1956: A Research and Production Sourcebook

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Contemporary British theatre has its roots in the work of dramatists active from the closing decades of the 19th century through John Osborne's 1956 "Look Back in Anger". The dramatic achievements from 1880 to 1956 are also memorable in their own right; and many of the most significant dramatists, such as T.S. Eliot, W. Somerset Maugham, D.H. Lawrence, and Graham Greene, are also noteworthy for their poetry, short fiction and novels. The plays of this period continue to be studied and performed, and the influence of these playwrights is strong and lasting. Included in this reference book are alphabetically arranged entries for some 40 British playwrights active from 1880 through 1956. Entries are written by expert contributors, with each entry providing a biographical overview; a list of major plays, premieres and significant revivals, along with a summary of the critical reception of these works; a listing of additional plays, adaptations and productions; an assessment of the playwright's career and contributions, with reference to published evaluations in magazines, journals, dissertations and books; a listing of locations housing unpublished archival material, if available; a selected bibliography of the dramatist's published plays and of essays and articles by the playwright on aspects of the theatre; a selected bibliography of secondary sources; and, when available, a listing of previously published bibliographies on the playwright.

Reviews

Taken as a set, [British Playwrights, 1880-1956 and Irish Playwrights, 1880-1995] supplement British Playwrights, 1956-1995 to form an excellent critical overview of regional drama in this century. The uniformly well-written essays each include biographical data, summaries of the critical reception of all works, assessments of the playwrights' careers, primary and secondary bibliographies, and the housings of unpublished archival material....[T]his is a welcome addition to literature and theatrical collections...highly recommended.-Library Journal
The biographical sketches, descriptions of theatrical reception, and assessments of playwrights' careers are very informative, and the sections on archival sources are welcome....recommmended for college and university libraries.-Choice
"Taken as a set, British Playwrights, 1880-1956 and Irish Playwrights, 1880-1995 supplement British Playwrights, 1956-1995 to form an excellent critical overview of regional drama in this century. The uniformly well-written essays each include biographical data, summaries of the critical reception of all works, assessments of the playwrights' careers, primary and secondary bibliographies, and the housings of unpublished archival material....This is a welcome addition to literature and theatrical collections...highly recommended."-Library Journal
"The biographical sketches, descriptions of theatrical reception, and assessments of playwrights' careers are very informative, and the sections on archival sources are welcome....recommmended for college and university libraries."-Choice
"Taken as a set, [British Playwrights, 1880-1956 and Irish Playwrights, 1880-1995] supplement British Playwrights, 1956-1995 to form an excellent critical overview of regional drama in this century. The uniformly well-written essays each include biographical data, summaries of the critical reception of all works, assessments of the playwrights' careers, primary and secondary bibliographies, and the housings of unpublished archival material....[T]his is a welcome addition to literature and theatrical collections...highly recommended."-Library Journal

Author Bio

WILLIAM W. DEMASTES is Professor of English at Louisiana State University. His publications include Beyond Naturalism: A New Realism in American Theater (1988), Clifford Odets: A Research and Production Sourcebook (1991), American Playwrights, 1880-1945: A Research and Production Sourcebook (1995), and British Playwrights, 1956-1995: A Research and Production Sourcebook (1996), all published by Greenwood Press. KATHERINE E. KELLY is Associate Professor of English at Texas A&M University and Executive Director of the South Central Modern Language Association. Her articles have appeared in journals such as Modern Drama, Theatre Journal, Comparative Drama, and Journal of Beckett Studies.