A Dictionary of Stage Directions in English Drama 1580–1642
A Dictionary of Stage Directions in English Drama 1580–1642
$68.00
USDThis Dictionary, the first of its kind, defines and explains over 900 terms found in the stage directions of English professional plays from the 1580s to the early 1640s. The terms are drawn primarily from surviving printed and manuscript sources, and from the plays performed on the London stage, by both minor and major dramatists. The authors draw on a database of over 22,000 stage directions drawn from around 500 such plays. Each entry offers a definition, gives examples of how the term is used, cites additional instances, and gives cross-references to other relevant entries. Terms defined range from the obvious and common to the obscure and rare, including actions, places, objects, sounds and descriptions. The authors have also provided a user's guide and an introduction which describes the scope and rationale of the volume. This will be an indispensable work of reference for scholars, historians, directors and actors.
- Includes the work of all major and minor dramatists who wrote for London theatres - allows Shakespeare's staging methods to be seen in wider context than has been possible hitherto
- First volume of its kind - drawn from database of more than 22,000 stage directions in over 500 plays
- Valuable reference book on original staging, over which there is currently much debate (e.g. new Globe)
Reviews & endorsements
"It will surely prove an indispensable reference work for generalists and Renaissance theater specialists alike...essential." Shakespeare Quarterly
"...[a] fascinating and enormously useful volume...any serious student of Elizabethan-Jacobean-Caroline drama needs to hand a copy of this book..." Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England
"Students and scholars are heavily indebted to Alan Dessen for his work on Elizabethan staging...Now, teaming up with Leslie Thomason, he has provided us with an extensive and important dictionary of stage directions for Elizabethan and Jacobean drama from 1580 up tothe closing of the theatres in 1642. The book will be an invaluable aid to everyone working in the field." Shakespeare Bulletin
"...this specialized dictionary will be of value to its intended audience of scholars, directors, actors, and historians. It will also assist serious students of literature struggling to understand the works of English Renaissance drama." Barbara E. Kemp, Choice
"Coupled with a select bibliography of studies on early English staging, the detailed entries provide excellent starting points for the investigation of the use of such devices as balconies, ghosts and disguises in early English plays. A unique resource for any collection suporting interest in English Renaissance drama." J.K. Bracken, CHOICE
"[The authors] explain the sometimes several meanings of a
Product details
March 2001Paperback
9780521000291
306 pages
247 × 178 × 19 mm
0.548kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- User's guide
- Dictionary of stage directions
- Terms by category
- Plays and editions cited
- Selected bibliography.
