Kabuki A Pocket Guide introduces readers to the foundations of Kabuki--its history and its actors, its acting styles and its performance, its color and music--to the sheer beauty and joy of Kabuki. Kabuki, the popular theatre of Japan, began in about 1603 and is still flourishing today. It was the entertainment of the common people as opposed to Noh, the refined theatre of the aristocracy, and is a close relative of the Bunraku puppet theater. All the actors in Kabuki, even those who play female roles, are men and plays and dances deal with the love of the heroes and villains form Japans real or legendary past. Concise enough to take to performance, this pocket guide to Kabuki provides a wealth of fascinating information about plays, the actors, and their history. As only an insider can do, the author takes us behind the scene to meet the actors, attend rehearsal, and get a first-hand look at the makeup, costumes, sets and props that go into a Kabuki performance.

The Noh Plays of Japan is the most respected collection of Noh plays in English. The classic Japanese plays can be read for their great literary merit and also provide the reader with an understanding of a unique theatre art and important insights into the cultural, spiritual and artistic traditions of Japan. The Noh Plays of Japan, first published in 1921 and justly famous for more than three-quarters of a century, established the Noh play for the Western reader as beautiful literature. It contains Arthur Waley's exquisite translations of nineteen plays and summaries of sixteen more, together with a revealing introductory essay that furnishes the background for a clear understanding and a genuine appreciation of the Noh as a highly significant dramatic form. Noh plays live on as a magnificent artistic heritage handed down from the high culture of medieval Japan. Among the major types of Japanese drama, the Noh, which is often called the classical theatre of Japan, has had perhaps the greatest attraction for the West. Introduced to Europe and America through the translations of Arthur Waley and Ezra Pound, it found an ardent admirer in William Butler Yeats, who described it as a form of drama "distinguished, indirect, and symbolic" and created plays in its image.

Gathered together here for the first time are seven plays that span Havel's career from his early days at the Theater of the Balustrade through the Prague Spring, Charter 77, and the repeated imprisonments that made Havel's name into a rallying cry and propelled him to the leadership of his country. They include The Garden Party, The Increased Difficulty of Concentration, Mistake, the Vanek trilogy of Audience, Unveiling, and Protest, and the first fully corrected English version of The Memorandum--the play that won Havel the Obie for Best Foreign Play in 1968.

This collection of Japanese folk plays reveals a previously unknown and decidedly unaristocratic element to Japanese theater. Interspersed between the stately, slower paced dramas of Japan’s Noh theater are the delightful comic plays or interludes known as Kyogen. These brief plays evolved from the bawdy skits that were rousingly enjoyed by the plebeian populaces of the cities in feudal Japan some hundreds of years ago when Noh itself was a pastime and entertainment exclusively reserved for the aristocracy. Today they still provide delightful relief from the sustained and concentrated action of the Noh play that has changed very little throughout the centuries. Among the various forms of classical Japanese drama, the flamboyant action and brilliant coloring Kabuki has perhaps enabled it to be the most easily understood; and the Noh, in a number of excellent translations, has become widely known for its poetic beauty. But the Kyogen, equally deserving of attention, have remained relatively unknown. Only now, with this new edition of Miss Sakanishi's excellent translations, are they at last readily available to the Western reader.

Three delightful one-act plays set in and around New York, in which sophisticated characters confound one another in ways only Woody Allen could imagine Woody Allen’s first dramatic writing published in years, “Riverside Drive,” “Old Saybrook,” and “Central Park West” are humorous, insightful, and unusually readable plays about infidelity. The characters, archetypal New Yorkers all, start out talking innocently enough, but soon the most unexpected things arise—and the reader enjoys every minute of it (though not all the characters do). These plays (successfully produced on the New York stage and in regional theaters on the East Coast) dramatize Allen’s continuing preoccupation with people who rationalize their actions, hide what they’re doing, and inevitably slip into sexual deception—all of it revealed in Allen’s quintessentially pell-mell dialogue.

In this extraordinary play, Margaret Edson has created a work that is as intellectually challenging as it is emotionally immediate.

Oscar Wilde was already one of the best known literary figures in Britain when he was persuaded to turn his extraordinary talents to the theatre. This is the only fully annotated edition of Wilde's major plays, which spearheaded the dramatic renaissance of the 1890s and retain their power today.[BOX TO GO ABOVE PLAYS] Under the General Editorship of Dr Michael Cordner of the University of York, the texts of these plays have been newly edited and are presented with modernized spelling and punctuation. In addition, there is a scholarly introduction and detailed annotation.

Here are more than 700 of Isaac Asimov's favorite jokes, cleverest limericks and funniest stories.

Based on the conviction that only translators who write poetry themselves can properly re-create the celebrated and timeless tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the Greek Tragedy in New Translations series offers new translations that go beyond the literal meaning of the Greek in order to evoke the poetry of the originals. Under the general editorship of Peter Burian and Alan Shapiro, each volume includes a critical introduction, commentary on the text, full stage directions, and a glossary of the mythical and geographical references in the play. En route to fight the Trojan War, the Greek army has abandoned Philoctetes, after the smell of his festering wound, mysteriously received from a snakebite at a shrine on a small island off Lemnos, makes it unbearable to keep him on ship. Ten years later, an oracle makes it clear that the war cannot be won without the assistance of Philoctetes and his famous bow, inherited from Hercules himself. Philoctetes focuses on the attempt of Neoptolemus and the hero Odysseus to persuade the bowman to sail with them to Troy. First, though, they must assuage his bitterness over having been abandoned, and then win his trust. But how should they do this--through trickery, or with the truth? To what extent do the ends justify the means? To what degree should personal integrity be compromised for the sake of public duty? These are among the questions that Sophocles puts forward in this, one of his most morally complex and penetrating plays.

In this comprehensive collection, "Twelfth Night; or, What You Will," the harmonized artistry of John Philip Kemble and William Shakespeare is showcased in a timeless intersection of dramatic brilliance and interpretative insight. The anthology captures the whimsical yet profound themes of identity, love, and society's intricate dynamics, underlined by a fusion of comedic and poignant literary styles. The interplay of Shakespeare's original text with Kemble's adaptations offers a profound exploration of 16th-century comedic theatre, enriching the narrative and evoking an era where theatrical expression was transforming into a cultural cornerstone. The anthology's contributors bring unique perspectives to Shakespeare's work. Kemble, a renowned actor and theatre manager, offers a seasoned eye toward the themes of identity and societal roles, complementing Shakespeare'Äôs masterful dramatization. Through the lens of a practitioner who was amongst the key figures of the late 18th-century theatrical revival, these adaptations encapsulate the zeitgeist of their respective periods, fostering a dialogue between Elizabethan originality and Regency interpretations. The collection aligns with a cultural Renaissance, resonating with historical and literary movements that continue to influence contemporary theatrical practices. For scholars, students, and enthusiasts alike, "Twelfth Night; or, What You Will" provides a rich tapestry of interpretations and stylistic diversity. This anthology serves as an invaluable educational tool, offering an in-depth look into the dual lens of Shakespearean and Kemblean luminaries. It invites readers to explore the nuanced conversations between texts and time periods, enriching their understanding of theatrical evolution. This collection is a must-read for those looking to appreciate the multifaceted nature of drama and its enduring dialogic impact on literature and society.