The Decades of Modern American Drama series provides a comprehensive survey and study of the theatre produced in each decade from the 1930s to 2009 in eight volumes. Each volume equips readers with a detailed understanding of the context from which work emerged: an introduction considers life in the decade with a focus on domestic life and conditions, social changes, culture, media, technology, industry and political events; while a chapter on the theatre of the decade offers a wide-ranging and thorough survey of theatres, companies, dramatists, new movements and developments in response to the economic and political conditions of the day. The work of the four most prominent playwrights from the decade receives in-depth analysis and re-evaluation by a team of experts, together with commentary on their subsequent work and legacy. A final section brings together original documents such as interviews with the playwrights and with directors, drafts of play scenes, and other previously unpublished material.
The major playwrights and their plays to receive in-depth coverage in this volume include:
- Edward Albee: The American Dream (1960), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962), A Delicate Balance (1966) and Tiny Alice (1964);
- Amiri Baraka: Dutchman (1964), The Slave (1964) and Slaveship (1967);
- Adrienne Kennedy: Funnyhouse of a Negro (1964), Cities in Bezique (The Owl Answers and A Beast s Story, 1969), and A Rat's Mass (1967);
- Jean-Claude van Itallie: American Hurrah (1966), The Serpent (1968) and War (1963).
Acknowledgements
Biographical Note and Notes on Contributors
General Preface: Brenda Murphy and Julia Listengarten
1. Introduction: Living in the 1960s by Mike Sell, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA
2. American theatre in the 1960s by Mike Sell, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA
3. Edward Albee by Helen Shaw by Mike Sell, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA
4. Amiri Baraka by Susan Stone-Lawrence, Texas Tech University, USA
5. Adrienne Kennedy by Leonora Inez Brown
6. Jean-Claude Van Itallie by Timothy Youker, University of Toronto, Canada
Documents
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Author(s): Mike Sell
Series: Decades of Modern American Drama: Playwriting from the 1930s to 2009, 4
Publisher: Bloomsbury Methuen Drama
Year: 2018
Language: English
Pages: 344
City: London
Cover page
Halftitle page
Series page
Title page
Copyright page
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE AND NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS
GENERAL PREFACE
1 Introduction: Living in the 1960s
The baby boom
The golden age of capitalism
Social forces, political movements
The labour market
The fight against white supremacy
Sex, gender and sexuality
Culture: From the quotidian to the extraordinary
Where did we live?
What did we eat?
What did we watch?
What did we listen to?
A year of cataclysm and promise: 1968
2 American Theatre in the 1960s
Broadway: Crisis and continuity
The Broadway musical
Broadway drama
Off- and Off-Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway
The residential theatre movement: Acorns and oak trees
The Guthrie Theater
The Black Arts Movement
The Black Arts Repertory Theatre/School
Ed Bullins and the New Lafayette Theatre
Concept East Theatre
Barbara Ann Teer and the National Black Theatre
Theatre collectives: The power of community
The Living Theatre
The Free Southern Theater
Gay and queer drama: Out of the closet
Drama out of the closet
The Theatre of the Ridiculous
Asian American theatre
The East West Players
Oriental Actors of America
Latino theatre
El Teatro Campesino
Latino theatre in New York
Conclusion: Into the new millennium
3 Edward Albee
Introduction
Dawn of the 1960s
The Zoo Story
The Sandbox and The American Dream
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Tiny Alice
A Delicate Balance
Other works
Conclusion
4 Amiri Baraka
Introduction
Beginnings
The Beat Period: The Eighth Ditch and The Baptism
The Transitional Period
The Toilet
A Recent Killing
Dutchman
The Slave
The Black Nationalist Period
Experimental Death Unit #1
A Black Mass
Great Goodness of Life: A Coon Show
Madheart
Celebrity satires: J-E-L-L-O , The Sidney Poet Heroical and Rockgroup
Slave Ship
Conclusion
5 Adrienne Kennedy
Introduction
Early life and career
Kennedy and the Black Arts Movement
Funnyhouse of a Negro
Cities in Bezique
A Rat’s Mass
London plays: The Lennon Play , A Lesson in Dead Language, Sun
General response to her work
Conclusion
6 Jean-Claude van Itallie
Introduction
‘Playwright of the Workshop’
The ‘Doris’ Plays
America Hurrah
The Serpent
Conclusion
Documents
Awards
Obie
Drama Desk–Vernon Rice
Antoinette Perry Award (‘Tony’)
Primary voices
Historical and cultural context
Changes to the theatre
Artistic influence and criticism
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
