The Bedford Introduction to Drama

This book is great it covers and includes plays from the Greek era all the way to contemporary drama. a great read to see the progression of plays throughout history. the play itself is accompanied by a few pages of information about its author as well as some information about what was going on during that time period.

This is a great anthology. It was a college text book for me. I still use it when I am looking for examples of good plays. Some of my favorite plays ever are in this book.

The Bedford Introduction To Drama, in its Fourth edition, has a number of virtues. Much of the selection is good, the illustrations are good and often helpful, and the introductions to each period and to individual plays are often very good. Of course, some of them are predictable: it would be nice to see some exciting Strindberg for a change; Miss Julie is really getting weary. However, it is when when we reach the second half of the Twentieth century that the quality breaks down. We find the same tired list of plays chosen for their political correctness: something on race, something for feminists, etc, etc, with very litte convincing attention paid to what has actually happened in the theatre, viewed either from the point of view of show more box officee appeal (which was a good enough criterion for Shakespeare), or what is likely to be historically influential. A major exception is Mamet's OLEANNA, guaranteed to stir disagreement and excitement in the classroom as it does in the theatre. Each reader will find other exceptions, but the predictability and tedium of the modern selection is disappointing. [Dr FR Southerington] show less