Scott R. Irelan

Contextualizing New Plays: Studies in Theatre Concepts, Forms, and Styles uses short, original plays as catalysts for discussing basic theatrical concepts, dramatic forms and genres, styles of production, thematic concerns, critical theory, and dramatic criticism. This book uses these short form plays as instructional tools with the pedagogical underpinnings needed to prepare students to successfully interact with full-length scripts.Each chapter introduces a playwright and his or her play, then discusses the particular form and style exemplified. After exploring this content, students are referred to longer plays of similar form and style, and participate in both individual and group exercises and activities that enable them to apply specific dramatic knowledge and skills including collective creation, image-tracking, magical realism, absurdism, and group playwriting.Contextualizing New Plays provides a welcome alternative to anthologies of full-length plays or working with numerous separate scripts. Developed for courses in theatre history, play analysis, and introduction to the theatre, it is equally suited to serve as a stand-alone text or as a supplemental reader.

"Experiencing Theatre completely engages the beginning theatre student in the art of theatre. Students become playwrights, dramaturges, actors, directors, designers, adapters and collaborators though dynamic readings and excercises. This text gives them a great awareness of the work of being a theatre artist. Teachers have long strived towards creating these opportunities for their Intro students--finally a text that will make it happen." --Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre, Robert Morris University

The Process of Dramaturgy: A Handbook is a guide to dramaturgy for students. Its practical approach is to "committing acts of dramaturgy," and contains exercises, models, and examples of how the dramaturg works to make his or her thoughtful and creative contributions to a theatrical production, from pre-production work through the rehearsal process The book provides specific exercises, examples, and models to assist the student or emerging dramaturg in developing the ability to: 1) apply critical methodologies (among them literary theory) to production; 2) better communicate with directors, designers and playwrights within the context of rehearsal and production. It includes a case study for analysis, Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues.