Marvin Carlson

This comprehensively revised, illustrated edition discusses recent performance work and takes into consideration changes that have taken place since the book's original publication in 1996. Marvin Carlson guides the reader through the contested definition of performance as a theatrical activity and the myriad ways in which performance has been interpreted by ethnographers, anthropologists, linguists, and cultural theorists.

Dr. Carlson does the remarkable by condensing the dominant Western theatre ideals and theories into a series of chapters. Major names and works are cited along with the theories. While a work of this sort cannot go into great detail, this book is a must have for anyone interested in theatre history and theory.