New Readings in Theatre History [Paperback]

The history of the British stage retold from a different perspective.Over the centuries theatre history has been interpreted in ways which highlight and often omit key elements. Jacky Bratton employs her expertise to explore this dilemma to discover how theatre history has been chronicled and how it is interpreted. Using a series of case studies from nineteenth-century British theatre, Bratton examines the differencebetween the existence of 'the drama' (plays and play literature) and 'the stage' (performance, theatre building, and attendance). In the end, we gain a new perspective on theatre history and the discipline overall.Over the centuries theatre history has been interpreted in ways which highlight and often omit key elements. Jacky Bratton employs her expertise to explore this dilemma to discover how theatre history has been chronicled and how it is interpreted. Using a series of case studies from nineteenth-century British theatre, Bratton examines the differencebetween the existence of 'the drama' (plays and play literature) and 'the stage' (performance, theatre building, and attendance). In the end, we gain a new perspective on theatre history and the discipline overall.Theater history has often been interpreted in ways which highlight and omit key elements. Jacky Bratton explores this dilemma by examining how theater history has been chronicled and interpreted. Analyzing case studies from nineteenth-century British theater, Bratton reveals the difference between the existence of the drama (plays and play literature) and the stage (performance, theater building, and attendance).Acknowledgements; Part I. Background: 1. Theatre history today; 2. British theatre history: 17081832; 3. Theatre in London in 1832: a new overview; 4. Theatre history and reform; Part II. Case Studies: 5. Anecdote and mimicry as history; 6. Theatre history and the discourse of the popular; 7. Claiming kin: an experiment in genealogical research; Notes; Index. ...[this] book conlóa