Overview

A Cultural History of Theatre presents an authoritative survey from ancient times to the present. The set of six volumes covers a span of 2,500 years, tracing the complexity of the interactions between theatre and culture. 

1. A Cultural History of Theatre in Antiquity (500 BCE-1000CE)

2. A Cultural History of Theatre in the Middle Ages (1000-1400)

3. A Cultural History of Theatre in the Early Modern Age (1400-1650)

4. A Cultural History of Theatre in the Age of Enlightenment (1650-1800)

5. A Cultural History of Theatre in the Age of Empire (1800-1920)

6. A Cultural History of Theatre in the Modern Age (1920-2000+)

Each volume discusses the same themes in its chapters:1.Institutional Frameworks; 2. Social Functions; 3. Sexuality and Gender; 4. The Environment of Theatre; 5. Circulation; 6. Interpretations; 7. Communities of Production; 8. Repertoire and Genres; 9. Technologies of Performance; 10. Knowledge Transmission: Media and Memory.  This structure offers readers a broad overview of a period within each volume or the opportunity to follow a theme through history by reading the relevant chapter across volumes.

Generously illustrated, the full six-volume set combines to present the most authoritative and comprehensive survey available on theatre in history.