CMU School of Drama


Friday, February 24, 2023

12 Best Theater Books in the Past 10 Years

New York Theater: The dozen most enlightening and entertaining non-fiction books about the American theater that have been published since 2013 have been works of history, criticism, biography and memoir.

2 comments:

Rayya Gracy said...

As a very huge lover of books and the theater I clicked on this article unhealthily fast. I was not sure what I was expecting when going into this article regarding the context of the books, but I was a bit shocked. Again not completely sure as to why, but nonetheless I found a number of these books very interesting as they relate to some of my interest in the theatrical world. Two books that stood out to me the most were, "Shakespeare in a Divided America: What His Plays Tell Us About Our Past and Future" and "The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built". I would really like to see how Shakespeare's writing has translated over time and how it correlates to our current issues in society. Additionally, I am fascinated to learn about the successes behind Broadway shows that are successful so that I may utilize and recognize such tactics in my career. This article has a pretty good selection and range of books.

CrimsonCreeks said...

This article was very insightful to me as someone who is still building their play knowledge. I think that it may be due to my inclination to musicals and such. I think that plays in written form allow for a greater avenue of analysis. I quite enjoy myself when I have time to analyze text and form my own interpretations. It is quite wonderfully splendid to be able to carve your own meaning of elements and other stories. I really hope to be able to branch out of my comfort zone this year and read more plays of different types. Specifically absurdist theatre. I love absurdist and experimental theatre cause I think there is no wrong interpretation. I also quite like plays where the story is bursting chalk full of symbolism and foreshadowing. It allows the reader to analyze further and for you as an audience member to feel unsettled but not be entirely sure why.