In this chronology of the work of Owen Dodson, former chairman of the Department of Drama at Howard University, a biographical portrait and a listing of his many literary works is provided. (RLV)

Organized along broadly historical lines, this comprehensive collection of outstanding plays includes 41 works from the classical Greek period to the contemporary. As an introduction to the theater, the collection is unmatched for its theatrical variety and cultural diversity. It provides: (1) a general introduction on reading and witnessing a…

In a celebration of the expansiveness and inclusiveness of farce, this book describes the art form rather than defines it. Part 1 illustrates the nature of farce and its relationship to tragedy, comedy, and melodrama. Part 2 is a cumulative biography of farce, beginning with Greek and Roman writers and continuing through Shakespeare, Moliere, and…

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov spent 6 of the last 7 years of his life at Yalta (located on the Crimean Peninsula) where he had a house constructed in order that he might live in a climate favorable to his failing health. During these years Chekhov married the actress Olga Knipper and met Leo Tolstoy, who was near the end of his life. Chekhov also…

Recounts the life and times of a pioneer children's theater playwright and fiction author, Nora Tully MacAlvay (1900-86). Points out that her interest in children's theater and children's literature was lifelong and intense. (PA)

Interview with Alice Childress (born 1920), an actress, playwright, novelist, editor, and lecturer. Her "Gold through the Forest" (1952) was the first play by a Black woman to be produced professionally on the American stage. Her latest play, "Moms," was produced in New York City in 1987. (BJV)

Discusses the effect on Spanish theatre of the abolition of censorship and repression following the death of Generalisimo Franco in 1975. Examines how the plays written and produced since that time reflect a sense of euphoria followed by disillusionment and doubt characteristic of the post-Franco society. (JMF)

Educators today may find a historical review of the Howard Players at Howard University (Washington, D.C.) in the 1920s important because of its implicit commentary on what constitutes community. While the Howard Players are generally written about in terms of the development of an African-American theater, historians ought also to think of their…

Describes creating for the National Archives Public Education Department a historical drama, "Second in the Realm," based on the story of the Magna Carta. Demonstrates the effectiveness of historical drama as a teaching tool. Explains the difficulties of writing such dramas and provides guidelines for overcoming these problems. (NL)

Traces the history of women playwrights' contributions to the dramatic art in Spain from the 1940s to the 1980s. Discusses the progression from conformity to the establishment's expectations, to revision of form and content to better reflect the female perspective. Provides examples of plays that depict this progression. (JS)