Modernism in European Drama: Ibsen, Strindberg, Pirandello, Beckett: Essays From Modern Drama (Ibsen, Strindberg, Pirandello, Beckett)

This collection of essays, drawn from scholarship over the last forty years, explores the drama of four of the most influential proponents of modernism in European Drama: Ibsen, Strindberg, Pirandello, and Beckett. Although there are other dramatists who also contributed to Modernism, these four illustrate widely different and contrasting aspects to the movement. Since discussions of Modernism are generally restricted to poetry, novels, or the fine arts (painting, sculpture), examining theatre from this perspective covers new ground. The choice of these four dramatists as the subjects of the volume reflects the large percentage of essays dealing with their work published by Modern Drama, the leading scholarly journal in the field, which in turn is a measure of the centrality of these particular playwrights in critical discourse. The essays here have been selected to cover the main elements of the work of each of the four dramatists, with the aim of creating a useful teaching tool for university courses. Since some of the essays selected go back to the 1960s, while others are very contemporary, this volume also offers a perspective on the historical development of critical theory. This Collection Of Essays, Drawn From Scholarship Over The Last Forty Years, Explores The Drama Of Four Of The Most Influential Proponents Of Modernism In European Drama: Ibsen, Strindberg, Pirandello, And Beckett. Although There Are Other Dramatists Who Also Contributed To Modernism, These Four Illustrate Widely Different And Contrasting Aspects Of The Movement. Since Discussions Of Modernism Are Generally Restricted To Poetry, Novels, Or The Fine Arts (painting, Sculpture), Examining Theatre From This Perspective Covers New Ground.--jacket. The Dangerous Seduction Of The Past: Ibsen's Counter-discourse To Modernity / Brian Johnston -- Patterns Of Structure And Character In Ibsen's Rosmersholm / Marvin Calrson -- Marriage, Metaphsics And The Lady From The Sea Problem / Elinor Fuch -- The Unspoken Text In Hedda Gabler / Evert Sprinchorn -- Ibsen's Endgame: A Reconsideration Of When We Dead Awaken / M.s. Barranger -- Strindbeg And Ibsen; Toward A Cubism Of Time In Drama / Benjamin K. Bennett -- Strindberg's Miss Julie And The Legend Of Salome / Brian Parker -- Strindberg's To Damascus: Archetypal Autobiography / Diane Filby Gillespie -- Pirandello's Mirror / Marvin Rosenberg -- Pirandellian Theatre Games: Spectator As Victim / J.l. Styan -- An Author In Search Of Characters: Pirandello And Commedia Dell'arte / James Fisher -- Sicilian Themes And The Restructured Stage: The Dialectic Of Fiction And Drama In The Work Of Luigi Pirandello / Anne Paolucci -- Six Characters: Pirandello's Last Tape / Andrew K. Kennedy -- Godotology: There's Lots Of Time In Godot / Richard Schechner -- Action And Play In Beckett's Theater / John Fletcher -- Acting For Beckett / Ruby Cohn -- Beckett As Director: The Manuscript Production Notebooks And Critical Interpretation / James Knowlson -- Being And Non-being: Samuel Beckett's Not I / Hersh Zeifman -- Samuel Beckett's Media Plays / Linda Ben-zvi -- Reading As Theatre: Understanding Defamiliarization In Beckett's Art / H. Porter Abbott -- Roundelay / Samuel Beckett. Edited By Frederick J. Marker, Christopher Innes. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. CONTENTS DATES OF ORIGINAL PUBLICATION INTRODUCTION The Dangerous Seductions of the Past: Ibsen's Counter-Discourse to Modernity Patterns of Structure and Character in Ibsen's Rosmersholm Marriage, Metaphysics and The Lady from the Sea Problem The Unspoken Text in Hedda Gabler Ibsen's Endgame: A Reconsideration of When We Dead Awaken Strindberg and Ibsen: Toward a Cubism of Time in Drama Strindberg's Miss Julie and the Legend of Salomé Strindberg's To Damascus: Archetypal Autobiography Pirandello's Mirror Pirandellian Theatre Games: Spectator as Victim An Author in Search of Characters: Pirandello and Commedia dell'arte Sicilian Themes and the Restructured Stage: The Dialectic of Fiction and Drama in the Work of Luigi Pirandello Six Characters: Pirandello's Last Tape Godotology: There's Lots of Time in Godot Action and Play in Beckett's Theater Acting for Beckett Beckett as Director: The Manuscript Production Notebooks and Critical Interpretation Being and Non-Being: Samuel Beckett's Not I Samuel Beckett's Media Plays Reading as Theatre: Understanding Defamiliarization in Beckett's Art Roundelay SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING CONTRIBUTORS INDEX "This collection of essays, drawn from scholarship over the last forty years, explores the drama of four of the most influential proponents of modernism in European drama: Ibsen, Strindberg, Pirandello, and Beckett. Although there are other dramatists who also contributed to Modernism, these four illustrate widely different and contrasting aspects of the movement. Since discussions of Modernism are generally restricted to poetry, novels, or the fine arts (painting, sculpture), examining theatre from this perspective covers new ground."--Résumé de l'éditeur This collection of essays, originally published over the last forty years in the journal Modern Drama, explores the drama of four of the most influential European proponents of modernism in the European Drama: Ibsen, Strandberg, Pirandello and Beckett.