Description

Historical drama, the means by which we live in the past and understand our heritage, is no longer confined to the large cities but in some form is now within the reach of most Americans. To assist the nonprofessional and others associated with the problems of writing and producing such drama competently and success­fully, the authors have written this comprehensive guidebook. It contains a wealth of practical suggestions, sketches for indoor and outdoor settings, sample scripts, and charts and graphs show­ing organizational and production structures, together with a mine of information on budgets, community relations, and other matters.

The book is written for the nonspecialists, but it will be equally interesting to the professional. The advice for sponsors or pro­ducers is full and complete. The drawings include suggested staging arrangements for presentations in churches, auditoriums, stadiums, and outdoor locations, as well as sketches of some of the theatres (indoor and outdoor) now in use, adaptable to any community.

Consideration is given to how a playwright may assemble and develop his material. Biography-drama is illustrated by a sample script, as are the development of pageant-drama and the writing of epic-drama. Appendices to the book include list of selected historical dramas, a glossary of terms, and a list of references.

About the Author

The late George McCalmon was Chairman of the Department of Speech and Drama and Director of the Theatre at Cornell Uni­versity.

Christian Moe is Associate Professor in the Theatre Department and an associate director of the University Theatre at Southern Illinois University.

Praise For…

“A practical and comprehensive text or guide to the organization, composition, production, and management of such plays.”—Educational Theatre Journal