Red Globe Press Shakespeare Dancing: A Theatrical Study of the Plays

The Dancing of the title was in Shakespeare's mind as he wrote: a physical and active imagination. This book studies its operation in his most frequently performed texts and encourages readers to seek out the performance possibilities of all the texts for themselves. The need to study Shakespeare's plays as they come to life in a theatre is now widely recognised. John Russell Brown moves beyond an exploration of what has happened in a number of specific productions to examine the entire theatrical event in which a performance occurs: the meeting and interaction of actors and audience, and the social and cultural contexts of a play's reception in the past and at the present time. Assuming no prior knowledge of theatre practice and offering practical advice for further investigations, Shakespeare Dancing is written for all who study Shakespeare's work in search of a fuller understanding, or as a preparation for performance. From the Back Cover The Dancing of the title was in Shakespeare's mind as he wrote: a physical and active imagination. This book studies its operation in his most frequently performed texts and encourages readers to seek out the performance possibilities of all the texts for themselves. The need to study Shakespeare's plays as they come to life in a theatre is now widely recognised. John Russell Brown moves beyond an exploration of what has happened in a number of specific productions to examine the entire theatrical event in which a performance occurs: the meeting and interaction of actors and audience, and the social and cultural contexts of a play's reception in the past and at the present time. Assuming no prior knowledge of theatre practice and offering practical advice for further investigations, Shakespeare Dancing is written for all who study Shakespeare's work in search of a fuller understanding, or as a preparation for performance. About the Author JOHN RUSSELL BROWN is Professor of Theatre at Middlesex University and was recently Visiting Professor at Columbia University, USA. He is an internationally known theatre director and author and a Former Associate Director of the National Theatre. His many books on theatre and Shakespeare include The Oxford Illustrated History of Theatre, New Sites for Shakespeare, Shakespeare: The Tragedies and Shakespeare and the Theatrical Event.