Description
Book SynopsisSusan Glaspell and Sophie Treadwell presents critical introductions to two of the most significant American dramatists of the early twentieth century. Glaspell and Treadwell led American Theatre from outdated melodrama to the experimentation of great European playwrights like Ibsen, Strindberg and Shaw.
This is the first book to deal with Glaspell and Treadwell's plays from a theatrical, rather than literary, perspective, and presents a comprehensive overview of their work from lesser known plays to seminal productions of Trifles and Machinal.
Although each woman pursued her own themes, subjects and manner of stage production, this shared volume underscores the theatrical and cultural conditions influencing female playwrights in modern America.
Trade Review'A dense, wellconsidered, and valuable starting point for interested scholars, directors, or instructors unfamiliar with the existing body of scholarship on Treadwell and Glaspell.' –Theatre Survey
'a useful handbook, covering the lives, careers, works, production histories, and existing criticism of these two women. The resulting work is a dense, well-considered, and valuable starting point for interested scholars, directors, or instructors unfamiliar with the existing body of scholarship on Treadwell and Glaspell.' – Theatre Survey
'succinctness here is characteristic of the book as a whole, and is one of its strengths' – Theatre Survey
'a concise introduction to the lives, works, and criticism of these important American dramatists' – Theatre Survey
Table of ContentsIntroduction Part 1: Susan Glaspell Life and Politics Key Plays I: The shorter plays – genesis and criticism Key Plays II: The full-length plays – genesis and criticism Key Plays III: The Feminist Appropriation of Trifles Key Plays in Production: The Verge Part 2: Sophie Treadwell Life and Politics Key Plays I: The early plays – genesis and criticism Key Plays II: Broadway plays – genesis and criticism Key Plays in Production I: Machinal – stagings and critical response Key Plays in Production II: Intimations for Saxophone Chronology Bibliography Index
