Reviews

Harwood, author of The Dresser , led the production for BBC-TV of a 13-hour history of the theater. His book is a by-product of that venture. An extremely attractive, well-illustrated volume, it sets forth in dazzlingly rapid fashion the highlights of theater history from tribal rite to A Chorus Line , making the argument that theater grew and changed by answering the immediate needs of its audience. The book is accurate as far as it goes, and the argument is sound, but it is not a piece of serious scholarship. It is intended for a popular audience. If the book lacks weight, it can certainly be recommended as an introduction to theater history. Wickham's substantial, short theater history is written by a major scholar and is the result of years of reading, thinking, and teaching about theater. It surveys world drama from its origins in dance and ritual through the advent of television and places special emphasis on the role of actors and audiences in shaping that history. The text is detailed, thoughtful, and subtle; the generous illustrations are well chosen; each section contains a useful comparative chronology; the bibliography is very selective, but good. This is a serious text that has a lavish quality. Unlike Harwood's book, it is suited to the serious student or scholar of theater. Recommended. Thomas E. Luddy, English Dept., Salem State Coll., Mass.