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Average Customer Rating:

A well put together book	Customer Rating:
As an introduction to theatre theory this book is a pleasure to read, and what's more - it is understandable! So many authors of these type of books write with their head in the clouds, flexing their vocabulary muscles so much that it becomes a bore to read. No so with this. It is a well focused down to earth book that gets to the point. Well recommended.

In depth and multi-dimensional

Customer Rating:

Fortier somehow masters an introduction to many theoretical perspectives and their relation to theatre in a relatively small volume. The book focuses on theatre as performed rather than as writen. After consideration of the various ways in which theatre and theory can interact, Fortier dedicates nine chapters to nine theoretical perpectives. Each chapter outlines the major approaches and writings in the field and inter-relates them to oneanother before giving a few examples of how the theory can be applied to certain appropiately selected performances. The first 3 chapters (Semiotics, Phenomenology, Post-strucuralism) are geared towards the relationship to text. The second 3 chapters (Psychoanalytic, Feminist, Reception) is conscious of subjectivity as motivation of practitioners. The third 3 chapters (Materialist, Post-modernism, Post-colonial) is geared towards theatre's relationship to 'the outside world'. The writing style is very open and avoids any dogmatic statements; which can be annoying if you are trying to find quick answers or a definition of a theory, but is an overall strength as it provokes a deeper understanding. This is the only book I know of which relates more than one theory specifically to theatre. It is also rare to find works that inter-relate more than two theories. It is supprising "Theory/Theatre" is so easy to follow. It breifly covers a magnitude of practitioners and theorists, then closes with a comprehensive list of further works for each area. It includes a glossary and bibliography.

an essential read	Customer Rating:
To anyone studying or interested in modern theatre movements and literary critism this book surely is a must. Fortier's language is concise and defined and allows for confortable reading. For anybody studying theatre, especially before you get into an exam this book is essential and key to hightened understanding. truly recommended