The Oxford Dictionary of Plays

The Oxford Dictionary of Plays

Acknowledgements

I wish to offer grateful acknowledgements to my three ‘official’ advisers, Jean Chothia, Peter Holland, J. Michael Walton, and also to those who have more informally assisted me in selecting plays for inclusion: Martin Banham, David Barnett, David Bradby, Mary Brewer, Michael Davies, Tony Lewis, Michael Mangan, Steve Nicholson, Jane Patterson-Prentice, John Peter, Robert Welch, and members of the American Society for Theatre Research mailing list, including Anne Bomar, James M. Brandon, Patrick Finelli, Ben Fisler, C. David Frankel, Franklin J. Hildy, Paul Iles, Daniel Larner, Dawn Lewcock, Benjamin R. Opipari, and Irina Rudakova. I also wish to thank J. Ellen Gainor for reminding me how little I know about world drama.

I also wish to acknowledge financial support from the Arts and Humanities Research Board and from the Faculty of Humanities of De Montfort University Leicester, generous hospitality from William de Marvell of the Euroversity, Oxford, and the valued help by Jean and Derek Bourgeois.



Edited by Michael Patterson

1,524 entries

‘an astonishing work of scholarly reference that fills a conspicuous gap in the theatrical market ’, Michael Billington

The Oxford Dictionary of Plays provides essential information on the 1,000 best-known, best-loved, and most important plays in world theatre. Each entry includes details of the title, author, date of writing, date of first performance, genre, setting, and composition of cast; there is also a summary of the play's plot, and a brief commentary. Around 80 major plays are treated in detail, for example The Oresteia and Waiting for Godot. Genres covered include: burlesque, comedy, farce, historical drama, kabuki, masque, melodrama, morality play, mystery play, No, romantic comedy, tragicomedy, satire, and tragedy.

Michael Patterson is Professor of Theatre at De Montfort University.

The Oxford Dictionary of Plays. Ed. Michael Patterson. Oxford University Press, 2006. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.

ISBN: 9780198604174

ISBN: 0198604173

MICHAELPATTERSON

Published: 2006

First published 2005

Copyright © Oxford University Press 2005, 2006