| The Theatre of Christopher Durang Contributor(s): Chirico, Miriam (Author), Lonergan, Patrick (Editor), Wetmore Jr, Kevin J. (Editor) |
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ISBN: 1474288928 ISBN-13: 9781474288927 Publisher: Methuen Drama OUR PRICE: $118.80 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: May 2020 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Performing Arts | Theater - History & Criticism - Literary Criticism | Drama - Drama | American - General |
| Dewey: 812.6 |
| LCCN: 2019452470 |
| Series: Critical Companions |
| Physical Information: 0.7" H x 5.5" W x 8.6" (0.90 lbs) 248 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The Theatre of Christopher Durang considers the works of one of the foremost comedic writers for the American stage. From Durang's early success with the controversial Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You (1974) to his recent Tony Award-winning play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (2012), he has been an original theatrical voice in American theatre. Edith Oliver, long-time theatre critic for The New Yorker, described Durang as "one of the funniest men in the world." Durang challenges traditional dramatic idioms with his irreverent comedies that are as shocking as they are prescient and compassionate. This volume provides the first comprehensive examination of Durang's works and incorporates comedic theory to examine how laughter in performance subverts social conventions and hierarchies. Through a clear, detailed discussion of the plays, Miriam Chirico considers Durang's use of black comedy, satire, and parody to explode such topics as: western literature, religion, dysfunctional families, and American social malaise. Robert Combs and Jay Malarcher provide additional critical perspectives about Durang's works, detailing his use of alienation techniques and locating his place within the American parodic tradition. The book also includes a warm introduction by Durang's former student, Pulitzer Prize-winner, David Lindsay-Abaire. The Theatre of Christopher Durang, in demonstrating how Durang has shaped contemporary theatrical possibilities, offers a valuable guide for students of American drama and comedy. |
Contributor Bio(s): Lonergan, Patrick: - Patrick Lonergan is Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at National University of Ireland, Galway. He writes about theatre for The Irish Times and Irish Theatre Magazine. His first book, Theatre and Globalization, was awarded the 2008 Theatre Book Prize. He has authored two Student Editions of plays by Martin McDonagh, is editor of The Methuen Drama Anthology of Irish Plays and series editor of the Critical Companions.Wetmore Jr, Kevin J.: - Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr. is professor of theatre arts at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, USA, the author and editor of ten books including The Empire Triumphant: Race, Religion and Rebellion in the Star Wars Films, and a contributor to numerous volumes on sci-fi, pop culture and religion, including essays on Godzilla, Star Wars, and Battlestar Galactica. His areas of expertise include Japanese theatre, African theatre, Shakespeare, Greek tragedy, stage combat and comedy. He is co-editor with Patrick Lonergan of Bloomsbury Methuen Drama's Critical Companions series. |