What is theatre? What is performance? What are their connections and differences? What events, people, practices and ideas have shaped theatre and performance in the twentieth century, and, importantly, where are they heading next? Proposing answers to these big questions, The Routledge Companion to Theatre and Performance provides an informative and engaging introduction to the significant people, events, concepts and practices that have defined the complementary fields of theatre and performance studies. Including over 120 entries in three easy-to-use, alphabetical sections, this fascinating text presents a wide range of individuals and topics, such as: performance artist Marina Abramovic directors Vsevolod Meyerhold and Robert Wilson The Living Theatre's Paradise Now the haka multimedia performance political protest visual theatre. With each entry containing crucial historical and contextual information, extensive cross-referencing, detailed analysis, and an annotated bibliography, The Routledge Companion to Theatre and Performance is undoubtedly a perfect reference guide for the keen student and the passionate theatre-goer alike.

Table of Contents

Introduction. People. Events. Concepts and Practices. Chronology. Bibliography. Index

Author Biography

Paul Allain, Professor of Theatre and Performance at the University of Kent, is author of The Art of Stillness: The Theatre Practice of Tadashi Suzuki (Methuen, 2002), and has published extensively on Polish theatre as well as performer processes. Jen Harvie of Queen Mary, University of London is author of Staging the UK (Manchester, 2005), and has written widely on the relationships between contemporary performance and cultural identities.