The Broadview Anthology of Drama: Plays from the Western Theatre, concise edition is an overview of Western drama that offers chronological range and artistic variety in a compact, single-volume format. Context for each play is provided with a thorough account of its literary and dramatic background, along with clear and comprehensive annotation. In addition, the editors have provided an introduction that discusses the unique challenges and rewards of reading drama and a glossary of terms to equip readers with a vocabulary for discussing the world of the stage.

“With its broad representation of women and multi-ethnic playwrights, this new volume makes itself available to a considerable range of teaching, learning, and production circumstances.” — David Fancy, Brock University

Introduction

Sophocles
Oedipus Tyrannos (c.429 B.C.E.)

Thomas Gould, trans.
Jennifer Wise, ed.

Aristophanes
Frogs (405 B.C.E.)

Jennifer Wise, ed. and trans.

Hroswitha of Gandersheim
The Conversion of Thais the Whore (10th century C.E.)

Katharina M. Wilson, trans.
Jennifer Wise, ed.

Anonymous
Everyman (after 1485)

Jennifer Wise, ed.

William Shakespeare
The Tempest (1611)

Craig S. Walker, ed.

Aphra Behn
The Rover (1667)

Anne Russell, ed.

Harriet Beecher Stowe
Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852)

Adapted by George Aiken Craig S. Walker, ed.

Henrik Ibsen
Hedda Gabler (1890)

A new version by Craig S. Walker,
based on the original English translation
by William Archer and Edmund Gosse

Oscar Wilde
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)

Craig S. Walker, ed.

Tennessee Williams
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955)

Craig S. Walker, ed.

Samuel Beckett
Play (1963)

Craig S. Walker, ed.

Wallace Shawn
Aunt Dan and Lemon (1985)

Craig S. Walker, ed.

Tomson Highway
The Rez Sisters (1986)

Craig S. Walker, ed.

Djanet Sears
Harlem Duet (1997)

Jennifer Wise, ed.

Glossary
Sources

“With its broad representation of women and multi-ethnic playwrights, this new volume makes itself available to a considerable range of teaching, learning, and production circumstances. Texts resonating with more immediate social relevance are complemented by classics, many of which appear in engaging new translations. The editorial insights are thorough, considerable, and inspire curiosity for the subject in the reader.” — David Fancy, Brock University

“This concise edition of The Broadview Anthology of Drama offers an eclectic choice of classical and contemporary texts; while all the key authors are here, the selection of the plays is such that college students run little risk of having previously encountered them elsewhere. Wise and Walker’s introductory essays, sophisticated and smart, yet immensely readable, provide a succinct depiction of theatre history. Their opening remarks, based on extensive research in the field, provide refreshingly new critical angles on the individual plays and playwrights. Finally, the rich, easy-to-read annotations allow students to fully understand the historical or cultural references in each play, providing them with a rewarding reading experience.” — Miriam M. Chirico, Eastern Connecticut State University