Ex Libris
Shoot-from-the-hip book reviews with an emphasis on historiography.
Someday, all of theater history will be online. Until then, you’re gonna need some books. Here are some titles that we’re reading. In a few cases, we’ve linked to some already published reviews to give you a sense of what readers are saying (you may need institutional access to get to some of these reviews). But what we’re really interested in is your two cents (firewall-free): What are you using in your classes? What’s your go-to book for theory and methodology? If you’d like to share your quick take on these or other titles in the field, please submit your review.
Patricia A. Ybarra, Performing Conquest: Five Centuries of Theater, History, and Identity in Tlaxcala, Mexico. University of Michigan Press, 2009.
- Sruti Bala. “Performing Conquest: Five Centuries of Theater, History, and Identity in Tlaxcala, Mexico. By Patricia Ybarra. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2009. Pp. 288. $65 Hb.” Theatre Research International. Volume 36,Number 3 (October 2011), pp. 303 – 304. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
- Lara D. Nielsen. “Performing Conquest: Five Centuries of Theater, History, and Identity in Tlaxcala, Mexico (review).” TDR: The Drama Review. Volume 55, Number 2 (Summer 2011), pp. 171-174. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
Gene A. Plunka. Holocaust Drama: The Theater of Atrocity. Cambridge University Press, 2011.
- Erika Hughes. “Holocaust Drama: The Theater of Atrocity (review).” Theatre Journal, Volume 62, Number 2 (May 2010), pp. 311-312. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
- Gad Kaynar. “Holocaust Drama: The Theater of Atrocity (review).” Theatre Research International, Volume 36, Issue 1 (March 2011), pp. 84-85. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
S.E. Wilmer, Native American Performance and Representation. University of Arizona Press, 2009.
- Theresa May. “Native American Performance and Representation (review).” Theatre Journal, Volume 62, Number 4 (December 2010), pp. 688-689. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
- Courtney Elkin Mohler. “Native American Drama: A Critical Perspective. By Christy Stanlake. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Pp. vii + 242. £55/$99 Hb. Native American Performance and Representation. Edited by S. E. Wilmer. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2009. Pp. vii + 286. $49.95 Hb.” Theatre Research International, Volume 35, Issue 3 (October 2010), pp. 302-303. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
- Christy Stanlake. “Shari M. Huhndorf, Mapping the Americas: The Transnational Politics of Contemporary Native Culture (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2009, £26.95/$39.95). Pp. xiii+202. isbn 978 08014 4800 3. S. E. Wilmer (ed.), Native American Performance and Representation (Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press, 2009, $49.95). Pp. vii+286. isbn 978 0 8165 2646 8.” Journal of American Studies, Volume 44, Special Issue 03 (August 2010), E51. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
D.J. Hopkins, Shelly Orr, and Kim Solga, eds. Performance and the City. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.
- Stuart Andrews. “Performance and the City. Edited by D.J. Hopkins, Shelley Orr and Kim Solga. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Pp. xiv + 269 + 39 illus. £50/$85 Hb.” Theatre Research International, Volume 35, Issue 3 (October 2010), pp. 312-313. Available online [may require subscriber login]
- Robert Crane. “Performance and the City. Edited by D. J. Hopkins, Shelley Orr, and Kim Solga. Performance Interventions. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009; pp. xiv + 269. $90.00 cloth, $29.00 paper.” Theatre Survey, Volume 52, Issue 2 (November 2011): pp. 384-386. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
- Deirdre O’Leary. “Performance and the City (review).” Theatre Journal, Volume 63, Number 2, May 2011 pp. 285-286. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
Mechele Leon. Molière, The French Revolution, and the Theatrical Afterlife. University of Iowa Press, 2009.
- Matthew Shifflett. “Molière, the French Revolution, and the Theatrical Afterlife (review).” Theatre Journal, Volume 62, Number 4, December 2010, pp. 705-706. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
- Dan Smith. “Molière, the French Revolution, and the Theatrical Afterlife. By Mechele Leon. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2009. Pp. viii + 184 + 8 illus. £33.50/$39.95 Hb.” Theatre Research International, Volume 35, Issue 3 (October 2010): pp. 307- 308. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
Patrick Anderson and Jisha Menon, eds. Violence Performed: Local Roots and Global Routes of Conflict. Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
- Sruti Bala. “Violence Performed: Local Roots and Global Routes of Conflict. Edited by Patrick Anderson and Jisha Menon: Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009; pp. 391. $85 cloth. Performance in Place of War. By James Thompson, Jenny Hughes, and Michael Balfour. Calcutta and London: Seagull Books, 2009; pp. xii+352. $29 cloth.” Theatre Survey, Volume 52, Issue 1 (May 2011), pp. 209-211. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
- Raimondo Genna. “Violence Performed: Local Roots and Global Routes of Conflict (review).” Theatre Journal, Volume 62, Number 3 (October 2010), pp. 487-488. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
- Fintan Walsh. “Violence Performed: Local Roots and Global Routes of Conflict. Edited by Patrick Anderson and Jisha Menon. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Pp. 391 + 11 illus. £60/$75 Hb.” Theatre Research International, Volume 34, Issue 3, (October 2009), pp. 331-332. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
Susan Haedicke, Deirdre Heddon, Avraham Oz, and E.J. Westlake. Political Performances: Theory and Practice. Rodopi, 2009.
- Pia Wiegmink. “Political Performances: Theory and Practice (review).” Theatre Research International. Volume 35, Issue 2 (July 2010), pp. 213 – 214. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
Kimberly Jannarone. Artaud and His Doubles. University of Michigan Press, 2010.
- Lara Cox. “Artaud and his Doubles. By Kimberley Jannarone. (Theater: Theory/Text/Performance). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2010. 272 pp. Hb $55.00.” French Studies, Volume 65, Issue 4 (October 2011), pp. 550-551. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
Heather S. Nathans. Slavery and Sentiment on the American Stage: 1787-1861: Lifting the Veil of Black. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
- Felicia Hardison Londré. “Slavery and Sentiment on the American Stage, 1787–1861: Lifting the Veil of Black. By Heather S. Nathans. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009; pp. x+275, 9 illustrations. $98 cloth.” Theatre Survey. Volume 52, Issue 1 (May 2011), pp. 185-187. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
- Judie Newman. “Heather S. Nathans, Slavery and Sentiment on the American Stage, 1787–1861: Lifting the Veil of Black (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009, $99.00). Pp. xi+275. isbn 978 0 5218 7011 5.” Journal of American Studies, Volume 43, Issue 3 (August 2009), pp. 553-554. Available online. [may require subscriber login]
Erin B. Mee. Theatre of Roots: Redirecting the Modern Indian Stage. Seagull Books, 2008.
- Sreenath Nair. “Theatre of Roots: Redirecting the Modern Indian Stage. By Erin B. Mee. London, New York, Calcutta: Seagull, 2008. Pp. xviii + 412. £16.99/$29.95 pb.” Theatre Research International, Volume 35, Issue 03 (October 2010), pp. 303-305. Available online.. [may require subscriber login]
