Awards

• Winner of RUSA 2007 Outstanding Reference Source CHOICE 2007 Outstanding Academic Title 0 (United States)
• Winner of RUSA 2007 Outstanding Reference Source CHOICE 2007 Outstanding Academic Title 2007 (United States)

Overview

From puppets to living players and musical speech to colloquial prose, Asian theatre is a rich world of contrasting expressions. While it has thrived for centuries and embodies the folk traditions of the Asian people, it also reflects contemporary concerns and innovative theatrical practices. At a time when Asia is of tremendous importance to the West, its theatre is a key to understanding its culture as well as the heritage of Asian Americans. This book is a detailed and authoritative survey of traditional and contemporary Asian theatre. The Encyclopedia includes hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries written by more than 90 expert contributors. Entries on the most important topics cite works for further reading, and the Encyclopedia closes with an extensive bibliography. Social studies students will appreciate its glimpses of Asian culture, while literature and drama students will value its exploration of the Asian theatrical tradition. Includes hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries written by more than 90 expert contributors Covers individuals, genres and forms, regional theatres, and special topics Cites numerous works for further reading Includes extensive cross-references

Full Product Details

9780313335297

Table of Contents

Reviews

[T]he brilliantly conceived Encyclopedia of Asian Theatre, edited by Samuel L. Leiter....comprehensively covers both traditional and modern theatre from South, South-East, and Far East Asia.....[i]ts organization is so intuitively logical and user friendly that it should become a model for all future reference works....Beyond the alphabetical listings of countries, artists, or genres, there are long entries (called headwords) that cover major areas of interest....Although one can use the book like a dictionary, it is not necessary to know in advance the name of a specific artist or genre or even what country they are from. Rather, you may begin with large ideas and find cross-references to more specific ones....Many articles include references for further reading, as well as photographs. The use of headwords fosters comparative and cross-cultural thinking fruitful browsing, and unimagined discoveries....No library should be without this extraordinary resource. -Text & Presentation

<p> This is a work of considerable scholarship and covers a rich selection of people, genres, and knowledge from the exotic world of Asian theatre, much of it little known outside their local regions. It will be of great value to libraries covering the performing arts and Asian studies. - <p>Reference Reviews

Author Information

Samuel L. Leiter is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Theatre at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center. A specialist in Japanese theatre, he is the former editor of Asian Theatre Journal. His many books include New Kabuki Encyclopedia (Greenwood, 1997).

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