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Department Reading List
The following list of plays and books are highly recommended reading for each theatre arts major. They represent a sampling from most major playwrights and periods in dramatic literature, history, and theory. Some familiarity with most of these plays and authors will undoubtedly be helpful preparation for the senior comprehensive exam as well as standard general knowledge for future training/involvement in the field of theatre. (Many of these book are already required reading in our courses.)
| Design |
| Aronson, Arnold |
American Set Design |
| Burian, Jarka |
The Scenography of Joseph Svoboda |
| Corson, Richard |
Stage Makeup |
| Craig, E. G. |
Scene |
| Craig, E. G. |
On the Art of the Theatre |
| Gillette, J. Michael |
Designing with Light |
| Gillette, J. Michael |
Theatrical Design and Production |
| Gorelik, Morecai |
New Theatres for Old |
| Hainaux, Rene |
Stage Design Since...(50's, 60's, 70's) |
| Henderson, Mary C. |
Mielziner: Master of Modern Stage Design |
| Ingram/Covey |
The Costumer's Handbook |
| Jones, Robert E. |
The Dramatic Imagination |
| Larson, Orville K. |
Scene Design in the American Theatre from 1915-1960 |
| Laver, James |
Costume in the Theatre |
| Leacroft, Richar & Helen |
Theatre and Playhouse |
| Mielziner, Jo |
Designing for the Theatre |
| Millin, Donald C. |
The Development of the Playhouse |
| Oenslager, Donald |
Stage Design |
| Payne, Blanche |
History of Costume |
| Pecktal, Lynn |
Designing and Painting for the Theatre |
| Pecktal, Lynn |
Designing and Drawing for the Theatre |
| Pecktal, Lynn |
Costume Design: Techniques of Modern Masters 1 |
| Pilbrow, Richard |
Stage Lighting Design |
| Pilbrow, Richard |
Stage Lighting Design : The Art, the Craft, the Life |
| Rosenthal, Jean |
The Magic of Light |
| Rubin/Watson |
Theatrical Lighting Practice |
| Russell, Douglas |
Stage Costume Design |
| Russell, Douglas |
Period Style for the Theatre |
| Simonson, Lee |
The Stage is Set |
| Taymor, Julie |
Playing with Fire |
| Warfel, William |
The New Handbook of Stage Lighting Graphics |
| Watson, Lee |
Lighting Design Handbook |
| Acting |
| Adler, Stella |
Technique of Acting |
| Benedetti, Robert |
The Actor at Work |
| Bogart, Anne |
Viewpoints |
| Bruder, Melissa |
The Practical Handbook of the Actor |
| Chekhov, Michael |
To the Actor |
| Crawford, Jerry |
Acting in Person and in Style |
| Delgado, Ramon |
Acting with Both Sides of the Brain |
| Gronbeck,Tedesco, J. L. |
Acting Through Exercises |
| Hagen, Uta |
Respect for Acting |
| Halpern, Charna |
Truth in Comedy |
| Harrop/Epstein |
Acting with Style |
| Hull, Loraine |
Strasberg's Method |
| Johnstone, Keith |
Impro |
| Lewis, Robert |
Advice to the Players |
| Mamet, David |
Truse and False |
| May, Rollo |
The Courage to Create |
| Meisner, Stanford |
On Acting |
| Moore, Sonia |
The Stanislavsky System |
| Morris, Eric |
No Acting Please |
| Poggi, Jack |
The Monologue Workshop |
| Shurtleff, Michael |
Audition |
| Spolin, Viola |
Improvisation for the Theatre |
| Stanislavsky |
An Actor Prepares |
| Stanislavsky |
Building a Character |
| Stanislavsky |
Creating a Role |
| Suzuki, Tadashi |
The Way of Acting |
| Theatre History |
| Arnott, Peter |
Public and Performance in Greek Theatre |
| Artaud, Antonin |
The Theatre and Its Double |
| Baldry, H.C. |
The Greek Tragic Theatre |
| Brandon, James ed. |
Studies in Kabuki |
| Brockett, Oscar |
History of the Theatre |
| Brustein, Robert |
The Theatre of Revolt |
| Chute, Marchette |
Shakespeare of London |
| Driver, Tom |
Romantic Quest and Modern Query |
| Esslin, Martin |
The Theatre of the Absurd |
| Grotowski, Jerry |
Towards a Poor Theatre |
| Harris, John |
Medieval Theatre in Context |
| Hill, Errol (ed.) |
The Theatre of Black Americans |
| Keene, Donald |
No and Bunraku |
| Mackerras, Colin ed. C |
Chinese Theatre |
| Richmond, Farely |
Indian Theatre |
| Roose-Evans, James |
Experimental Theatre |
| Rudlin, John |
Commedia Dell' Arte: An Actor's Handbook |
| Styan, J.L. |
Restoration Comedy in Performance |
| Vardac, Nicholas |
From Stage to Screen |
| Watson and McKernie |
A Cultural History of the Theatre |
| Willet, John ed. |
Brecht on Theatre |
| Directing |
| Bartow, Arthur |
The Director's Voice |
| Ball, David |
Backwards and Forwards |
| Bogart, Anne |
Viewpoints |
| Brook, Peter |
The Empty Space |
| Clurman, Harold |
On Directing |
| Cohen, Robert |
Creative Play Direction |
| Cole, Susan |
Directors in Rehearsal |
| Cole, Toby |
Directors on Directing |
| Dunkin and Clemet |
Upstaging Big Daddy: Directing as if Race and Gender Matter |
| Jones, David R. |
Great Directors at Work |
| Shapiro, Mel |
The Director's Handbook |
| Manful, Helen |
In Other Words: Women Directors Speak |
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