Strindberg on Drama and Theatre

An essential resource for those interested in one of the most influential modern playwrights and for the dedicated theatre lover.

What a gift it is to hear Strindberg's clear and daring voice and to experience how truly modern he was in his thinking. His understanding of the theatre and the art of acting and his constant search for truth and meaning -- in everything and everyone -- demands that we stay truthful to his plays and to ourselves. Bo Corre, member of the New York Actors Studio (established 1947, Ellen Burstyn, Harvey Keitel and Al Pacino, Co-Presidents) This comprehensive and long overdue assembly of Strindberg’s statements about theatre and drama is a rich and eminently accessible resource—presented in one volume, in English, and in chronological order—for scholars, theatre practitioners and serious students the world over. It makes possible a survey of the entire spectrum of Strindberg’s responses to theatre and drama, thereby inviting new insights and discoveries regarding not only his opinions and theories but also his plays. For in addition to clarifying how statements of Strindberg’s “fit” or illustrate the history and theory of theatre and drama, it illuminates the matrix of Strindberg’s own highly charged dramaturgy. His various statements (prefaces, memos, critiques, musings, exhortations, advice, apologias, complaints, etc.)—sometimes in the guise of prescriptive theory, though always derivative and rarely fully developed—were all subjective weapons to achieve his ends. Taken as such, they collectively cast a new and revealing light on his dramatic oeuvre, structurally, thematically, and culturally. When seen through the lens of Strindberg’s evolving relationship to drama and theatre—at the intersection of theory and practice, of craft and instinct, of page and stage—each play offers a richer experience for reader, theatre practitioner and audience member alike. Whether studying or teaching Strindberg, preparing to produce one of his plays or simply enjoying engaging with 19th-20th century theatre and drama seen through the eyes of one its giants, this work is an indispensible companion, resource and guide. Anne-Charlotte Harvey Professor Emerita of Theatre School of Theatre, Television and Film San Diego State University Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey