Зарубежная драматургия
Различные книги в жанре Зарубежная драматургияThe Devil is an Ass
Benjamin Jonson's career began in 1597 when he held a fixed engagement in «The Admiral's Men», and although he was unsuccessful as an actor, his literary talent was apparent and he began writing original plays for the troupe. Jonson had a literary knack for absurdity and hypocrisy, a trait that made him immensely popular in the 17th century Renaissance period. His works are particularly recognizable because of his consistencies in style, intricacy of plot, characterization and setting. «The Devil is an Ass» is a mildly satirical play, in which a lesser devil named Pug is allowed by Satan to travel to London and entrap innocent souls. He is surprised, however, when his victims turn out to be more cunning and unscrupulous than expected. Subplots involving scams and deception weave together in this highly comical tale of a group of Londoners making an ass of the Devil.
The Lady From The Sea
Written in 1888, «The Lady from the Sea» is Henrik Ibsen's drama about a married couple, Ellida and Doctor Wangel. Doctor Wangel, a widower with two daughters, begins to notice Ellida, a much younger woman, becoming increasingly anxious and strange in her demeanor. Fearing a problem with her mental health he asks his former headmaster, Arnholm, to come for a visit in hopes that he may be able to help. It is soon discovered that Ellida was once engaged to a sailor and that he has returned. Henrik Ibsen's «The Lady from the Sea» is a classic tale of the conflicting demands that love can place on ones heart.
Volpone, or, The Fox
Benjamin Jonson (1572-1637) was a Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor, known best for his satirical plays and lyric poems. He worked shortly as an actor in «The Admiral's Men», but soon moved on to writing original plays for the troupe. Jonson's works are particularly recognizable because of his consistencies in style, intricacy of plot, characterization and setting. He focused on creating works that implemented elements of the realistic as well as the absurd. Jonson's most performed play, and the one that sparked a period of great success for the playwright, is «Volpone, or The Fox.» Volpone, a Venetian con artist, is feigning to be on his death bed, pitting several aspirant heirs against one another. The dark comedy is as much serious as it is amusing, exposing the audience to greedy, corrupt characters that at first seem absurdly fictional, but who ultimately reveal a number of societal flaws.
Androcles and the Lion
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) is revered as one of the great British dramatists, credited not only with memorable works, but the revival of the then-suffering English theatre. Shaw was born in Dublin, Ireland, left mostly to his own devices after his mother ran off to London to pursue a musical career. He educated himself for the most part, and eventually worked for a real estate agent. This experience founded in him a concern for social injustices, seeing poverty and general unfairness afoot, and would go on to address this in many of his works. In 1876, Shaw joined his mother in London where he would finally attain literary success. «Androcles and the Lion» is Shaw's take on the tale of Androcles, addressing the irreconcilable differences between the teachings of Jesus and traditional Roman values. Though the play deals with the heavy topics of Christianity and its social influence, Shaw uses comedy as a vehicle to propel this memorable theatrical work which is still read and performed to this day.
The Land of Heart's Desire
William Butler Yeats was born near Dublin in 1865, and was encouraged from a young age to pursue a life in the arts. He attended art school for a short while, but soon found that his talents and interest lay in poetry rather than painting. He became an instrumental figure in the «Irish Literary Revival» of the 20th Century that redefined Irish writing. Early in life, Yeats developed a love for the green hills and lakes of Sligo, where he spent much of his early childhood. It became a figurative place he would revisit often in his literature. Features of Sligo appear throughout his 1894 play, «The Land of Heart's Desire», one of Yeats best and most well-known works. The play describes an encounter between a fairy child and newlyweds Shawn and Bridget Bruin, and explores themes of mysticism and the temporary nature of life. Yeats felt an internal struggle with the contradictions he felt in his nature and in life, and spent much of his life seeking out a philosophical system to resolve this conflict.
The Sea-Gull and The Swan Song
For its brilliant use of subtext «The Sea-Gull» is considered to be one of Anton Chekhov's most significant dramatic works. It is the story of the romantic and artistic conflicts between four main characters: Nina, the daughter of a wealthy landowner; Madame Irina Arkadina, a once leading actress; Konstantin Treplyov, her son and a playwright; and Trigorin, a well-known writer. Additionally in this edition you will find the much shorter one act play «The Swan Song».
The League of Youth
"The League of Youth" is Henrik Ibsen's comedic play which is the story of Stensgaard, a charismatic would-be politician, who forms the 'League of Youth' party and attempts to get elected. The character of Stensgaard is supposedly based on writer Bjornstjerne Bjornson, a contemporary of Ibsen and political opposition leader. Praised for its witty dialogue and cynical humor, «The League of Youth» was one of Ibsen's most popular 19th century plays.
The Staple of News
Benjamin Jonson (1572-1637) was a Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor, known best for his satirical plays and lyric poems. His career began in 1597 when he held a fixed engagement in «The Admiral's Men», and although he was unsuccessful as an actor, his literary talent was apparent and he began writing original plays for the troupe. Although Jonson attained a long and thriving career, the majority of his major works for which he is revered were produced between 1605 and 1620. Part of his late comedies, dubbed by Dryden as his «dotages,» «The Staple of News» is a satire on the newspaper and news agency business that was quickly developing at the time. The plot draws on at least five plays by Aristophanes, and tells the story of the plutocratic Lady Pecunia, an array of wooers and jeerers, and a group of women who represent «females out of control,» a common theme of Jonson's work.
The Magnetic Lady, or, Humours Reconciled
Benjamin Jonson (1572-1637) was a Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor, known best for his satirical plays and lyric poems. His career began in 1597 when he held a fixed engagement in «The Admiral's Men», and although he was unsuccessful as an actor, his literary talent was apparent and he began writing original plays for the troupe. Although Jonson attained a long and thriving career, the majority of his major works for which he is revered were produced between 1605 and 1620. In his declining years he produced a number of works dubbed by Dryden as his «dotages,» and although less popular than his earlier plays, they remain significant for their portrayal of Charles I's England. His final comedy, «The Magnetic Lady, or Humours Reconciled,» tells the story of a chaotic but revealing dinner party, with the wealthy Lady Loadstone, her attractive young niece, Placentia Steel, a group of amorous but foolish suitors, and a few out of control female servants.
The Cherry Orchard
"The Cherry Orchard" was the last play written by Anton Chekhov and is widely regarded as one of his greatest dramatic accomplishments. It is the story of an aristocratic Russian woman and her family who return to their estate, a cherry orchard, to oversee the auction of the estate in order to pay the mortgage. The rise of the middle class and the decline of the aristocracy that was prevalent at the end of the 20th century in Russia, and ultimately led to the Socialistic Revolution, are excellently portrayed in Chekhov's «The Cherry Orchard».