Зарубежная драматургия
Различные книги в жанре Зарубежная драматургияFive Plays (The Revenger's Tragedy and Other Plays)
Thomas Middleton (1580-1627), a bricklayer's son, rose to become one of the most eminent playwrights of the Jacobean period. Along with Ben Johnson he helped shape the dynamic course of drama in Renaissance England. His range is broad, as his work successfully covers comedy, tragedy, and history. Praised during his life as well as today, Middleton remains relevant and influential. This edition collects five of his most treasured dramas, demonstrating the breadth of his abilities. «A Trick to Catch the Old One» (1608) and «A Chaste Maid in Cheapside» (1630) are both delightful comedies of greed and lust. «Women Beware Women» (1637) and «The Revenger's Tragedy» (1607) are both deft tales of the pitfalls of vice, wealth, and sex. Lastly, «The Changeling» (1653) is Middleton's most refined and respected tragedy. It has experienced consistent success both upon its initial release and in modern times, with frequent staging over the past hundred years. «The Changeling» is a dark tale of deception and desire exploring the ways in which these impulses transform human beings, often to tragic ends. All five plays demonstrate Middleton's numerous gifts as a playwright of his time, gifts that helped shape the course of English literature.
The Revenger's Tragedy
Thomas Middleton (1580-1627), a bricklayer's son, rose to become one of the most eminent playwrights of the Jacobean period. Along with Ben Johnson he helped shape the dynamic course of drama in Renaissance England. His range is broad, as his work successfully covers comedy, tragedy, and history. Praised during his life as well as today, Middleton remains relevant and influential. «The Revenger's Tragedy» (1607) stays in line with the other revenge tragedies of its day, yet this particular drama is set in the high Italian court. The play follows the young son of an Italian duke through his attempt to revenge the death of an elder through the rape of the beautiful Gloriana. Yet this intricate tragedy moves far beyond its narrative drama—we see thematic exploration of justice, corruption, lust, and family. The play has gained in popularity in recent years, being produced on numerous stages in England and North America. «The Revenger's Tragedy» demonstrates Middleton's varied talents as a master dramatist.
The Player Queen
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. His father's love of reading aloud exposed Yeats early on to William Shakespeare, the Romantic poets and the pre-Raphaelites, and developed an interest in Irish myths and folklore. As a result, he became an instrumental figure in the «Irish Literary Revival» of the 20th Century that redefined Irish writing. In 1899 Yeats helped found the Irish National Theatre Society, which later became the famous Abbey Theatre of Dublin. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923, and received honorary degrees from Queen's University (Belfast), Trinity College (Dublin), and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. In this volume we find one of Yeats' lesser-known works, «The Player Queen».
The Voyage to Parnassus, The Siege of Numantia, and The Treaty of Algiers
Considered by many as the greatest of all Spanish authors, Miguel de Cervantes is most well-known of course for «Don Quixote,» a work of such literary impact that its historical importance cannot be understated. Unfortunately Cervantes' other works are often overlooked and characterized as inferior to his masterpiece. While his other writings never gained the popularity of «Don Quixote,» he did author several other works that are worthy of consideration. Amongst these are «The Voyage to Parnassus,» «The Siege of Numantia,» and «The Treaty of Algiers.» Considered by some as Cervantes best work next to «Don Quixote,» «The Voyage to Parnassus» is a comedic work first published in 1614 which satirizes his lyrical contemporaries. «The Siege of Numantia» is a dramatic tragedy composed around 1582 which follows the tradition of classic ancient Greek and Roman epics like Virgil's «Aeneid» and Lucan's «Pharsalia.» Another play, «The Treaty of Algiers,» deals with the life of Christian slaves in Algiers and is based on Cervantes' own experiences as a captive of the Moors.
Major Barbara
"Major Barbara" is the story of its title character who as an officer in the Salvation Army becomes disenfranchised by the increasing social problems that she sees and the willingness of her organization to accept money from armament manufacturers. George Bernard Shaw's three-act drama is considered one of his most controversial for the criticisms that it levels against religion for contributing to the problems of society at the time.
Man and Superman and Three Other Plays
George Bernard Shaw, one of Britain's most acclaimed playwrights, produced a large wealth of dramatic and comedic plays during his lifetime. In «Man and Superman and Three Other Plays,» four of his most famous works are presented. In 1903's «Man and Superman,» we find a play that on the surface is a mere comedy of manners but upon deeper examination delves into the philosophic themes outlined by Nietzsche's «Ubermensch,» or more distinctly man's journey towards self-fulfillment and perfection. «Candida» questions the Victorian notions of love and marriage, and it looks to discover what both men and women expect from their partners. In «Mrs. Warren's Profession,» a daughter is horrified to hear about her mother's profession as a brothel owner. Shaw sought to expose the hypocrisies present in the Victorian middle class through each character's relationship with Mrs. Kitty Warren. Finally, Shaw's first financial success came from «The Devil's Disciple,» the story about self-proclaimed outcast and British supporter Richard Dudgeon during the American Revolution. Yet when he is mistaken for the local minister, a colonial sympathizer, Richard shocks everyone and keeps his own identity a secret. «Man and Superman and Three Other Plays» will please readers as a representative collection of one of Britain's most accomplished and prolific playwrights.
The Admirable Crichton
Sir James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937), best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan, was a Scottish author and dramatist whose works have enjoyed frequent revivals in film and on stage. One of his most penetrating and socially critical plays was «The Admirable Crichton», which first appeared in 1902 at the Duke of York's Theatre in London. The comical play deals with questions of social hierarchy, and sheds light on a society where rank is established by birth, not by intelligence or ability. Crichton, the main character, is a respectful butler in the house of Lord Loam, quite content with his station in life. However, when he and a group of British aristocrats become stranded on a desert island, a startling role reversal takes place. Less shocking now than to the theatre-going public of 1902, the themes of natural selection and a flawed class-system in «The Admirable Crichton» are still very relevant today.
Life is a Dream
The death of Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600-1681) marked the end of Spain's Golden Age of literary and artistic excellence, and his immense popularity and mastery of Spanish drama has earned him notoriety as the national dramatist of Spain. Although he came from a family of lower nobility, his theater is often associated with the royal court, as he presented many plays in the palace of Philip IV. His best known work, «Life Is a Dream», borrows material from several other sources and transforms it into a masterful philosophical drama. The story of King Basil of Poland and his son, Segismund, is a complex and improbable plot featuring themes of the awakened sleeper, Christian grace, pagan superstition, and the popular Spanish theme of God's grace revealing nobility. This play has been translated and performed in many different languages, and it remains an unquestioned masterpiece of world theater.
The Critic
In «The Critic» Richard Brinsley Sheridan turns his attention to satirize the Theatre and all the people engaged in the business of the Theatre in late 18th century England. The critic of the story is a man by the name of Mr. Dangle and the play that is the subject of criticism is a horribly written production named «The Spanish Armada». Fans of Sheridan will delight in this lesser known work.
Hedda Gabler
"Hedda Gabler" is one of Henrik Ibsen's greatest dramas. It is the story of its title character, Hedda, a self-centered manipulative woman who has grown tired of her marriage. To escape her boredom she begins to meddle in the lives of others with truly tragic results. Ibsen's «Hedda Gabler» is a monumental achievement in dramatic tragedy.