Acting direction stagecraft theatre architecture & design the extraordinary evolution of dramatic literature here is an all-embracing & richly illustrated history global in scope & ranging from the ancient origins of the theatre in the choral hymns sung around the altar of Dionysus to the fascinating variety of forms that it has taken in our own age For this fourth edition Enoch Brater Kenneth T Rowe Professor of Dramatic Literature at the University of Michigan & a specialist on modern & contemporary drama has revised & extended his final chapter to update the discussion He surveys performance art political theatre new genres live broadcasts & extravagant spectacles showcasing the constant & dynamic evolution of stage performance from classics reinvented to groundbreaking new work