Shakespeare; Performance and the Archive is a ground-breaking and movingly written exploration of what remains when actors evacuate the space and time of performance.? An analysis of lsquo;leftoversrsquo;; it moves between tracking the politics of what is consciously archived and the politics of visible and invisible theatrical labour to trace the persistence of performance. In this fascinating volume; Hodgdon considers how documents; material objects; sketches; drawings and photographs explore scenarios of action and behaviour ndash; and embodied practices. Rather than viewing these leftovers as indexical signs of a theatrical past; Hodgdon argues that the work they do is neither strictly archival nor documentary but performative ndash; that is; they serve as sites of re-performance. Shakespeare; Performance and the Archive creates a deeply materialized historiography of performance and attempts to make that history do something entirely new.Barbara Hodgdon is Professor of English at the University of Michigan; now retired. Her major interest is in theatrical performances; especially performed Shakespeare. She is the author of: The End Crowns All; The Shakespeare Trade; and most recently the Arden edition of The Taming of the Shrew.
#2129864 in eBooks 2015-10-05 2015-10-05File Name: B0166ZOSLO
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Highly instructive tips for conducting a play reading from start to finish.By CustomerHaving started out "winging it" with play readings and then developing a better appreciation for what is at stake for the playwright. I respect the care and detail that Rob has taken with writing a book like this to give precise directions while also offering contradictory viewpoints about this very specific area of theatre. It is a valuable resource for the discipline and industry.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Lots of useful information in a concise and easy-to-read formatBy L. GarzaA "must have" for any theatre professional. Or amateur. for that matter. Lots of useful information in a concise and easy-to-read format. Urbinatis has clearly done his research and knows his subject well.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Rob Urbinati has literally written the book on play readingsBy Max SparberA quick caveat: the author has directed several readings of my own plays. Urbinati can claim as much experience with play readings as anybody on earth. and has produced a dense. exceptionally detailed. quite readable book explaining how to present the text of a play to an audience. He understands the various reasons for having a reading. and that different sorts of readings often require different approaches.Readings used to be a fairly informal process. but in the past few decades their use has exploded. Plays are read as part of a workshopping process. they are read to interest theaters. or potential investors. or audience members. As a result. a number of best practices have evolved that allow the text to be best represented. short of putting together a staged production. Urbinati walks you through these best-practices. and. as a result. the book is invaluable to anyone who might be involved in a play reading. from producers to actors to playwrights.
