Of all Shakespeare's tragedies, Othello, with its issues of racism, jealousy and sexual stereotyping seems most immediate to contemporary audiences. Traces Othello's acting tradition as it has affected the roles of Othello, Desdemona and Iago - demonstrating the emphasis placed on different characters in different countries. Examines various stage and screen versions of the play which reflect or challenge current views about race and gender. In depth study of famous Othello actor Paul Robeson, comparing his career to that of Ira Aldridge. The range of productions examined means that the book...

Links acting traditions with cultural milieu. No other book on Hamlet on the stage covers as much theoretical ground. Covers a number of foreign productions and pays much attention to the role of scenography .

This study examines the profound changes that 20th-century performance has wrought on Shakespeare's complex drama of war and politics. What was accepted at the turn of the century as a patriotic celebration of a national hero has emerged in the modern theatre as a dark and troubling analysis of the causes and costs of war. This book details the theatrical innovations and political insights that have turned one of Shakespeare's most tradition-bound plays into one of his most popular and provocative. James Loehlin is Associate Professor of English, University of Austin at Texas.

This updated and expanded analysis of King Lear in performance includes new chapters on the television version of the Royal National Theatre production directed by Richard Eyre and starring Ian Holm; and on Akira Kurosawa's 'Ran'. Earlier chapters provide close, detailed analyses of the stage, film and television interpretations of John Gielgud, Harley Granville Barker, Paul Scofield, Peter Brook, Peter Ustinov, Michael Gambon, Adrian Noble, Grigori Kozintsev, Michael Hordern, Jonathan Miller, Laurence Olivier and Michael Elliott.
By examining such issues as the playing of Lear, the...

This title explores the myriad decisions directors and actors make to produce a version of Shakespeare's play. It's full discussions of eighteen productions from the UK, Italy, Japan and the US empower readers to appreciate the many choices Shakespeare's text supports.