For centuries scholars, philosophers, and practitioners have attempted to explain just what constitutes comedy, and though no one has come close to a definitive explanation, each attempt highlights some distinct facet of the genre--the genre that Woody Allen has said eats at the children s table . . . even in the world of scholarship.

The essays gathered in Volume 16 of the annual journal Theatre Symposium illustrate well the range of material that falls under the heading comedy as it is played on stage.

Stanley Longman s essay on The Commedia dell Arte as the...