America's fascination with Shakespeare is a curious singularity, and this book looks at one of the most recent examples of this strange marriage: the NEA's program, "Shakespeare in American Communities" (SIAC). Through a close analysis of a SIAC materials and reactions, this book uncovers the ideology that courses through the program. This ideology is one of patriotism, democracy, diversity and decency; Shakespeare has been appropriated to a specifically American context in order to promote ideals that are in line with the current conservative trend in politics.

The seven plays of Yasmina Reza, one of France's most prominent female playwrights, are popular both in France and abroad. Despite her commercial success, her plays have often been ignored in academic circles, and few scholars have attempted to explore the mechanics of her playwriting. This text seeks to unpack the essentials of Reza's style and to explore each play as a component of Reza's theatrical oeuvre. The result is a fuller understanding of her theatrical poetics and her development as an artist.