Realism and the American Dramatic Tradition

Abstract

Any review of 20th-century theatre invariably leads to the term realism. Yet despite the strong tradition of theatrical realism on the stage, the term is frequently misidentified, and the practices to which it refers are often attacked as monolithically tyrannical, restricting the potential of the national theatre. This book reconsiders realism on the stage by addressing the great variety and richness of the plays that form the theatre canon. By reconsidering the form and revisiting many of the plays that contributed to the realist tradition, the authors provide the opportunity to apprise strengths often overlooked by previous critics. The volume traces the development of dramatic realism from James A. Herne, the American Ibsen, to currently active contemporaries such as Sam Shepard, David Mamet and Marsha Norman.

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