Shakespeare in the Theatre: Shakespeare Theatre Company

Shakespeare in the Theatre: Shakespeare Theatre Company chronicles the transformation of a small repertory troupe into an internationally renowned company, exploring the artistic vision and business acumen of Michael Kahn, neoliberalism, globalization, and new media. It also examines the ambivalence of American theatre artists toward their British cultural inheritance and analyses representative productions and interviews with Kahn and his British successor, Simon Godwin.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 05 September 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Shakespeare in the Theatre: Shakespeare Theatre Company is a captivating book that chronicles the remarkable transformation of a small repertory troupe at the Folger Theatre on Capitol Hill into an internationally renowned company performing in a lavish, multi-venue performing arts centre in downtown Washington, D.C. The artistic vision and business acumen of Michael Kahn, the founding Artistic Director, played a pivotal role in this transformation, but it was also influenced by the forces of neoliberalism, globalization, and new media. The book delves into the directorial decision-making process and explores the social and economic changes that have taken place in the nation's capital over three decades, from the complexities of gentrification to the arts policies of successive administrations. In addition to discussions of directorial practice, the book examines the ambivalence of American theatre artists toward their British cultural inheritance. Analyses of representative productions and interviews with Kahn and his British successor, Simon Godwin, shed light on this complex relationship, which aims to achieve cosmopolitan Anglophilia while positioning classically trained American actors as worthy rivals to their counterparts at the RSC and the National Theatre of Great Britain.

Weight: 312g
Dimension: 198 x 132 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350352681