Focusing on the practical means and media of Shakespeare's stage, this study envisions horizons for his achievement in the theatre. Bridging the gap between today's page- and stage-centred interpretations, two renowned Shakespeareans demonstrate the artful means by which Shakespeare responded to the competing claims of acting and writing in the Elizabethan era. They examine how the playwright explored issues of performance through the resonant trio of clown, fool and cross-dressed boy actor. Like this trio, his deepest and most captivating characters often attain their power through the highly performative mode of 'personation' - through playing the character as an open secret. Surveying the whole of the playwright's career in the theatre, Shakespeare and the Power of Performance offers not only compelling ways of approaching the relation of performance and print in Shakespeare's works, but also new models for understanding dramatic character itself.

This book demonstrates the artful means by which Shakespeare responded to the competing claims of acting and writing in the Elizabethan era.
Reviews
Review of the hardback: 'Learned, readable, and provocative, this extraordinary book brings the range and depth of Robert Weimann's and Douglas Bruster's rich knowledge of the early modern stage to bear on a theoretically engaging reading of the interplay between dramatic writing and stage performance.' W. B. Worthen, University of Michigan
Review of the hardback: 'This convincing study radically extends our understanding of the productive interplay between text and theatre in Shakespeare's work. Weimann and Bruster brilliantly analyse the actor-playwright's skill in turning to advantage the potentially uneasy relation between the imagination of the author and the material reality of his actors.' Catherine Belsey, University of Wales, Swansea
Review of the hardback: '... essential reading for anyone teaching or studying Shakespeare, as well as those working in the theatre ...' Robert Hornback



Book Information
ISBN 9780521182836
Author Robert Weimann
Format Paperback
Page Count 278
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 410g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 16mm