A Treasury Of The Theatre (Three-Volume Set)
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Author: John Gassner
Binding: Hardback
Published: Simon and Schuster, 1963
Condition:
Book: Good
Jacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage
Pages: Yellowed
Markings: No markings
John Gassner’s A Treasury of the Theatre assembles a commanding three-volume anthology of dramatic literature, presenting a curated sweep of world drama from classical antiquity to mid-20th-century modernism. The collection instructs readers in the evolution of theatrical form and argument, detailing landmark works from Aeschylus and Shakespeare to Ibsen, Sartre, and Miller. Gassner argues for drama as both literary art and social commentary, illustrating how playwrights have shaped public discourse through character, conflict, and staging. Volume I: From Aeschylus to Turgenev presents a sweeping historical arc from classical Greek tragedy through Renaissance and Romantic drama, featuring canonical works by Sophocles, Shakespeare, Molière, and others. Gassner’s editorial framing emphasizes the development of dramatic form and moral inquiry, offering readers a structured foundation in the evolution of Western theatre. Volume II: Modern European Drama—from Ibsen to Sartre focuses on the rise of realism, symbolism, and existentialism in continental theatre. With selections from Ibsen, Chekhov, Pirandello, Brecht, and Sartre, this volume explores how modern playwrights challenged conventions to reflect psychological depth, political unrest, and philosophical rebellion. Volume III: Modern English and American Drama showcases the emergence of 20th-century Anglophone theatre, including works by Wilde, Shaw, O’Neill, Williams, and Miller. Gassner highlights themes of identity, social critique, and domestic tension, while also tracing the shift toward experimental and absurdist forms in postwar drama.
Author: John Gassner
Binding: Hardback
Published: Simon and Schuster, 1963
Condition:
Book: Good
Jacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage
Pages: Yellowed
Markings: No markings
John Gassner’s A Treasury of the Theatre assembles a commanding three-volume anthology of dramatic literature, presenting a curated sweep of world drama from classical antiquity to mid-20th-century modernism. The collection instructs readers in the evolution of theatrical form and argument, detailing landmark works from Aeschylus and Shakespeare to Ibsen, Sartre, and Miller. Gassner argues for drama as both literary art and social commentary, illustrating how playwrights have shaped public discourse through character, conflict, and staging. Volume I: From Aeschylus to Turgenev presents a sweeping historical arc from classical Greek tragedy through Renaissance and Romantic drama, featuring canonical works by Sophocles, Shakespeare, Molière, and others. Gassner’s editorial framing emphasizes the development of dramatic form and moral inquiry, offering readers a structured foundation in the evolution of Western theatre. Volume II: Modern European Drama—from Ibsen to Sartre focuses on the rise of realism, symbolism, and existentialism in continental theatre. With selections from Ibsen, Chekhov, Pirandello, Brecht, and Sartre, this volume explores how modern playwrights challenged conventions to reflect psychological depth, political unrest, and philosophical rebellion. Volume III: Modern English and American Drama showcases the emergence of 20th-century Anglophone theatre, including works by Wilde, Shaw, O’Neill, Williams, and Miller. Gassner highlights themes of identity, social critique, and domestic tension, while also tracing the shift toward experimental and absurdist forms in postwar drama.