World Theories of Theatre (PDF)

World Theories of Theatre expands the horizons of theatrical theory beyond the West, providing the tools essential for a truly global approach to theatre.

Identifying major debates in theatrical theory from around the world, combining discussions of the key theoretical questions facing theatre studies with extended excerpts from primary materials, specific primary materials, case studies and coverage of Southern Africa, the Caribbean, North Africa and the Middle East, Oceania, Latin America, East Asia, and India. The volume is divided into three sections:

• Theoretical questions, which applies cross-cultural perspectives to key issues from aesthetics to postcolonialism, interculturalism, and globalization.


• Cultural and literary theory, which is organised by region, presenting a range of theatrical theories in their historical and cultural context.


• Practical exercises, which provides a brief series of suggestions for physical exploration of these theoretical concepts.

World Theories of Theatre presents fresh, vital ways of thinking about the theatre, highlighting the extraordinary diversity of approaches available to scholars and students of theatre studies.

This volume includes theoretical excerpts from:

• Zeami Motokiyo


• Bharata Muni


• Wole Soyinka


• Femi Osofisan


• Uptal Dutt


• Saadallah Wannous


• Enrique Buenaventura


• Derek Walcott


• Werewere Liking


• Maryrose Casey


• Augusto Boal


• Tadashi Suzuki


• Jiao Juyin


• Oriza Hirata


• Gao Xingjian


• Roma Potiki


• Poile Sengupta