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Overview
The English Stage tells the story of English drama through its many changes in style and convention from medieval times to the present day. John Styan analyzes the key features of staging, including early street theater and public performance, the evolution of the playhouse and the private space, and the pairing of theory and stagecraft in the works of modern dramatists. Giving a critical performance analysis, the author closely examines a few key plays from each age to demonstrate how they succeed on stage. He also focuses on several major playwrights—Marlowe, Shakespeare, Jonson, and Shaw—and discusses their stagecraft in detail. Styan can be considered among a small number of influential scholars who have helped to develop theater history from its origins in literary studies into an independent and respected field.