Critical Theory and Performance presents a broad range of critical and theoretical methods, and applies them to contemporary and historical performance genres - from stage plays, dance-dramas, performance art, cabaret, stand-up comedy, and jazz to circus, street theater, and shamanistic ritual. As the first comprehensive introduction to critical theory's rich and diverse contributions to the study of drama, theater, and performance, the book has been highly influential for more than a decade in providing fertile ground for academic investigations of the lively field of performance studies. The revised edition presents sixteen new essays by the field's leading critics and practitioners, reflecting recent trends in performance studies and paving the way for future work. The essays are organized into nine theoretical categories (Performance Analysis, Postcolonial Studies, Critical Race Theory, History and Historiography, After Marx, Gender and Sexualities, Psychoanalysis, Performance Studies, and Mediatized Cultures), each contextualized with an introduction by editors Janelle G. Reinelt and Joseph R. Roach. The resulting volume is a unique and indispensable tool for scholars, teachers, and students.

After Brecht: British Epic Theater is the first book to fully explore contemporary British drama in the light of the influence of German playwright Bertolt Brecht. Focusing on the work of Howard Brenton, Edward Bond, Caryl Churchill, David Hare, Trevor Griffiths, and John McGrath, the book examines Brechtian techniques and style within the work of each playwright, while highlighting the divergent development of each. The book has been enriched by the author's in-depth conversations with the playwrights. The topics covered include contemporary politics and the theater, the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and such well-known fringe companies as Foco Novo, Joint Stock, Portable Theatre, and 7:84. Reinelt examines each playwright within an interpretive frame drawn from an application of Brecht's theories and practice to the historically specific situation of post-war British theater. The book will appeal to those interested in the relationship between politics and art and contemporary European theater and its antecedents.