among the best. As for the academic approaches, readers will understand
that this is not a work of theatre history; nor do I offer criticism of indi-
vidual plays or performances. The choice to construct the book around
particular topics–like‘politics’or‘truth’–has meant that I do not offer
a chronological account of the development of the philosophy of theatre.
Nor, in general, do I dwell on the very different customs and practices
associated with particular kinds of theatre at particular times (although
I have tried to bring out relevant details at certain points). Although
theatre practices have changed enormously over time, the problems,
arguments and conceptual clarifications offered in these chapters are wide-
ranging enough, I hope, to stand up on their own. Whereas many writers
on theatre view it under the general scope of‘performance’–taken to
include theatre, but also sports, religious rituals, political rallies and even
the kinds of‘performances’that we all might be said to put on in every-
day interactions with each other–I focus relatively narrowly on theatre,
the art form. Much that is discussed in these pages could bear upon other
kinds of performance and upon other forms of art, but I have found that
there’s plenty to say about theatre alone.^5 Nor,finally, do I explore var-
ious recent trends that take philosophy itself to have something essen-
tially theatrical, dramatic or performative about it; such an omission
should not be taken as a dismissal of these views, which in any case are
highly varied: to give them their due would take us in a completely
different direction.
It is my conviction that the philosophical approaches set out in this
book can help us to clarify our thoughts about theatre and provoke us
into thinking in new ways. But there’s no reason to think that philoso-
phers are uniquely positioned to shed light on theatre, and this book
makes no such claim. Instead, I hope that the reader will find these
philosophical enquiries to be one instructive mode of thinking about
theatre–to be combined, fruitfully, with many others. That, in any case,
has been my experience.
Further Reading: General
For those who are inclined to begin at the beginning, reading Aris-
tophanes’The Cloudsalongside Plato’sApologyandSymposiumis a highly
rewarding experience. As for modern introductory texts: Carlson (1993) is
an extraordinarily comprehensive, chronological survey of theatre theory
in all of its various guises from Aristotle to the twentieth century–far
broader in scope than the present volume; Brown (1995), Williams
(2006) and Brockett & Hildy (2010) are extremely helpful introductions
to the history of theatre, together with further reading; Balme (2008)
introduces theatre studies to unfamiliar readers, while Bial (2004) does
xii Preface