Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

Drama for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Dramas. Vol 24. Edited by Jennifer Greve and Ira Mark Milne. Detroit, Mich.: Gale, 2007. 1 vol. 362 p. $100.00. ISBN 10: 0-7876-8120-2; 978-0-7876-8120-3.

The editors say the purpose of this reference "is to provide readers with a guide to understanding, enjoying, and studying dramas by giving them easy access to information about the work." Selections were made by looking at curricula, researching anthologies, and asking members of the advisory board. A literary chronology in the foreword begins with Sophocle's birth in 496 BC and ends in 2005 with August Wilson’s death. Each entry begins with the name of the drama, the author’s name and the date of publication. Entries then have an introduction, an author biography, a plot summary, a description of the major characters, the themes, style, historical context, a critical overview, a critical essay, sources and further reading. Inset boxes have media adaptations, quotations, topics for further study, a section of compare and contrast, and a list of books under "What do I read next?" The 14 authors whose dramatic works are included are Anonymous author of "Arden of Faversham," Behn, Cocteau, Fugard, Glaspell, Greenberg, Jensen, Kopit, Leonard, Osborne, Shear, Sophocles, Simon, and Wilson. Black and white photos of some of the authors and some photographs illustrate the text. Appendixes include a glossary of literary terms, a cumulative author and title index, a cumulative nationality/ethnicity index in case your teachers have access to all 23 previous volumes, and a subject/theme index for this single volume. This will be very helpful for literature classes who study these authors or for teachers who would like to model the method of study.