When Gerald Bordman's Oxford Companion to American Theatre appeared in 1984, Back Stage hailed it as "a major reference work [that] provides a wealth of authoritative information." Newsday described it as "the first attempt at an American theater history that has substantial educational value," and The Los Angeles Times called it "the almost perfect gift book for both the student and the theater lover." The book quickly established itself as the standard one-volume resource on the American stage. Now Bordman gives us an abridgement of his massive original volume, eliminating many entries on minor plays and figures, but preserving those articles that are of the widest general interest. Altogether there are more than 2,000 entries, accessibly and attractively arranged in the two-column, A-Z format for which the Companion series is famous. The major achievements of playwrights Eugene O'Neill, Clifford Odets, Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, and many more are represented in hundreds of biographical sketches and summaries of individual plays. In addition, this volume updates information on contemporary topics and includes a number of new articles.
來源: Google Book