The Great North American Stage Directors: Set 1 offers an authoritative account of the work, lineage and legacy of the major theatre directors prior to 1970, where the role of the director is seen primarily as interpreter.

Across the four volumes it provides a uniquely rich study of the genealogy and development of a practice through focus on individual directors and the wider context and artform in which they worked. For professional practitioners and those developing their skills, as well as those engaged in the analysis of theatre practices, forms and history, it will prove an essential resource.

Each volume provides substantial treatment of three major directors, with each director considered by two specialists, combining analysis of the director’s practical craft with accounts of the historical, cultural and theoretical context of their practice. Links between the featured directors and other artists and directors from the period are traced to round out the picture of influences and artistic development.

Volume 1: David Belasco, Arthur Hopkins, Margaret Webster: Broadway Luminaries (edited by Cheryl Black, University of Missouri, USA)

Volume 2: Harold Clurman, Orson Welles, Margo Jones: The Director in the Company (edited by Jonathan Chambers, Bowling Green State University, USA)

Volume 3: Elia Kazan, Jerome Robbins, Lloyd Richards: Urban Spaces, Poetic Realisms (edited by Harvey Young, Boston University, USA)

Volume 4: George Abbott, Vinnette Carroll, Harold Prince: Musical Theatre Innovators (edited by Henry Bial, University of Kansas, USA, and Chase Bringardner, Auburn University, USA)

Featuring 36 illustrations, the eight volumes from Sets 1 and 2 of The Great North American Stage Directors series combine to present the most authoritative survey available on North American theatre directors.