Blood on the Stage, 1925-1950: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection - Hardcover

Kabatchnik, Amnon

9780810869639: Blood on the Stage, 1925-1950: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810869632 ISBN 13: 9780810869639

Publisher: Scarecrow Press, 2009

In Blood on the Stage, 1925-1950: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection: An Annotated Repertoire, author Amnon Kabatchnik continues the focus of his previous volume (1900-1925) and provides an overview of the most important and memorable theatrical works of crime and detection of this period. Addressing the development of this genre in the legitimate theatre, Kabatchnik discusses more than 150 full-length plays produced between 1925 and 1950.

Arranged in chronological order, the productions cited are all works of enduring importance, pioneering contributions, singular innovations, and outstanding success. Many of the most notable playwrights of the era are represented, including Edgar Wallace, Eugene O'Neill, Ayn Rand, Jean-Paul Sartre, J.B. Priestley, and Agatha Christie. Each of the plays featured revolves around murder, theft, chicanery, kidnapping, political intrigue, or espionage. Each entry includes a plot synopsis, production data, and the opinions of well known and respected critics and scholars.

The plays in this era include psychological thrillers and baffling whodunits, among them such memorable works as The Threepenny Opera, Rope, The Petrified Forest, Night Must Fall, Arsenic and Old Lace, An Inspector Calls, and Detective Story.

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About the Author:

Amnon Kabatchnik, now retired, was a Professor of Theatre at SUNY Binghamton, Stanford University, Ohio State University, Florida State University, and Elmira College. He is the author of Blood on the Stage: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery and Detection, An Annotated Repertoire, 1900-1925 (2008) and Sherlock Holmes: A Chronological Encyclopedia of Plays Featuring the Great Detective (2008), both published by Scarecrow Press.

Review:

Rich in names, dates, and facts. . . . Kabatchnik is making an extraordinary contribution to mystery scholarship. (Mystery Scene Magazine, Spring 2010)

This material is astonishingly complete and up to date. The author correctly describes this work as a 'labor of love'. It is also a fascinating document that deserves a place in any library with a sizable collection on theater. (American Reference Books Annual)

Succint, but lively and tantalizing.... If anything, his latest book is bigger and better. In the terminology of the world of theatre, it's a hit! (Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine, Spring 2010)

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