The Longman Anthology of Drama and Theater, Compact Edition, is a fully-integrated text/anthology of drama with a global emphasis for the Introduction to Drama course.

The Compact Edition is divided into three parts. Part One examines the roots of theater and the theoretical and critical foundations of theater and drama. Part Two, an anthology of Western Theater, and Part Three, an anthology of non-western theater, are divided into historical and geographical sections, each preceded by a brief overview of the cultural and historical context that shaped the plays. A map and timeline of key historical, cultural, and artistic events precedes each section in Parts II and III.

Preceding each section of plays is a brief overview of the history of the theater from its origins in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas to the present. The ideas that inspired the dramas are considered, as well as the particulars of each performance. In the interest of creating a clean, uncluttered text, selected bibliographies are at the end of the book.

Questions for Discussion and Writing are included in the accompanying Instructor's Manual, as well as more thorough bibliographies and a comprehensive list of films and videos that illustrate the ideas in the text.