Nights That Shook the Stage

Dwayne Brenna is the award-winning author of eight books of humor, poetry, fiction and non-fiction. He is a professor in the drama department at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.

• Table of ContentsPrefaceOf Murder and PremonitionsChapter 1. Who Is Dead in the White House? Our American Cousin, Ford’s Theatre, Washington, April 14, 1865Chapter 2. A Night at the Adelphi: Secret Service, Adelphi Theatre, London, December 16, 1897Chapter 3. A Beauty That Cannot Be Conveyed: Machinal, Plymouth Theatre, New York, September 7, 1928Chapter 4. All Hell Broke Loose: Halla Bol, Janya Natya Manch, Jhandapur, India, January 1, 1989Brave New TheatersChapter 5. Free Theater: The Serenade, Théâtre Libre, Paris, December 23, 1887Chapter 6: The Slavyanski Bazaar: The Moscow Art Theatre, June 22, 1897Chapter 7. A Wonderful, Heretical Play: The Seagull, Moscow Art Theatre, Moscow, December 17, 1898Chapter 8. La Mama: One Arm, Café La Mama, New York, July 27, 1962Riotous BehaviorChapter 9. Old Price: Macbeth, Covent Garden Theatre, London, September 18, 1809.Chapter 10. A Cut-Throat Competition: Macbeth, Astor Place Opera House, New York, May 10, 1849Chapter 11. Round Dance: La Ronde, Deutsches Volkstheater, Vienna, February 7, 1921Chapter 12. Oh, What an Arse You Have! Oh! Calcutta!, Eden Theater, New York, June 17, 1969Theatrical QuarrelsChapter 13. La Querelle: The Rehearsal at Versailles, The Palace at Versailles, October 14, 1663Chapter 14. Nora’s Incomprehensible Act: A Doll’s House, Royal Theatre, Copenhagen, December 21, 1879Chapter 15. A Mighty Personage: Ubu Roi, Théâtre de l’Œuvre, Paris, December 10, 1896Chapter 16. A Purse to the Jaw: The Little Foxes, National Theatre, New York, February 13, 1939Theater Out of DoorsChapter 17. Second Prize: Oedipus Tyrannus, The City Dionysia, Athens, March 427 bcChapter 18. Moving the Globe: The Globe Theatre, London, December 28, 1598Chapter 19. Good Cheer: The Theatre of Neptune, Port Royal, New France, November 14, 1606A Tale of Two CountriesChapter 20. In the Palm of One’s Hand: The Frozen Deep, Tavistock House, January 5, 1857Chapter 21. First Knight: The Bells, Lyceum Theatre, London, November 25, 1871Chapter 22. The Meininger: Julius Caesar, Friedrich Wilhelm Municipal Theatre, Berlin, May 1, 1874Chapter 23. Genius or Madman? The Ring of Nibelung, Bayreuth Festspielhaus, Germany, August 13, 1876Political TheaterChapter 24. Threepenny: The Threepenny Opera, Theatre am Schiffbauerdamm, Berlin, August 31, 1928Chapter 25. Coughing and Sighs: The Song of the Chaste Wife, Shinkyō Theater Company, Japan and Korea, March 1938Chapter 26. Acid Test: Marat/Sade, Aldwych Theatre, London, August 20, 1964.Reactions to WarChapter 27. Marinetti: The Feasting King, Théâtre de l’Œuvre, Paris, April 3, 1909Chapter 28. Dada: Dada Early Spring, Cologne, April 1920Chapter 29. Ill Omens: The Glass Menagerie, Civic Theatre, Chicago, December 26, 1944Chapter 30. Waiting: Waiting for Godot, San Quentin Prison, California, November 19, 1957The Angry 1950sChapter 31. Look Back: Look Back in Anger, Royal Court Theatre, London, May 8, 1956Chapter 32. The Man Who Discovered Pinter: The Room, University of Bristol, England, May 1957Chapter 33. Hansberry: A Raisin in the Sun, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York, March 11, 1959True North Chapter 34. Spittle in the Face: Richard III, Stratford Festival, Stratford, Canada, July 13, 1953Chapter 35. 1967: Fortune and Men’s Eyes, Colours in the Dark, and The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, Canada, 1967Chapter 36. Dogged Intrepidity: Paper Wheat, St. Thomas Wesley Hall, Saskatoon, March 18, 1977Chapter 37. Highway: The Rez Sisters, Native Earth Theatre, Toronto, November 26, 1986After 2000Chapter 38. Howl of Pain: 4.48 Psychosis, Royal Court Theatre, London, June 23, 2000Chapter 39. The Revolution: Hamilton, Richard Rodgers Theater, New York, November 11, 2016Chapter 40. One of Those Stories: Come from Away, Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, New York, March 12, 2017EpilogueChapter NotesBibliographyIndex