Marvin Carlson is Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Theatre and Drama at Indiana University.

A comprehensive and readable guide that will be the standard work for many years to come.(Times Literary Supplement) Carlson has taken on the monumental task of abstracting the major theoretical statements on the theater from the Greeks to the present. He cogently summarizes the texts, drawing comparisons freely while avoiding evaluation. The book's organization is historical, with national divisions until the 20th century, at which time all countries are considered together within much more finely defined time limits. This is a much needed book.(Choice) The coverage in Theories of the Theatre is remarkable. It is already difficult to imagine seriously undertaking theatre studies without this volume in a prominent place on one's shelf.(Theatre Survey)