ABOUT THIS BOOK

Painter, photographer, alchemist—but ultimately, playwright, and outstanding playwright at that—the figure of August Strindberg (1849–1912) towers over late-nineteenth century drama. Strindberg’s electrifying theatrical work resonated with the public in his own lifetime, and continues to impress audiences around the globe today. A restless innovator of various dramatic forms, he served as a source of inspiration for legendary figures like Eugene O’Neill, Samuel Beckett, and Ingmar Bergman, and proved seminal to the development of modern drama as we know it. Though Strindberg’s preface to Miss Julie and his prefatory note to A Dream Play are well known, Strindberg’s frequent commentary on drama and theatre in general are less familiar, as are most of his plays. Strindberg on Drama and Theatre presents the most important of these comments, chronologically assembled and annotated, many of them published for the first time in English. An essential resource for those interested in one of our most modern playwrights, as well as a thrilling read for the dedicated theatre lover, Strindberg on Drama and Theatre provides a fascinating look at one of our most powerful dramatic voices.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Egil Törnqvist is professor emeritus in Scandinavian studies at the University of Amsterdam. His most recent books include Strindberg’s “The Ghost Sonata”: From Text to Performance, Bergman’s Muses: Aesthetic Versatility in Film, Theatre, Television, and Radio, and Eugene O’Neill: A Playwright’s Theatre. Birgitta Steene is professor emerita in literature and film at the University of Washington, and author of Ingmar Bergman: A Reference Guide, which won the Theatre Library Association’s Special Prize in 2007.

REVIEWS

What a gift it is to hear Strindberg's clear and
daring voice and to experience how truly modern he was in his thinking. His understanding
of the theatre and the art of acting and his constant
search for truth and meaning -- in everything and
everyone -- demands that we stay truthful to his plays
and to ourselves.

Bo Corre, member of the New York Actors Studio (established 1947, Ellen Burstyn, Harvey Keitel and Al Pacino, Co-Presidents)

This comprehensive and long overdue assembly of Strindberg’s statements about theatre and drama is a rich and eminently accessible resource—presented in one volume, in English, and in chronological order—for scholars, theatre practitioners and serious students the world over. It makes possible a survey of the entire spectrum of Strindberg’s responses to theatre and drama, thereby inviting new insights and discoveries regarding not only his opinions and theories but also his plays.

For in addition to clarifying how statements of Strindberg’s “fit” or illustrate the history and theory of theatre and drama, it illuminates the matrix of Strindberg’s own highly charged dramaturgy. His various statements (prefaces, memos, critiques, musings, exhortations, advice, apologias, complaints, etc.)—sometimes in the guise of prescriptive theory, though always derivative and rarely fully developed—were all subjective weapons to achieve his ends. Taken as such, they collectively cast a new and revealing light on his dramatic oeuvre, structurally, thematically, and culturally. When seen through the lens of Strindberg’s evolving relationship to drama and theatre—at the intersection of theory and practice, of craft and instinct, of page and stage—each play offers a richer experience for reader, theatre practitioner and audience member alike.

Whether studying or teaching Strindberg, preparing to produce one of his plays or simply enjoying engaging with 19th-20th century theatre and drama seen through the eyes of one its giants, this work is an indispensible companion, resource and guide.

Anne-Charlotte Harvey
Professor Emerita of Theatre
School of Theatre, Television and Film
San Diego State University

Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Strindberg on Drama and Theatre

1870-1880

1881-1889

1891-1899

1900-1906

1907-1912

Strindberg's Plays

Notes

Select Bibliography

Name and Title Index

Subject Index