André Antoine, founder of the Théâtre Libre in 1887, was one of the
initiators of the modern theatre. This full-length study of Antoine's
work in English for more than sixty years is notable for its attention
to the variousness of Antoine's remarkable career. It explores the power
and some of the inherent contradictions of Antoine's stage realism, his
creation of a repertory theatre noted for its ensemble playing, and his
innovatory work in directing Shakespeare and the French classics. In the
final section, Antoine's encounters, c.1918, with the new medium of film
are discussed. The book will be of interest to students and teachers of
drama, theatre history, film studies and literature, and to the general
reader. It includes a chronology of Antoine's productions and theatre
career and is generously illustrated with drawings and photographs.