Few have had quite as much impact in both the academy and in the world
of theatre production as Richard Schechner. For more than four decades
his work has challenged conventional definitions of theatre, ritual and
performance. When this seminal collection first appeared, Schechner's
approach was not only novel, it was revolutionary: drama is not just
something that occurs on stage, but something that happens in everyday
life, full of meaning, and on many different levels. Within these pages
he examines the connections between Western and non-Western cultures,
theatre and dance, anthropology, ritual, performance in everyday life,
rites of passage, play, psychotherapy and shamanism.