American theater in the culture of the Cold War : producing and contesting containment /

Best known as a historian of the 19th-century American theater, McConachie (Univ. of Pittsburgh) ventures into the mid-20th century for an analysis and interpretation of theater and drama during the years of the Cold War and, in fact, beyond. Most books on this era concentrate on Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and sometimes William Inge, or focus on the American musical. McConachie integrates these with less-known vehicles for the stage, both plays and musicals, and with media, film, and dance (in particular Martha Graham's choreography). What makes this critical study especially innovative is McConachie's application of the metaphor of containment as examined through strategies suggested by cognitive psychology and linguistics. The result is a study that provides often new and illuminating readings of plays and productions (he pays considerable attention, for example, to directorial strategies of Elia Kazan for both stage and screen). Ever conscious of historical/cultural context and political implications, McConachie covers a lot of ground (though still with highly selective examples) in four lengthy, informed, complex, and challenging chapters. Copious notes and well-chosen illustrations add to the volume's value. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above. D. B. Wilmeth emeritus, Brown University