Beyond Naturalism

Download or read book Beyond Naturalism written by William W. Demastes and published by Praeger. This book was released on 1988-11-15 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Demastes draws a distinction between the genus realism and its central species, naturalism. He studies, from an historical perspective, the growth of realism into the foremost aesthetic form in 20th century theater, and focuses on American playwrights who have used realism to challenge outdated and essentially naturalist thought, thereby infusing realism with fresh and contemporary perspectives of the world around them. Demastes analyzes the unique contributions of David Rabe, David Mamet, Sam Shepard, Charles Fuller, Beth Henley, and Marsha Norman, and assesses their overall critical reception. ISBN 0-313-26320-5: $35.95.