About this item
The history of theater is rife with tales of crime, suspense, and murder. The nineteenth century was no exception. Notable hallmarks of transgression drama during this century included the introduction of the melodrama, the first American musical, the debut of stage detectives, and the emergence of several hit plays focusing on real-life murderers (including the infamous Sweeney Todd) .In Blood on the Stage, 1800 to 1900: Milestone Plays of Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem, Amnon Kabatchnik completes his seven-volume exploration of theater's darkest works with an overview of more than fifty blood-splattered plays of the nineteenth century. Among the plays discussed here are many literary adaptations, including theatrical versions of Uncle Tom's Cabin, East Lynne, Lady Audley's Secret, The Woman in White, Frankenstein, and several featuring Sherlock Holmes appearances.
About the Author
Amnon Kabatchnik holds a BS degree in theater and journalism from Boston University, where he won the Rodgers & Hammerstein Award, he holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. He has been a member of the director's unit with the Actors Studio in New York and has been appointed professor of theater at the State University of New York at Binghamton, Stanford University, Ohio State University, Florida State University, and Elmira College.Kabatchnik has directed numerous dramas, comedies, thrillers, and musicals for national road companies, resident theatres, Off Broadway, and summer stock. Kabatchnik's directorial work in New York earned him the Lola D'Annunzio Honorary Citation for Outstanding Contribution to the Off-Broadway Theatre. Recently, Kabatchnk staged the hit off-Broaday revival of the 1940 Gothic drama "Ladies in Retirement." Backstage.com raved "Amnon Kabatchnik's confident production [is] treated with loving care in the hands of this worthy ensemble."Kabatchnik now shares his knowledge and love of the theatre with us through his writings. The three volumes in his BLOOD ON THE STAGE series covers seventy five years of plays written and produced during the respective eras. The plays covered had at least one public performance in the English language, with an emphasis on New York and London performances. Of course, each entry revolves around murder, theft, chicanery, kidnapping, political intrigue, or espionage.The entries are arranged in chronological order, each consisting of plot summary (often including significant dialogue), production and performance data, opinions by critics and scholars, and other features.Kabatchnik received an Agatha Award Nomination in 2010 from the Malice Domestic Committee for BLOOD ON THE STAGE: 1925-1950. His latest release in the series is BLOOD ON THE STAGE: 1950-1975.
