Behind the Curtain: A Practical Introduction to How Theatre Works

Behind the Curtain: A Practical Introduction to How Theatre Works helps readers appreciate theatre as an art form, and addresses how women and men working in the theatre actually do their jobs. It speaks to how art is created, connects the theatre to the arts in general, and discusses how students can become working theatre artists.

The first part of the book introduces the concept of "theatre." Through interviews the text examines the various roles of those who get a play "from the page to the stage." Each chapter focuses on a different career beginning with the playwright, and including that of the producer, director, dramaturge, costume designer, and lighting director.

The second part of the text discusses the style, history, and space of the theatre. This section features chapters on genre, musical theatre, dance, Shakespeare, the theatre of the absurd, and theatre as a conduit for social change.

Accessible yet thought-provoking, Behind the Curtain is written for introductory theatre and theatre appreciation courses, and is suitable for non-majors as well as those majoring in the art.

Tim Joyce earned his degree in theatre at Buffalo State College in New York, and trained in improv with Second City in Chicago. His performing career spans more than thirty years, and includes working in standup comedy, stage, film, and television. He has written for the Second City Mainstage, where he got to perform with Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, and Steve Carell. In addition to performing he teaches at Buffalo State College. He is co-author, with Carl Kozlowski, of Life: The Final Frontier and Seize the Day Job. In 2013 he was named one of "Buffalo’s 5 Best Standup Comedians" by ArtVoice Magazine.