Annotated Bibliography

Bartleby the Inscrutable: A Collection of Commentary on Herman Melville's "Bartleby the
Scrivner". M. Thomas Inge, ed. Conn: Archon Books, 1979. This book is a collection of commentary on Melville's short story "Bartleby the Scrivner". This collection although it is not dramatic in nature, has helped me to better understand the criticism of the dramatic works. I have found from this book that the symbolism of the characters in the work help its appeal. If the audience recognizes themselves in the characters, they are more alikely to enjoy themselves,and remember more about the production. Theater has long been an escape from normal life, and it helps people to enjoy themselves if they see themselves or someone who is less fortunate than they are because they forget their own problems.

Dictionary of American History. Revised edition. Vol. V New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,
1976. 209-10. The Dictionary of American History contains valuable information about the Depression. Although the information contained was more economic than social, it has helped my paper immensly. I am now able to draw my own conclusions and ascertain what economic factors contributed to the depression of the people.

Fromes, Theodore. The Evolution of Theater. Penn: Whitaker Books, 1984. This book contains a history of the theater and how the theater has changed over the centuries. The book does not begin at the Greeks and Romans however, but at contemporary European and American writers and then continues backwards to the earliest forms of drama. This book is not a main source but contains valuable background research that is essential to the project.

Kernan, Alvin B. Character and Conflict an Introduction to Drama. New York: HBJ, 1963. This book was very helpful in understanding many technical terms as well as containing further criticisms for various plays. The book did not critique the plays as a whole, but instead critiqued certain aspects of the written play, such as plot, character development, and the importance of establishing a good setting. Since one of the goals of my thesis is to write and direct my own play, these aspects of the written play are very important to the completeness of the finished product.

Magill, Frank N. Ed. Great Lives From History; American Series. Vol. 3. New Jersey: Salem
Press, 1975 1582-1587. This book is a wonderful research tool for the Great Depression. It tells not only the persoanl side of history, but the economic side of matters as well. It is important to realize not only the side effects of the depression, but the factors that caused it as well. This book contains detailed information about the econimic factors.

Meltzer, Milton. Brother, You Spare a Dime?. New York: Facts on File, 1991. This book includes the first-hand accounts of those whose lives were adversely affected by the depression, share-croppers, farmers, professionals, the middle class, whites, blacks, men, women, hispanics, and many others. The narritive also includes clippings from newspapers and journals of the period.

Rylant, Cynthia, and Walker Evans. Something Permanent. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Co.,
1994. This book is a photograph and poetry anthology about life in the thirty's. The book tells facts about life, death, and the ways between. One poem tells about a family who continues to have children and prospire even though they are poor and have nothing. It gives great insight into the personal lives of the average man on the street.

Sanders, Thomas A. The Discovery of Drama. Illinois: Scott, Foresman, and Co, 1968. In this book the literary importance of the work is not ignored, but downplayed so that the dramatic importance is seen more clearly. As with the other books, it is not only a literary anthology, but a commentary or critique of the work and its production. By analyzing the commentary and critiques I hope to be able to determine what is appealing to the contemporary audience and how to better produce a more appealing original work.

Waith, Eugene. The Dramatic Moment. New Jersey: Prentice- Hall, 1967. This book was very helpful in understanding the stage conventions and directions of the earlier works of literature in the anthologies. It addresses the problems faced by a contemporary reader/actor when reading or acting in the earlier dramatic works. These problems include but are not restricted to, the use of 'outdated' language and stage conventions in the plays. A list of stage directions and explanations are also given.

Watkins, T.H., The Great Depression America in the 1930's. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co.,
1993. This book is a very useful tool in understanding the Great Depression as a whole, inculding social issues and the governmental policies of the United States. Although my thesis is to focus on the social issues including mainly drama and the radio, the background research that was gained was invaluable. The chapters on the social issues were very informative.

Annotated Bibliography

Geri Cobb

September 16, 1997