本教材选取重要的现当代英美剧作家的代表作品，通过指导性阅读、讨论，培养学生理解、赏析戏 剧作品的基本能力和必要的技巧；借助不同的媒介帮助学生感受戏剧的魅力，了解戏剧这一文类的基本 特征、要素、种类和风格。全书共九章，每章由三大部分构成：1. 简介：包括对剧作家的介绍，对作品所属 流派或戏剧种类的介绍；2. 剧本赏析：对作品的导读、赏析，节选部分的详细注解（包括语言点、文化背 景等方面的难点）和思考题（可用于课上讨论或课外写作）；3. 资源：包括拓展阅读（引导学生加深对剧 本的理解）、作品列表及媒体改编或改写。

现当代英美戏剧选读
SELECTED READINGS IN MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH AND AMERICAN DRAMA
往是人们认可的“经典作家”的“经典剧作”，选读本的选篇时间基本上都截止到20
世纪80、90 年代。《现当代英美戏剧选读》选入了至今仍活跃在英国戏剧界的Caryle
Churchill, Timberlake Mertenbaker 和Martin McDonagh 三位剧作家的作品，因而使
得这个戏剧选读本更有当代的气息。
在《现当代英美戏剧选读》中，作者在介绍每位入选的剧作家时，在导读中增加了
“Generic Context”（“类别介绍”）。这在很大程度上能够帮助初次尝试阅读西方戏
剧的学生找到阅读的方向，抓住剧中的大意。但是，每位读者都应该清楚，作者增加这
一部分的意图仅是为初学者提供一个导向，而这种分类更多地反映了作者本人对剧作的
一个评价，因为就像戏剧文学中充满了数不胜数的流派一样，任何分类方式都有一定的
主观性，都是相对的。
想要在一本数百页的书中介绍两千多年的戏剧文学，只能走选篇的���子。作者凭借
自己的文学功底，和对于剧作家的了解，可以选择剧作家的经典之作，经典剧作中的亮
点。然而，选读总有一定的局限性，因为每个剧本都是一个整体。有时剧中的一个选段
能比较集中地代表剧作家的创作意图，但是，任何选段单独拿出来，都可能被切断与剧
中其他部分的联系，选篇也是选读作者不得已而为之的一种做法。
因此，在使用选读本时，我们的教师就需要提前做点功课：读一读全剧，在讲课时
帮我们的学生补上选段遗漏的那部分联系。比如说，《现当代英美戏剧选读》选了英国
剧作家品特的代表作《看门人》的第二幕，应该说这是全剧的亮点。
《看门人》的剧情并不复杂，剧本以流浪汉戴维斯为获取一个长久性的住处而做的
努力为主线。剧中只有三个角色：阿斯顿、米克兄弟和戴维斯。但是，当大幕落下来的
时候，许多观众觉得自己还是被蒙在鼓里，对于这三个人物观众并没有形成一个完整的
认识，因为这三个人物在舞台上说的和做的都很模棱两可。在第三幕，我们看到了阿斯
顿和米克兄弟**的一次感情上的交流，“阿斯顿走进来。他带上门，走进房间，面对
着米克。他们俩看看彼此，微微地一笑。”*让人感到不解的是，戴维斯五次提出要去
锡德卡普索回自己的身份证明，但是，之后却又以种种借口来搪塞，迟迟不开始他的锡
德卡普之行。这些颇有歧义的细节教师在授课中需要讲给我们的学生听，以便我们的学
生来揣摩剧作家想要传递的信息。
剧作家品特在他的诺贝尔讲演中说了下面一段话：
“在戏剧中，真相永远是模糊的，你永远也不能真正找到它，但探索却生生不息。
正是这种探索引发了作家的投入。探索是一项任务，你常在黑暗中与真相偶遇、碰撞，
或者仅仅看到了与真相似乎吻合的一个影像或形状，可惜的是，你常常意识不到。但是，
实实在在的真相是，在戏剧艺术中永远也找不到**的真相。你能够找到的是多个真相，

Chapter 1 George Bernard Shaw: Pygmalion .................................................................... 1 I. Introduction ......................................................................................................2 i. e Author: George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) ......................................................................................... 2 ii. Generic Context: Shavian Drama of Ideas or New Drama ........................................................................ 5 II. Appreciation of the Play ...................................................................................6 i. Guided Reading of Pygmalion (1912) ........................................................................................................... 6 ii. Excerpt from Pygmalion with Notes ............................................................................................................. 8 iii. Questions for Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 28 III. Resources .........................................................................................................29 i. Further Reading ............................................................................................................................................ 29 ii. Work List ........................................................................................................................................................ 29 iii. Media/ Textual Adaptation ........................................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 2 Tennessee Williams: The Glass Menagerie ................................................... 33 I. Introduction ....................................................................................................34 i. e Author: Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) ........................................................................................... 34 ii. Generic Context: Plastic eatre ................................................................................................................. 38 II. Appreciation of the Play .................................................................................39 i. Guided Reading of e Glass Menagerie (1944) ........................................................................................ 39 ii. Excerpt from e Glass Menagerie with Notes .......................................................................................... 41 iii. Questions for Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 65 III. Resources .........................................................................................................66 i. Further Reading ............................................................................................................................................ 66 ii. Work List ........................................................................................................................................................ 66 iii. Media/ Textual Adaptation ........................................................................................................................... 68 Chapter 3 Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman ................................................................. 69 I. Introduction ....................................................................................................70 i. e Author: Arthur Miller (1915-2005) ..................................................................................................... 70 ii. Generic Context: Modern Tragedy .............................................................................................................. 73 II. Appreciation of the Play .................................................................................75 i. Guided Reading of Death of a Salesman (1949) ........................................................................................ 75 ii. Excerpt from Death of a Salesman with Notes ........................................................................................... 77 iii. Questions for Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 116 III. Resources .......................................................................................................117 i. Further Reading .......................................................................................................................................... 117 ii. Work List ...................................................................................................................................................... 118 iii. Media/ Textual Adaptation ......................................................................................................................... 119 Chapter 4 Harold Pinter: The Caretaker ........................................................................ 121 I. Introduction ..................................................................................................122 i. e Author: Harold Pinter (1930-2008) . ................................................................................................. 122 ii. Generic Context: Comedy of Menace ....................................................................................................... 126 II. Appreciation of the Play ...............................................................................127 i. Guided Reading of e Caretaker (1960) ................................................................................................. 127 ii. Excerpt from e Caretaker with Notes .................................................................................................... 129 iii. Questions for Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 154 III. Resources .......................................................................................................155 i. Further Reading .......................................................................................................................................... 155 ii. Work List ...................................................................................................................................................... 156 iii. Media/ Textual Adaptation ......................................................................................................................... 158 Chapter 5 Edward Albee: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ........................................... 159 I. Introduction ..................................................................................................160 i. e Author: Edward Albee (1928-2016) ................................................................................................... 160 ii. Generic Context: e eatre of the Absurd ........................................................................................... 164 II. Appreciation of the Play ...............................................................................166 i. Guided Reading of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962) ................................................................... 166 ii. Excerpt from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with Notes...................................................................... 168 iii. Questions for Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 194 III. Resources .......................................................................................................195 i. Further Reading .......................................................................................................................................... 195 ii. Work List ...................................................................................................................................................... 196 iii. Media/ Textual Adaptation ......................................................................................................................... 197 Chapter 6 Caryl Churchill: Top Girls ............................................................................... 199 I. Introduction ..................................................................................................200 i. e Author: Caryl Churchill (1938- ) .................................................................................................... 200 ii. Generic Context: Feminist eatre ........................................................................................................... 204 II. Appreciation of the Play ...............................................................................207 i. Guided Reading of Top Girls (1982) .......................................................................................................... 207 ii. Excerpt from Top Girls with Notes ............................................................................................................ 209 iii. Questions for Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 234 III. Resources .......................................................................................................234 i. Further Reading .......................................................................................................................................... 234 ii. Work List ...................................................................................................................................................... 235 iii. Media/ Textual Adaptation ......................................................................................................................... 238 Chapter 7 Sam Shepard: Buried Child ........................................................................... 239 I. Introduction ..................................................................................................240 i. e Author: Sam Shepard (1943-2017). ................................................................................................... 240 ii. Generic Context: Family Play..................................................................................................................... 244 II. Appreciation of the Play ...............................................................................245 i. Guided Reading of Buried Child (1978).................................................................................................... 245 ii. Excerpt from Buried Child with Notes ...................................................................................................... 247 iii. Questions for Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 269 III. Resources .......................................................................................................270 i. Further Reading .......................................................................................................................................... 270 ii. Work List ...................................................................................................................................................... 271 iii. Media/ Textual Adaptation ......................................................................................................................... 272 Chapter 8 Timberlake Wertenbaker: Our Country’s Good ........................................... 273 I. Introduction ..................................................................................................274 i. e Author: Timberlake Wertenbaker (1944- ) ................................................................................... 274 ii. Generic Context: Metatheatre .................................................................................................................... 279 II. Appreciation of the Play ...............................................................................282 i. Guided Reading of Our Country’s Good (1988) ....................................................................................... 282 ii. Excerpt from Our Country’s Good with Notes ......................................................................................... 285 iii. Questions for Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 303 III. Resources .......................................................................................................304 i. Further Reading .......................................................................................................................................... 304 ii. Work List ...................................................................................................................................................... 305 iii. Media/ Textual Adaptation ......................................................................................................................... 306 Chapter 9 Martin McDonagh: The Beauty Queen of Leenane ..................................... 307 I. Introduction ..................................................................................................308 i. e Author: Martin McDonagh (1970- ) .............................................................................................. 308 ii. Generic Context: In-Yer-Face eatre ...................................................................................................... 311 II. Appreciation of the Play ...............................................................................314 i. Guided Reading of e Beauty Queen of Leenane (1996) ....................................................................... 314 ii. Excerpt from e Beauty Queen of Leenane with Notes . ....................................................................... 316 iii. Questions for Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 332 III. Resources .......................................................................................................333 i. Further Reading .......................................................................................................................................... 333 ii. Work List ...................................................................................................................................................... 334 iii. Media/ Textual Adaptation ......................................................................................................................... 334 Bibliography .................................................................................................... 335