Christopher Innes’s and Maria Shevtsova’s Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Direction is an outstanding theatre studies research on the evolution of the role of the theatre director and different genre operations in directing procedures. The professional audience ranks the authors Innes and Shevtsovaamong the most important contemporary theatre experts.

In this valuable book published by Cambridge University Press, one of the leading publishers of scientific literature, Shevtsova and Innes analyse, with a lot of detail, great attention and interesting information, traditional staging in the ancient Greek theatre, rise of the modern director, appearance of the directors insisting of theatralisation, or directors of epic theatre; then explore the directors who are authors of the total theatre and directors who lead the company and work with them for many years, only to finish with the modern phenomenon of directors-collaborators cultivating the applied theatre. The book meticulously, carefully and exhaustively follows the directors’ path from the Ancient Greek theatre toJaroslawFret and his Theatre ZAR.

Innes and Shevtoa demonstrate profound knowledge and respect for the profession and with a lot of rare information reveal to us the exciting development of theatre direction in Europe and North America. The book introduces over 50 world renowned directors, their work and their specific genres. Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Direction is an importantwork in the field oftheatre studies: it isnot only about the origins and evolution of theatre direction but also about the changes in acting techniques and the role of theatre spectators. We believe that it constitutes indispensable reading and a text-book for all theatre directors, actors, set and costume designers, theatre audiences and - that goes without saying - students.

Ivana Vujić Kominac Editor (series Theory / Text / Performing Arts of the University of Arts in Belgrade), theatre director, professor at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, Head of Laboratory of Performing Arts of the FDA