Books for World Theater Day

By Coll Rowe | March 23 2026 | General

In celebration of World Theater Day on March 27th, we are sharing classic and contemporary plays, and books about modern performing arts legends and about how theater can be used to work through conflict and tragedy.

The Greek Plays
The Greek Plays
Sixteen Plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides
Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides
9780812983098
A landmark anthology of the masterpieces of Greek drama, featuring all-new, highly accessible translations of some of the world’s most beloved plays, including Agamemnon, Prometheus Bound, Bacchae, Electra, Medea, Antigone, and Oedipus the King.
$25.00 US
Sep 05, 2017
Paperback
864 Pages
Modern Library
Caligula and Three Other Plays
Caligula and Three Other Plays
Albert Camus
9780593311271

Four thought-provoking masterworks for the theater by the Nobel Prize–winning author of The Stranger and The Plague, in a restorative new translation by Ryan Bloom that brings together, for the first time in English, Camus’s final versions of the plays, along with deleted scenes and alternate lines of dialogue.

$19.00 US
Aug 22, 2023
Paperback
592 Pages
Vintage
Shakespeare in a Divided America
Shakespeare in a Divided America
What His Plays Tell Us About Our Past and Future
James Shapiro
9780525522317
From leading Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro, a timely and insightful examination of what the world’s greatest dramatist can teach us about life in an America riven by conflict.
$19.00 US
Mar 09, 2021
Paperback
320 Pages
Penguin Books
The Theater of War
The Theater of War
What Ancient Tragedies Can Teach Us Today
Bryan Doerries
9780307949721
This is the personal and deeply passionate story of a life devoted to reclaiming the timeless power of an ancient artistic tradition to comfort the afflicted. For years, theater director Bryan Doerries has led an innovative public health project that produces ancient tragedies for current and returned soldiers, addicts, tornado and hurricane survivors, and a wide range of other at-risk people in society. 
$17.00 US
Aug 23, 2016
Paperback
304 Pages
Vintage
The Power of the Actor, Revised and Updated
The Power of the Actor, Revised and Updated
The Chubbuck Technique--The 12-Step Acting Method for Creating Dynamic Characters
Ivana Chubbuck
9780593716816
In this completely updated edition of her bestselling book, renowned acting coach Ivana Chubbuck shares her cutting-edge technique that has launched some of the most successful and lauded acting careers in Hollywood.
$25.00 US
Apr 29, 2025
Paperback
416 Pages
Avery
I Was Better Last Night
I Was Better Last Night
A Memoir
Harvey Fierstein
9780593320525
Here is a poignant and hilarious memoir from the cultural icon, gay rights activist, and four-time Tony Award–winning actor and playwright, revealing never-before-told stories of his personal struggles and conflict, of sex and romance, and of his fabled career.
$30.00 US
Mar 01, 2022
Hardcover
400 Pages
Knopf
The Great White Bard
The Great White Bard
How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race
Farah Karim-Cooper
9780593489376
As we witness monuments of white Western history fall, many are asking how is Shakespeare still relevant?
$32.00 US
Aug 15, 2023
Hardcover
336 Pages
Viking
Oedipus Trilogy
Oedipus Trilogy
New Versions of Sophocles' Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone
Sophocles
9780593314951

Here are Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone in fresh new versions for contemporary readers and audiences. Each has been the basis for groundbreaking theatrical performances by Theater of War Productions, in which actors present dramatic readings, followed by town hall-style discussions. These forums are designed to confront social issues by evoking raw, personal reactions to themes highlighted in the plays.

$17.00 US
Oct 26, 2021
Paperback
496 Pages
Vintage

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