To trace the evolution of the director as a commanding and all-powerful figure in modern theater, Shelton (theater, Kansas State U., emeritus) has selected five men--Ben Teal, David Belasco,
Arthur Hopkins, George Abbott and Elia Kazan--as emblematic of that development. He closely examines their points of view, their methods and their legacies. He includes for each director a
complete list of all productions they directed, along with pertinent facts about every production. To the five chapters on each director, which have appeared separately as articles, Shelton has
added an introduction that provides a historical perspective. He concludes the volume with a comparative analysis. Annotation 穢2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
