A new and comprehensive analysis of dramatic performance which draws on examples from the entire range and history of the theatre - from vaudeville to "Oedipus Rex", from opera, fireworks and dance to "Nicholas Nickleby". Bernard Beckerman examines the nature of the theatrical event by considering all its constituent elements - actor, writer, director, designer - in relation to the audience. The author's analysis of the act of theatre identifies two modes of dramatic performance - a "direct" and an "indirect" mode. It is out of the interaction of these two modes that drama is generated.