Several qualities set Theatre: The Lively Art apart from other introductory texts. A particularly important element is our emphasis on the audience. All students reading the book are potential theatregoers, not just during their college years but throughout their lives. We have therefore attempted to make This new edition is an ideal one-volume text to prepare students as future audience members. It will give them a grasp of how theatre functions, of how it should be viewed and judged, and of the tradition behind any performance they may attend. Lively Art allows instructors to focus on both the elements of the theatre and the history of the theatre. It also focuses on today's diverse and global theatre. In addition to serving as an ideal text for nonmajors, Theatre: The Lively Art will prepare students who wish to continue studies in theatre, as majors, minors, or students from other disciplines who take advanced courses.