Includes bibliographical references (p. [300]-338) and index.

Introduction: on some preliminary matters -- Documentary history vs. cultural history: two case studies -- Documentary histories: the case of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre -- Cultural histories: the case of Alfred Jarry's Ubu roi -- Historical vs. theatrical events -- The historical event -- The theatrical event -- Placing events within their contexts -- The criteria for periodization in theatre history: definitive categories for events -- The idea of the "political" in our histories of theatre: causal contexts for events -- Summing up -- The theatrical event and its conditions: a primer with twelve cruxes.