Whether readers look at one chapter or take in all, they will discover a carefully wrought text that is engaging, thought-provoking, and generative. This book is useful not merely for Shakespeare critics or literary scholars; it will also inspire theatre-makers seeking new ways to address contemporary issues through Shakespeare.

Theatre Journal

Hers is a gladdening book, owing to the informed admiration that Thompson clearly feels for her subject. As she explains in an engrossing chapter on his color-conscious approach to theatrical production, she came to know Sellars when he invited her to give a talk…She delves into Sellars's methods with gusto, paying particular attention to his productions of The Merchant of Venice (1994), Othello (2009), Desdemona (2011), and A Midsummer Night's Dream (2014). The result is less a chronicle of a career than an occasion to dwell in the “off-kilter position[s]” that Sellars takes as points of collective “reflection, interaction and transformation.

Studies in English Literature 1500 - 1900