Blood on the Stage is the latest volume in Kabatchnik’s "Blood on the Stage" series, which features intrigue, violence, and mystery in the theater. The volume begins with a brief introduction to violent drama written and performed between 1600 and 1800. As he did in previous volumes in the series (Blood on the Stage, 1975–2000, CH, May'13, 50-4758, and Blood on the Stage, 480 B.C. to 1600 A.D., CH, Jan'15, 52-2301), Kabatchnik presents a substantial list of key theatrical works of the period. He provides a thorough but manageable summary of each play, along with biographical sketches of playwrights and notes on key productions. Shakespeare is well represented, but so are works by less-known dramatists, e.g., Thomas Heywood, Thomas Dekker, John Webster, and Aphra Behn. English plays make up the majority of the volume, but Kabatchnik provides a sense of drama beyond the English stage by highlighting plays from French, German, Irish, North American, and Spanish playwrights as well. Six appendixes address intriguing aspects of violence in the theater, including lethal poisons, revenge tragedies, witchcraft, and domestic crime. The accessibility and comprehensive nature of the volume make it a worthy resource. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers.
— CHOICE
This volume is part of a seven-volume series that chronicles murder, mayhem, and other forms of violence and intrigue as depicted in world drama from 480 B.C. to 1900. The present volume contains analyses of forty-seven plays (arranged chronologically) and covers two centuries (1600-1800) from Marlowe's Lust's Dominion of 1600 to M. G. Lewis's 1797 drama, The Castle Spectre…. As in other volumes in the series, the scholarship is thorough and impressive and the presentation accessible, informative, and entertaining. The seven appendixes present a strange assortment of facts and tables (e.g., a list of early ‘trial’ plays and one for courtroom dramas). By far most valuable and longest (nearly fifty pages) is an overview of important revenge tragedies from Aeschylus's Oresteia (458 B.C.E.) through Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus (1594) (when coverage in the main text begins). There is also an index by name (playwrights, actors) and play title (no subjects). This book is a gold mine of entertaining and valuable information. The author deserves congratulations on the completion of an excellent series which will be useful in academic as well as medium- and large-sized public libraries.
— American Reference Books Annual
Volpone is the only Jonson play included in the 2017 volume of Amnon Kabatchnik’s series Blood on the Stage 1600–1800: Milestone Plays of Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem, which brings together discussions of dramatic texts that deal with transgression of some kind, whether in terms of violence or treachery. The thirty-page chapter about Volpone is actually a concise, helpful introduction to the play for those who are unfamiliar with it and with the author. It starts with a very detailed synopsis of the plot and then moves on to a comprehensive performance history of it from 1606 to our day, both in the UK and the US. The author then gives an overview of the major dramatic, cinematic, and radio adaptations in Europe. He then offers a welcome outline of Jonson’s life and main collaborations and finally ends with an overview of his other major comedies and tragedies, among which is The Alchemist, for which he also gives a few details about performance history.
— The Year's Work In English Studies
Mr. Kabatchnik is truly a master writer and has offered an extraordinary gift to all lovers of theater. His research for this book leaves us in awe. It's hard to imagine you'll find a single source as detailed and thorough as his book. We are truly inspired by his dedication and commitment to the arts!
— Gil Cates, Jr., Executive Director, and Regina Miller, Chief Development Officer, Geffen Playhouse