The 18 plays were selected as most outstanding from the 51 translated in the four-volume Kabuki Plays On Stage (2002-03). They represent the entire spectrum of the Japanese dramatic genre from 1697 to 1905, the period during which its dramaturgy flourished before the onset of Western dramatic influence. Texts, introductions, and occasional performance photographs are included. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)