This is a remarkable book, as it comprehensively addresses the fundamental theoretical aspects of theatre at a time when theory as such has become suspect, and when attempts to demarcate works of art are rejected as ultraconservative. Rozik presents the reader with an abundance of information on practically every aspect of theatrical performance, including the use of new media onstage, and even installations that have theatrical elements, such as Robert Wilson's H.G. He verifies his refined theory not only by the inner logic of his argument, but also by theatre practice, providing, in Part III, superb examples of performance analysis which illustrate the theoretical assumptions from earlier chapters.

What escapes his detailed descriptions is, however, the aspect of music, discussed only in passing and not even appearing in the index. Also, somewhat insufficient attention is paid to the significance of objects, not only in their phenomenal presence onstage, but also in the role they play in generating meaning. Theatre is substance-specific, and meaning is created not only through the creation of some fictional entity, but also through the relationship between that fiction and the material substance of its signifier. An essential contribution, on the other hand, is Rozik's proposed theory of acting, based on his brilliant concept of the ‘deflection of reference’ (p. 78), which enables him admirably to tackle in depth all sorts of interlinked problems and issues. Basically, Rozik suggests the shift of the deictic axis from the actor to the fictional figure as the fundamental mechanism of theatre to create fiction by a live actor. I find the discussion of this basic issue fascinating and inspiring, not least in the persuasive challenges Rozik presents, refuting widely influential concepts by Goffman and Schechner.

Most controversially, perhaps, Rozik also argues against the ‘commonplace fallacy’ of considering ‘playscripting as a specific form of literary activity’, and he discounts play-texts as ‘deficient’, asserting that they are ‘only a notation of the verbal components of the eventual dialogue, lacking all the additional non-verbal components necessary to disambiguate its component speech acts’ (p. 60). I would rather argue that the performance-text does not necessarily disambiguates the play, often rather adding new ambiguities, yet Rozik is certainly right in calling for the relationship between play-text and performance-text to be studied in terms of ‘intertextuality’, which he presents in practice in an analysis of Büchner's Woyzeck. Even though Rozik's book is not free of provocations, they never fail to convey deep insight. Even if one does not agree, the fascinating ways in which he constructs his arguments, both in outlining his theory and in his performance analysis, are constantly inspiring.