Stephen Sondheim is arguably the most important writer for the American musical stage today, the equivalent in his field of Miller, Albee, O'Neill, and Williams. Yet he has rarely been treated seriously within the academy. IReading Stephen Sondheim: A Collection of Critical Essays is an attempt to remedy that situation. Bringing together scholars and critics from a wide variety of literary and theoretical perspectives, this book undertakes to examine all of Sondheim’s major productions and themes. Thomas P. Adler Purdue University, USA. Sandor Goodhart, Purdue University, USA. Shoshana Milgram Knapp,Virginia Tech, USA. Joseph Marchesani, Pennsylvannia State Universit