This book 'will be of interest not only to professional classicists but also to those who are fond of classical tragedy and comedy, and, in particular, to theatre critics, theatre aficionados and music students. Although the text was written with the undergraduate in mind, they supply adept analyses for the scholar and the more advanced student. The author provides impressive and thorough cultural, literary, mythological, historical, musical and dramatic contexts (?.). [The book] consists of a prologue, five chapters, twelve vase illustrations, a translation of the ?Bacchae?, a chronology of the development of performances at different festivals (dating from 534 to 150 BC), a chronology of principal authors and musicians, a glossary divided into terms on the structure of tragedy, the architecture of the ancient theatre, actors and theatrical cues and directions, wardrobe, music and instruments, and dance and mime. The book concludes with a bibliography. In the prologue the objective of the book is made clear: a ?virtual? reconstruction of the play will be attempted in order to be able to produce it on stage (p.11). In the fist chapter, ?La dramaturgia griega?(pp.15-32), the methodology of Chuaqui?s objective is explicated when she notes that there is a great difference between the literary text and the ?text escénico?, which can be understood best as a semiotic interpretation of the paly. Chuaqui is very careful to stipulate that because the art of interpretation is subjective, the translator has to make some choices. Archaizing or modern? Verse or prose? Literal or free and paraphrased? The prose translation presented is one that has been adapted for the stage emphasizing the signifier and signified. (?) In her epilogue Chuaqui hopes that her translation, which is very good and closely adheres to the ancient Greek, will be considered a ?lecture activa? of the ?Bacchae?. I think that her expectation has been fulfilled. The translation is inspiring and should be welcomed by more than just the Mexican reading audience for which this text was intended.? (EDMUND P. CUEVA in Scholia, 2000, 50). From the library of Professor Carl Deroux.