All the contributions to this special issue offer particular insights into the often slippery and contentious relationship between ancient and modern drama. More than this, collectively they provide an insight into key questions that researchers are currently grappling with as they seek to maximize the crossdisciplinary impact of their work. These questions cover two main areas. The first is concerned with the investigative methods needed for researching the intersections between modern performance and ancient drama. These have to be methods that recognize the unique qualities of performance and relate it to its associated histories in theater and culture, to the professional profiles of those who create the production, and to the imaginative and experiential profiles of those who make up the audiences. The second set of questions is much broader but arises from the first. How best can case studies of particular performances be used, individually and in groups and categories, to contribute to the study of larger questions, whether these relate to the performance history of a particular play or genre such as "tragedy" the career of a particular writer or practitioner, or the potential of drama for reflecting and shaping wider elements of cultural conflict and change?
