Theatre direction and production Books

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Book SynopsisA Monologue is an Outrageous Situation! How to Survive the 60-Second Audition explains how to successfully tackle the cattle call acting audition with a sixty-second monologue. Through Q&As, tips, directorâs notes, and a glossary full of outrageous actions meant to inspire the actor into truly connecting with the piece, this book shows actors where and how to find a monologue, edit it, and give the best audition possible.Table of ContentsPart One: A Monologue is…? An Audition is an outrageous situation The Sixty second Dilemma What is a monologue? A monologue is an Outrageous situation What to Look for when choosing a Monologue What to Avoid in a Monologue Part Two: Working on a Monologue Read the Play Ask the Stanislavski Question Given Circumstances Take 3 Tips from the script Editing a Monologue—include Table Piecing a monologue together—include Table Memorize—ASAP Blocking How to Move (Because you must) Monologue Pitfalls Outrageous Exercises and Improvs Part Three: Time to Audition Steps of Your Audition How Should I introduce my Monologue? Where Should I place My Focus? Focus 1.0, 2.0 Should I take time to ‘get into it’ before I start? Your Actual Run Time Your Audition Must Show… Your Sixty-second Audition Must Prove… How much can the Auditors See in 60 seconds? What Do the Auditors Want to See in a Call Back? When Does the Audition Really Begin? When Does the Audition End? Part Four: "Just a Few Notes." Realism is Not Real Positive Negative Playing Emotion Playing Explosions Playing Characters that are Rich That are Poor That are heroic That are evil That are courageous That are cowardly Crying and Yelling is Not Dramatic Don’t TRY to be Funny Dress and Hygiene for Men Dress and Hygiene for Women Final Thought on Clothes Tattoo is Taboo Exit Epilogue Appendix MONOLOGUE SUGGESTIONS WHERE TO FIND MONOLOGUES UNIFIED AUDITIONS HEAD SHOT PRODUCTION

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Book SynopsisThey don't care about the truth or changing anything. They just want to discredit us. Bury us under a load of insinuation and then shut us up by paying us off. I can't bear to bleed out my pain and it not mean anything. When Mel meets Dave at a protest, she believes she has met her kindred spirit. Dave soon becomes central to her life and her activist friends. But is he who he appears to be?An emotionally compelling drama that explores love, betrayal, secrets and lies and exposes the brutality of a police policy that used any means necessary to undermine political protest.Based on a true story, Any Means Necessary centres on the events surrounding a group of environmental activists and the 2011 court case that charged them with trespass at nearby Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station.This real-life event set in Nottingham uncovered a national scandal that has led to a full police apology and an admission that their officers' behaviour was an abuse of the women's human rightsTrade ReviewA poignant and tender story . . . as funny as it was moving * Sunday Times on "Mathematics of the Heart" *[Achieves] a balance between brittle humour and broody thoughtfulness * The Times on "Mathematics of the Heart" *Brims with vitality and acuity, resulting in a pleasing and pertinent play about the nature of rivalry and relationships * Stage on "Mathematics of the Heart" *The case of police spies forming sexual relationships with political activists has been so well documented . . . that it is fair to ask what a dramatist can add. In the case of Kefi Chadwick, who has written this fascinating play, she brings a vivid picture of the mutual destructiveness of fraudulent affairs, but also an awareness that collective action can lead to public change. [...] The virtue of the play is that it links private and public worlds. Through the story of Mel and Dave, it explores the difficulty of faking a long-term relationship without a genuine sense of entanglement. [...] what is heartening about Chadwick's play is that it reminds you of past wrongs while showing that women have the power to take present action. * Guardian *bold and insightful . . . Chadwick's play remains powerful, political stuff . . . a true-life horror story in which individuals count for nothing and everyone is expendable. * Stage *Kefi Chadwick's text is excellent . . . Anyone hoping for a one-sided evening of left-wing agitprop would have trudged home disappointed. It is altogether more complex and interesting than that. And it manages to end on an . . . optimistic note. * Nottingham Post *Any Means Necessary is a fascinating play that looks at events where the audience are likely to know the ending and the corrupt motivations of the police. Yet we still sit as onlookers breathlessly observing the lies unfolding and they are told with such conviction that our sympathies find it difficult to know who to side with. * Big Issue *Chadwick's play seeks to demonstrate the scale of the betrayal of ordinary women by a corrupt police institution. . . . The dynamics of the protesters ring true, the warmth of their friendships compensating for some occasional artificial speechifying . . . offers an important, emotive call for action by demonstrating the scale of the betrayal perpetuated on activists and exposing the belligerent callousness of the police towards those affected. It painstakingly captures the insidiousness of a lie that sullies everything it touches and destroys the ability to trust. . . . [Any Means Necessary] establishes a platform which, one hopes, will enable many more victims to speak about their experiences and seek justice, and, crucially, prevent this happening again. * Exeunt *

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Book SynopsisHighTide Theatre Festival was founded in 2006 and has since become one of the most prolific homes of new writing. It has been described by the Telegraph as one of the little gems of the artistic calendar in Britain and by the Daily Mail as famous for championing emerging playwrights and contemporary theatre.2016 marks ten years of HighTide, during which time numerous emerging playwrights and new plays have shot to prominence.This anniversary volume brings together four of the key plays that have come out of HighTide Theatre Festival''s programme during this time: Ditch by Beth Steel is a clear-eyed look at how we might behave when the conveniences of our civilisation are taken away, and a frightening vision of a future that could all too easily be ours.peddling by Harry Melling is a poetic monologue about a young homeless man, which confronts whether it''s a good thing to turn a blind eye and let people get on with their lives, or whether that''s exactly how people Trade ReviewSteel's text is an evocative mix of farm metaphors, punchy dialogue and moments of dreamy wistfulness * Tribune on 'Ditch' *Feels like the intersection of Beckett and Albee * New York Times (Critics' Choice) on Harry Melling's 'peddling' *A life-in-overdrive comic drama . . . Dan LeFranc’s snappy dialogue captures the tumultuous tenor of family gatherings * New York Times on 'The Big Meal' *Lampedusa is one of the most gently enticing pieces of storytelling you will see, softly encroaching on the moral consciousness like a lullaby. . . . Lustgarten's descriptions of drowning have a power that comes from fleshy detail matched by poetic virtuosity. There's dark beauty here, on the sharp end of Europe's implosion * The Times on 'Lampedusa' *Table of ContentsIntroduction by Steven Atkinson Ditch by Beth Steel peddling by Harry Melling The Big Meal by Dan LeFranc Lampedusa by Anders Lustgarten

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Book SynopsisChristopher Shinn is an American playwright from New York. His plays include Now or Later (shortlisted for the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play), Dying City (Pulitzer Prize finalist), Where Do We Live (winner of an Obie in Playwriting), An Opening In Time, Teddy Ferrara, Picked, Four, What Didn't Happen, On the Mountain, Other People, and The Coming World. His adaptation of Hedda Gabler premiered on Broadway (American Airlines Theatre), and he has written short plays for Naked Angels (Democracy Project), the 24 Hour Plays on Broadway, the Bush Theatre (Sixty-Six Books), and Headlong (Decade). His work has been premiered by Lincoln Center Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, the Vineyard Theatre, South Coast Rep, the Goodman, the Royal Court, and the Soho Theatre, and later produced around the world. Christopher Shinn's awards include a GuggenheiTrade ReviewNow Or Later is as potent as David Mamet’s Oleanna in its exposure of how liberal creeds can – one way or another – be murkily tied in with intolerance * Independent on "Now Or Later" *The play keeps delivering small shocks and aches that end in a standoff, or maybe in that pause between despair, resignation, and a twinge of hope. Haunting. * New York Times on "Four" *Surprising nuance and sudden surges of emotion. The play offers several outstanding monologues, some tender, some searing, and one unforgettable * New Yorker on "On the Mountain" *Better than any play I’ve seen at finding the natural existential anxiety in the frustration and powerlessness of being a movie actor. Offers ample evidence of this dramatist’s singular gift for presenting human murkiness with precisely shaded clarity. Impeccably observed. * New York Times on "Picked" *Shinn opens a window into lives that we rarely see on stage * Broadway World *A playwright who writes with unshowy depth and unforced menace on a challenging subject * New York Magazine *Shinn territory is a land of bruised souls sharing awkward silences, their subtext and inchoate impulses placed carefully between them. A dramatist who writes from an intensely interior zone * Time Out New York *Table of ContentsIntroduction Now or Later Four Picked On The Mountain

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Book SynopsisChris Johnston (19512017) was the Director of improvisation company Fluxx, and Co-Director of both Rideout and Livestock. He taught at a range of colleges and institutions including University of Warwick and Staffordshire University, UK.Trade ReviewFollowing the seismic events of recent years we have possibly never had a greater need for disobedience, and this book is a timely and invaluable overview of the vital role that critical and creative thinking can play in both imagining and shaping new worlds. Through Chris Johnson's wide-ranging frames of reference and rigorous and inspirational writings we are reminded that theatre, as a practice, as a place and as a context, can be a safe space for dangerous ideas. -- Lois Keidan, Live Art Development Agency, London, UKTable of ContentsIntroduction Part One – In the World 1. Principles 2. Identity 3. Manoeuvres 4. Relationships 5. Survival Part Two – In the Room 6. Performing 7. Facilitating Appendix: Beginnings

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Book SynopsisKatie Douglas is an award-winning screenwriter and playwright whose writing credits include Eastenders and Secret Diary of a Call Girl. She was part of the Liverpool Everyman's Young Writers' Group, as well as the Bruntwood Hub. She has worked with Liverpool Everyman, the RSC, Paines Plough, Soho and The Royal Exchange. Douglas was awarded the Frank Deasy Award in 2013.

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Book SynopsisEva O'Connor is an Irish writer and performer based in London. Founder of Sunday's Child Theatre Company, she has written and produced multiple plays with the company. Her one-woman show My Name is Saoirse won the First Fortnight Award at the Dublin Fringe 2014 and the Argus Angel at the Brighton Fringe 2015. It was also adapted for RTE Radio 1, and was broadcast in their Drama on One slot in April 2015. Eva O'Connor was part of the Traverse young writers group and selected for the Traverse 50 in 2014. Her play Overshadowed about a young girl's struggle with anorexia premiered at the Dublin Fringe in September 2015 and won the Fishamble New Writing Award. She also has an MA in theatre ensemble from Rose Bruford drama school.Trade ReviewA dark, insightful, sometimes funny portrayal of eating disorders * The Irish Times on Overshadowed *An enlightening and heartbreaking piece of theatre that opens the eyes of its audience * Edinburgh Festival Magazine *[L]ively and absorbing * Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisJulia Jarcho's plays include the 2014 Obie Award winner Grimly Handsome, Nomads (Incubator Arts Project, NYC); The Terrifying (Abrons Arts Center, NYC); Every Angel is Brutal (Clubbed Thumb, NYC); Dreamless Land (New York City Players/Abrons Arts Center, NYC); American Treasure (13P/Paradise Factory, NYC); The Highwayman (NTUSA, NYC).Trade ReviewIt is wrong to tell you too much about GRIMLY HANDSOME, Julia Jarcho’s superbly wicked caprice…It’s much better to awaken slowly to the creepiness of Jarcho’s deep, dark woods, to go blithely into her Grimm landscape, which rustles with talking animals, smiling predators and language gone elliptical and awry…Jarcho, directing her own work, pulls off miracles. * Time Out, New York *(a) poetic and often very funny script. * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisMorna Pearson started her career at the Traverse Young Writers' Group. Her first play for the Traverse, Distracted, won the Meyer Whitworth prize. Her other plays include: Elf Analysis, The Company Will Overlook a Moment of Madness and Skin; or How To Disappear, along with a variety of work for BBC Radio. Morna has been commissioned by NT Connections 2013 and her play Ailie and the Alien will be staged as part of their 2013 season. Morna was given the inaugural Rod Hall Memorial Award in 2006. Her other plays include; McBeth's McPets (BBC Radio Scotland) and Side Effects (BBC Radio 3/Bona Broadcasting), One of her plays appeared in Scottish Shorts, published by Nick Hern in 2010.Trade ReviewBoth scabrously funny and damningly bleak. * Herald (on The Artist Man and The Mother Woman) *Brilliantly written... had the audience roaring with laughter. * Edinburgh Guide (on The Artist Man and The Mother Woman) *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewCheerful, chatty and very informative ... A readable heedable role-book, a fine fools' guide to improvisation, wherein lies plenty to plunder for those learning and teaching drama at all levels. * John Hegley, poet and musician *A wondrous toolbox for the imagination. * Jake Arnott, novelist *Fabulous book – humorous, instructive, informative – an absolute must-have for anyone interested in comedy and improvisation! * Brenda Gilhooly, comedian and TV writer *In a world where imagination seems to be fighting a losing battle against technology, Alison Goldie has come up with a brilliant and easy to follow guide to putting people back in touch with this essential part of their creative minds ... This book should be on the bloody national curriculum! * Phill Jupitus *Her voice is convincing, experienced and friendly and endless reassuring, however wonderful or excruciating your past impro experiences. ... Goldie's book could be lighting up a shelf near you. * National Drama Magazine *Packed with passion, imagination and enthusiasm, it has much to offer youth theatre companies looking for new ways to explore and create theatre. -- Michael Quinn * National Association of Youth Drama *It's useful to be able to control yourself sometimes, and it's dreadful when it becomes a habit. The Improv Book is a treasure chest of ways to bring more zest, surprise and depth back into your life—and into the lives of your students, your employees, your children, your parents and anyone else who might need it. It's really very good. I just made that up. But it's true. * Guy Claxton, author of What's the Point of School? and Building Learning Power *Goldie is an actor, director and facilitator who has taught improv all over the world – and not just to actors. Her book is full of practical exercises, lists and interesting ways of working. ... Much of Goldie’s work is potentially applicable to almost any walk of life. She wants people to communicate and get past the barriers which often impede them. I’m inclined to agree with Phill Jupitus, quoted on the cover as saying “This book should be on the bloody national curriculum”. * National Association of Youth Drama *The solid knowledge and experience of the actor, director, writer and broadcaster Alison Goldie is apparent throughout, as is her infectious enthusiasm. ... Highly recommended for anyone exploring improvisation, wanting to spice up their rehearsals of existing material or wishing to devise their own work. * Drama Resource *

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Book SynopsisThe shortest runs can have the longest legacies: for too long, scholarship surrounding British musical theatre has coalesced around the biggest names, ignoring important works that have not had the critical engagement they deserve. Through academic interrogation and industry insight, this unique collection of essays recognizes these works, shining a light on their creative achievements and legacies. With each chapter focusing on a different significant musical, a selection of shows spanning 2010s are analysed and the development and evolution of the genre is explored. Touching on key, hit shows such as SIX, Matilda, Everybody''s Talking About Jamie, The Grinning Man and Bend it Like Beckham, each chapter discusses different theatrical elements, from dramaturgy and musicology to reception, and also includes an interview with a practitioner related to each musical, providing in-depth understanding and invaluable practical and industry knowledge. ITable of ContentsForeword – Kate Marlais Foreword – Tim Sutton List of Contributors List of Images Introduction Chapter 1 - Bros Abroad: Masculinities in Transition and Homosocial Bonding in Dougal Irvine’s Departure Lounge - Broderick Chow Dougal Irvine Interview Chapter 2 - ‘The Smell of Rebellion’ and ‘The Stench of Revolt’: The Carnivalesque Dramaturgy of Matilda the Musical from Page to Stage - Stephanie Lim Ellen Kane Interview Chapter 3 - ‘Glitching’ of gender and temporality in Lift – Jozey Grae Perfect Pitch Interview - Andy Barnes, Wendy Barnes Chapter 4 - Bend it Like Beckham: The Musical: Embodying British Identities - Kelsey Blair Preeya Kalidas Interview Chapter 5 - Flowers for Mrs Harris: Covid-19, Women’s Work, and the Musical’s ‘some kind of bliss’- Sarah K. Whitfield Rachel Wagstaff & Richard Taylor Interview Chapter 6 - ‘You’re him and he is you’: Identification with the Disabled ‘Freak’ in The Grinning Man - Ellen Armstrong Toby Olié Interview Chapter 7 - “Something Precious You Don’t Simply Give Away”: Intersections of Love and Queer Expression in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie - Hannah Marie Robbins Rob Hastie Interview Chapter 8 - ‘One of a kind, no category’: Coding Race, Gender, and Excess in SIX - Aviva Neff Josh Bird Interview Chapter 9 - My Left Right Foot: The Musical – Judith Drake Noisemaker Interview Chapter 10 - ‘As if Gathered in a Verbatim Fashion’: The (Mis)Use of Documentary Markers in Chris Bush and Matt Winkworth’s The Assassination of Katie Hopkins - Cyrielle Garson Lucy Osborne Interview Conclusion

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Book SynopsisAre you a theatre-maker looking for devising tools? A writer wanting to improve your dialogue? A director trying to create a story through improvisation? Three Plays by Squint & How They Were Made brings three of the company's plays together with the methods used to create them, in a practical, user-friendly toolkit. Three of Squint's plays - created by Lee Anderson, Adam Foster and Andrew Whyment - are published here for the first time. At the heart of each, a character is struggling to process their personal trauma under the intense glare of the public eye. Long Story Short (2014) dissects journalism in the digital age, Molly (2015) takes a reality television-style journey into the mind of a sociopath, and The Incredible True Story of the Johnstown Flood (2021) embarks on a transatlantic exploration of class, exploitation and appropriation.Developed over ten years through Squint's education programme, the exercises in this book distil the company's Trade ReviewSquint’s trio of fast-paced plays, combined with the activities used to create them, are an invaluable resource for directors, ensembles, devisers and playwrights alike * Emma Rice, Wise Children *You can’t help but feel nourished by Squint’s collective spirit and markedly more equipped to originate theatre * Holly Race Roughan, Artistic Director of Headlong *It’s fascinating to read this generous and detailed articulation of the tools and methods of Squint’s theatre making * Amit Lahav, Artistic Director of Gecko *An invaluable resource for theatre makers and educators * Anna Niland, Associate Director of the National Youth Theatre. *A punchy collection of swaggeringly smart plays coupled with a generous toolkit of inspirations for making new work * Dan Rebellato, Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Royal Holloway. *Table of ContentsSquint. Foreword. Introduction. Long Story Short. Molly. The Incredible True Story Of The Johnstown Flood. The Squint Toolkit Acknowledgements Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis volume offers a compelling account of Jean-Louis Barrault, Ariane Mnouchkine and Peter Stein, who not only won international recognition as directors whose repertoires ranged from classical Greek to Shakespeare to the avant-garde, but also succeeded as leaders of their own companies. The ensembles they nurtured and kept afloat despite setbacks represent the artistic vision of each: the Compagnie Madeleine RenaudJean-Louis Barrault, the Théâtre du Soleil and the Schaubühne. Selected landmark productions illuminate the achievements of these three directors and their companies.

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Book SynopsisIn 1974, a group of determined, young high school actors started doing plays under the name of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, eventually taking residence in the basement of a church in Highland Park, a suburb of Chicago. Thus began their unlikely journey to become one of the most prominent theatre companies in the world. Steppenwolf Theatre Company has changed the face of American Theatre with its innovative approach that blends dynamic ensemble performance, honest, straightforward acting, and bold, thought-provoking stories to create compelling theatre. This is the first book to chronicle this iconic theatre company, offering an account of its early years and development, its work, and the methodologies that have made it one of the most influential ensemble theatres today. Through extensive, in-depth interviews conducted by the author with ensemble members, this book reveals the story of Steppenwolf's miraculous rise from basement to Broadway and beyond. Interviewees include co-foTrade ReviewIf you love theatre, and particularly ensemble theatre, John Mayer is about to take you on a 'first-time-ever VIP tour' into everything Steppenwolf. * Jeff Perry *[Mayer] includes extracts from interviews with literally dozens of those that have helped the company to become one of the best and best-known in the world today. Reading about a theatre company that started out in school then conquered the world ... is fascinating. It should persuade readers to do their damnedest to find a Steppenwolf production on stage or screen in the near future and also prove an inspiration to any youngsters considering starting out on the road to a career as an actor, director [or] writer. * British Theatre Guide *In his masterful book, John Mayer brings to life the Steppenwolf history and mystique in a winning meld of well-turned exposition and engrossing "spoken" reflections from many of the actors and behind-the-scenes creators who helped shape the theatre in its early years and beyond ... Even for those theater-lovers unable to experience Steppenwolf’s greatness in person, this outstanding "living history" will enlighten and delight. * TheaterJones *This captivating book traces the trial-and-error development and expansion of a community-based theatre company which started out as the adventurous enterprise of a few inspired high school students. * This Year’s Work in English Studies *

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Book SynopsisIn this first substantive study of directing Shakespeare in the USA, Charles Ney compares and contrasts directors working at major companies across the country. Because of the complexities of directing Shakespeare for audiences today, a director's methods, values and biases are more readily perceptible in their work on Shakespeare than in more contemporary work. Directors disclose their interpretation of the text, their management of the various stages of production, how they go about supervising rehearsals and share tactics. This book will be useful to students wanting to develop skills, practitioners who want to learn from what other directors are doing, and scholars and students studying production practice and performance.Trade Review[Ney's] research is impressive and unique. * Times Literary Supplement *Mr. Ney sets a new standard for the study of directing Shakespeare in the USA, deftly interviewing leaders in the field and opening up the remarkable visions, unique processes and historical research that drives the production of the Bard's work in festivals and theatres nationwide. . . . No doubt, Directing Shakespeare will be a welcome text for classrooms worldwide providing students with the "best practices" of notable directors . . . It's also a great read for seasoned professionals seeking a glimpse into the personalities and process of many of America's most successful directors. * Quarto *Charles Ney’s Directing Shakespeare in America: Current Practices is an illuminating and much-needed resource for directors, scholars, students, and Shakespeare aficionados … Ney demonstrates a remarkable ability to curate this wealth of wisdom in a way that is compelling and easy to follow … The book is engaging as a straight read-through, but it’s equally useful for the reader that wants to skip ahead and explore concise essays on various topics, such as approaches to table work, or how to navigate tech and previews. These practices are invaluable for directors of Shakespeare, but can be more broadly applied as resources for directing any kind of live theatre … Ney’s book astonishingly avoids privileging one approach over another. This is a study that attempts to truly capture diverse approaches and contextualize them … This book is an effective snapshot of an incredibly diverse body of work and a must read for Shakespeare directors, scholars, and enthusiasts. * Journal of American Drama and Theatre *Ney and his interviewees convey the vitality of performances recreated through the eyes of those who headed them … The book records stage practices at a moment in time when some of the boldest directors are relaying their understanding of Shakespeare’s theatre by scanning its longer history of production. * Methods: A Journal of Acting Pedagogy *Ney’s incisive introductions to each chapter cogently frame the emergent patterns of thought vis-à-vis each topic without eliding their inherent contradictions and complexities and could well stand on their own as a survey of contemporary practice that is both wide-ranging and rich in detail. Political, practical, and aesthetic issues all get a thorough and inclusive treatment bound to stimulate lively discussion in graduate level directing seminars … In addition to the immense practical value of its nuts and bolts approach to the entire arc of the directing process the book also provides a kind of meta-analysis of the beliefs and positions beneath the surface of contemporary Shakespearean practice and this is, perhaps, the book’s most compelling feature … Its potent combination of practical wisdom and abstract reflection make it a truly stimulating read for novice and veteran directors alike. * Shakespeare Bulletin *Directing Shakespeare is as much a tribute to prominent American directors of Shakespeare as a presentation of critical approach to staging Shakespeare’s plays … The book often reads like a roundtable discussion on directing, with Ney deftly leading the discussion … Throughout the book, readers will find pragmatic advice, amusing anecdotal examples, humor, and brutal honesty. Beginning directors will find Ney’s approach especially helpful because they can read the book from cover to cover for guidance through the directing process. It is likely that other directors will turn to the book for valuable insight while they are in the process of directing their own Shakespearean productions … It adds valuable insight and specific geographic perspective that is often absent in Elizabethan theatre studies … Ney uses the thoughts, reflections, and opinions of this broad group of directors and companies to create a wide-ranging, thoughtful, and inspiring conversation on the directing process and the purpose of theatre. * SDC Journal *Illuminates the process of bringing Shakespeare’s plays to life on stage and makes an important contribution to both theatre history and theatre practice … Actors will find out what is required of a Shakespearean performer and what it takes to get hired in the first place. Critics and scholars will find a useful context to help them view and analyse the work. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone preparing to work with one of these directors, all of whom remain active in the profession. * Voice and Speech Review *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The Directors and their Aesthetic Sensibilities Chapter 3: Developing an Approach Chapter 4: Research and Analysis Chapter 5: Preparing the Production Text Chapter 6: Working With Designers Chapter 7: Casting Chapter 8: Rehearsals Chapter 9: Table Work Chapter 10: Staging the Play Chapter 11: Speaking Shakespeare’s Language Chapter 12: Middle Stage Rehearsals Chapter 13: Other Thoughts on Rehearsal Chapter 14: Tech and Dress Rehearsals Chapter 15: Adding the Audience

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Book SynopsisIt's at times like this I'm inspired by The Stupendous Santini. He toured the mid-West during the 1930s, entertaining farmers affected by the Dust Bowl. No one would have remembered him were in not for the fact that during his most famous trick sword swallowing he accidentally punctured a lung and died on the spot. He became a legend. Donny has committed an act that shocked everyone. Tabloids called him The Most Hated Boy Alive. But Donny doesn't want forgiveness. All Donny wants is . . . his own television show.Written by internationally acclaimed writer Philip Ridley, Tonight With Donny Stixx is the companion piece to Ridley''s 2013 Fringe First-winner Dark Vanilla Jungle, and received its premiere at the Soho Theatre, London, on 27 July 2015 before premiering at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.Trade ReviewWe need writers such as Ridley to take us to these dark crevasses of experience . . . it all remains with you like a vivid hallucination * Arts Desk *No one captures pain, violence and the misery of love gone wrong quite like Philip Ridley * Daily Telegraph *Ridley, as ever a master of lyrical unpleasantness . . . lacerating excruciating theatre, which leaves the audience exhausted and speechless * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisTrees don't have ears.How are you so sure?As they attempt to flee the Best Nation in the World, North Korean sisters Minhee and Junhee are torn apart at the border. Each must race across time and space to be together again navigating the perilous Land of the Free and the treacherous terrain of personal belief.Food has learned to sprint. Money is so fast it doesn't wait to be printed. Gossip travels swifter than germs.You For Me For You was first presented in the US at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Washington D.C., in Autumn 2012 and received its UK premiere at London''s Royal Court in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs on 3 December 2015.Trade ReviewYou for Me for You . . . is a dizzying, sometimes surreal tale . . . endlessly creative in its approach to contrasting two impossibly different cultures . . . Chung’s real-world-inspired fable both dazzles and repels, revealing the ugliness buried in both very different cultures. But in one, she suggests, there’s the chance of the most entrancing fairy tale of all: a future. * Washingtonian *superbly disorientating drama . . . a fascinating, freewheeling affair * Guardian *"Magical realism", Mia Chung's description of its genre, doesn't begin to do justice to the distinctiveness and distinction of her play. Eschewing documentary reportage, the Korean-American dramatist takes us on a brilliantly imaginative journey . . . * Independent *You For Me For You gives us a fresh perspective . . . * What's On Stage *part-twisted fairytale, part Alice in Wonderland: a grotesque, disturbing and . . . startlingly vivid fever dream in which the fear, deprivation and paranoia of life in a totalitarian state collide violently with rampant western consumerism. . . . there's an astringent wit beneath Chung's bombardment of sly satire and sinister, surreal images . . . Chung toys cleverly with our expectations so that we often feel almost as helpless as the sisters . . . Striking * The Times *thrillingly strange and endearingly mad * Time Out London *

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Book SynopsisA scandal half-stifled is worse than a scandal. One is at everybody''s mercy.Backstage at a hung parliament, visionary Independent Henry Trebell is co-opted by the Tories to push through a controversial Bill. Pursuing his cause with missionary zeal, he's barely distracted by his brief affair with a married woman until she suffers a lethal backstreet abortion. Threatened by public scandal, the Establishment closes ranks and coolly seals the fate of an idealistic man.Famously banned by the censors in 1907, Harley Granville Barker's controversial masterpiece gathers a large ensemble to expose a cut-throat, cynical world of sex, sleaze and suicide amongst the political elite of Edwardian England.This edition was published for the National Theatre''s revival in November 2015.Trade ReviewWritten in 1907 and revised in 1926, it takes its time (just over three hours), but encompasses a vast amount: English smugness and hypocrisy, the intricacies of power and the danger of divorcing campaigning idealism from emotional fulfilment. Granville Barker's skill lies in his seamless blend of private and public life . . . You emerge wrung through from a play that is not only the source of much state-of-the-nation drama but also, I suspect, Granville Barker's own self-indictment. -- Michael Billington * Guardian *When the Lord Chamberlain gave the thumbs down to Harley Granville Barker’s play about a politician’s adulterous affair in 1907, was it the drama’s references to abortion that spooked him? Or was it in fact the playwright’s breathtaking cynicism about politics? It is that clear-eyed scepticism that gives the play its modern appeal. * Financial Times *The story at the heart of Harley Granville Barker's Waste - that of a political idealist brought low by scandal - has not dated one jot since the day it was written in 1907 or indeed since its first performance in 1936. * What's On Stage *a remarkable play in its combination of sex, politics and religion. . . . in addition to acute psychological understanding, [Barker] shows a laser-like eye for the hypocrisies and shifting alliances of political life. . . . this is a play that deserves packed houses for its unsparing dissection of the ongoing English malaise. * Guardian *Sex, sleaze, death, hypocrisy and loads of political humour. * The Times *phenomenally shrewd and clued-up * Independent *so packed with fascinating ideas * Daily Mail *An important play, for sure, and one with echoes in the modern era * Time Out London *A chilling example of the heartless art of politics. * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisAmidst the turmoil of political revolution, the stage directors of twentieth-century Russia rewrote the rules of theatre making. From realism to the avant-garde, politics to postmodernism, and revolution to repression, these practitioners shaped perceptions of theatre direction across the world. This edited volume introduces students and practitioners alike to the innovations of Russia's directors, from Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vsevolod Meyerhold to Anatoly Efros, Oleg Efremov and Genrietta Ianovskaia. Strongly practical in its approach, Russian Theatre in Practice: The Director's Guide equips readers with an understanding of the varying approaches of each director, as well as the opportunity to participate and explore their ideas in practice. The full range of the director's role is covered, including work on text, rehearsal technique, space and proxemics, audience theory and characterization. Each chapter focuses on one director, exploring their historical context, and comTrade ReviewThe book’s format is very attractive, consisting of bite-sized sections prefaced by bold, indicative headings interspersed with areas of highlighted text containing advice on ways to match acting theory with directorial practice. * Slavonic and East European Review *This illuminating collection of directorial case studies drawn from Russia’s rich theatrical tradition, promises to challenge contemporary directors forging new careers in theatres much further afield. -- Jonathan Pitches, University of Leeds, UKTable of ContentsList of illustrations Notes on contributors Note on transliteration and Russian terms Introduction Amy Skinner 1. Innovative Practices: Stanislavsky directs Chekhov and Gorky Maria Shevtsova 2. Meyerhold and the Visual Arts: Creating an Interdisciplinary Mise en Scène Amy Skinner 3. Nina Simonovich-Efimova: Theatre as Sculpture in Motion Dassia Posner 4.Yevgeny Vakhtangov: The Future Head of the Russian Theatre Andrei Malaev-Babel 5. Alexander Tairov: Theatricalizing the Theatre Claire Warden 6. Michael Chekhov: Directing an Actors’ Theatre Tom Cornford 7. Alexandra Remizova: A Dialogue with Time Andrei Malaev-Babel 8. Natalia Sats: A Soviet Life in the Theatre Manon van de Water 9. Mar Sulimov’s School of Directing: A Case Study of the Production Shoo, Death, Shoo! Sergei Tcherkasski 10. Anatoly Efros’ Principles of Acting and Directing: Psychological Truth, Active Analysis, Adaptations-‘Zigzags’, and Thematic Modernity James Thomas 11. Oleg Efremov: The Heir to Stanislavsky Jesse Gardiner 12. Interviews with Genrietta Ianovskaia Manon van de Water Conclusion Amy Skinner Postscript: Where to next? Amy Skinner Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisJon Klein is the head of the MFA Playwriting Program at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and author of over 30 produced plays, performed Off-Broadway and at many prestigious regional theatres. He has also written several adaptations and his stage version of Stendhal's classic novel The Red and the Black was produced at ACT Theatre, Seattle. He adapted T Bone N Weasel for a Turner Network film, starring Gregory Hines and Christopher Lloyd and for which received both the HBO Playwrights USA award and the Midwest Author's award. His other plays include Losing It, Chance and Necessity and Dimly Perceived Threats to the System. He has been a Playwright-in-Residence at the American Repertory Theatre, Cambridge, and the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta and he has taught playwriting and screenwriting at UCLA, the University of Texas, the University of Washington, Ohio University, and Hollins University.Trade ReviewJon Klein is an amazing playwright, but more importantly he is a unique and extraordinary artist who's pursuit of artistic excellence through the craft of writing can serve as a useful tool to the benefit of artists and students. His wealth of knowledge and skill when it comes to writing is not to be debated. He has truly lived a full life as a successful playwright. * Kenny Leon, Tony-award winning director *Jon Klein has had a long, successful career as a working playwright and a dedicated professor. I can think of no one better to share his insight and experience. I certainly wish I had a book like this when I started out! * Robert L. Freedman, screenwriter and dramatist *I wish I could have read Jon Klein's [book] when I was starting out. Jon uses examples from his own successful career as a dramatist to highlight the skills and fortitude necessary to navigate a life in the theater. This is a book on play writing written by someone who's been in the trenches * Jeffrey Hatcher, playwright and screenwriter *Table of Contents1. What is a Playwright’s Life Like? 2. What Makes You Want to Do It? 3. When Do You Call Yourself a Playwright? 4. How Do You Earn a Living? 5. What Happens When Your Play’s a Hit? 6. What Happens When Your Play’s a Flop? 7. How Do You Bounce Back? 8. What’s Luck Got To Do With It? 9. Can a Playwright Make Bad Decisions? 10. Does Controversy Help or Hurt a Play? 11. How the #$%@! Can I Get Someone to Read My Play? 12. How Do I Find the Right Opportunities? 13. Anything Else? Appendix: Other Playwrights Have Their Turn: Contributions by Allyson Currin, Steven Dietz, Robert Freedman, Gary Garrison, Keith Glover, Chad Henry, John Olive, John Pielmeier and Y York

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a new reading of Pina Bausch's dance theatre, orienting it within an international legacy of performance practice.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a new reading of Pina Bausch's dance theatre, orienting it within an international legacy of performance practice.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisLife in Iran as an artist under the Shah and during the Iranian Revolution A Man of the Theater tells the personal story of a theater artist caught between the two great upheavals of Iranian history in the 20th century. One is the White Revolution of the 1960s, the incomplete and uneven modernization imposed from the top by the dictatorial regime of the Shah, coming in the wake of the overthrow of the popular Mosaddegh government with the help of the CIA. The other one is the Iranian Revolution of 1979, a great rising of Iranian society against the rule of the Shah in which Khomeini’s Islamist faction ends up taking power. Written in a simple direct style, Rahmaninejad’s memoir describes his fraught creative life in Tehran during these decades, founding a theater company and directing plays under the increasing pressure of the censorship authorities and the Shah’s secret police. After being arrested and tortured by the SAVAK and after spending years in Tehran’s infamous Evin prison and being a cause célèbre of Amnesty International, Rahmaninejad is freed by the Revolution of 1979. But his new-found freedom is short-lived; the progressive intellectuals and artists find themselves overpowered and outmaneuvered by the better organized Islamists, leading to renewed terror and to exile. In Western perception, the Iranian Revolution, which this year has its 40th anniversary, often overshadows the decades of Iran’s modern history that preceded it. A Man of the Theater fills this gap. The title derives from a time of torture in prison when interrogators ordered him to write everything about his activities. To avoid revealing anything incriminating he took pen in hand and wrote and wrote about all his artistic passions, beginning, "Here it is—this is my life! I am an artist! A man of the theater!"Trade Review"This is the story of a visionary auteur and insightful interpreter of theater, who was rewarded by both the Shah and the Ayatollah with prison sentences . . . where he proceeded to stage plays with his fellow inmates. Nasser’s tale of his art and its encounter with power is told with the poignant humor and devastatingly profound honesty that characterizes his life and his work." -- Syrus Samii, author of The Blue Flower of Forgetfulness

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Book SynopsisMost dance production books are written from the perspective of a production manager or designer, focusing on the technical aspects of a traditional dance production.Producing Dance takes a unique path—one that includes the voice of the choreographer and dancer in the journey to performance.In doing so, the authors support the process of the entire creative team and cover all aspects of a production. They put those aspects in the context of real-world application, in sequence with other components, creating a toolbox for success for all involved. By the end of the book, readers will have discovered the many options available to them in the production setting and be able to choose the tool most needed at the time.Critical Guidance That Sets This Book ApartThrough its collaborative approach, Producing Dance goes beyond the performance, covering evaluation, reflection, and opportunities for growth. And it offers guidance in two critical areas that are not addressed in other dance production books: Creating dance performances in nontraditional spaces such as site-specific venues, dance and culture festivals, and audience-immersive experiences Supporting the development of an artistic career through acquiring business skills such as fundraising, grant writing, and performing business analyses AncillariesProducing Dance comes with an instructor guide, a test bank, a PowerPoint presentation package, and HKPropel Access. Through HKPropel, students will find supplemental content and study aids: Application activities for each chapter, allowing students to practice the concepts discussed in the chapter Real-world examples with explanations Links to websites that further illustrate concepts Virtual flash cards to help students study and retain key terms Parts of the BookThe text is presented in four parts. Part I guides readers in balancing and integrating artistic ideas with logistical considerations to create a clear and unified vision. Part II explores the process of realizing that vision through a collaborative and creative process. In part III, the knowledge gained in the first two parts is put into action as performance takes center stage. In part IV, readers learn how to continue to grow beyond the performance through a variety of pathways that deepen understanding and open up future opportunities.Realizing VisionThe journey from an idea to a fully produced vision can be daunting. Producing Dance makes that journey not only doable but also enjoyable. It provides readers the understanding and tools they need to realize their vision, explore and develop their voice, and further their growth and career development.Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is included with all new print books.Table of ContentsPart I. Vision: Balancing Artistic Content and Production RealitiesChapter 1. Vision and Collaboration in Dance PerformanceEarly Dance Performances and VisionPerformance SpacesDesign ElementsSummaryChapter 2. Artistic VisionInspiration and Purpose Tied to Artistic VisionAudiencePerformance SpacesResearchCreative BriefSummaryChapter 3. Logistical ConsiderationsSWOT AnalysisSWOT ApplicationFinancial StructureCollaborative Organizational StructuresArts AdministrationSummaryChapter 4. Getting StartedVenuesFundingVisibilitySummaryPart II. Process: Clarity Through Creation, Collaboration, and ConversationsChapter 5. CollaboratorsOrganization of RolesDance CollaboratorsProduction CollaboratorsDefining a Collaborative LanguageProduction MeetingsSummaryChapter 6. Creation in the StudioAuditionsRehearsalsSummaryChapter 7. Stage, Scenery, Props, and LightingStagesScenery and PropsLightingSummaryChapter 8. Sound, Digital Media, Costumes, and MakeupSoundDigital MediaCostume and MakeupSummaryPart III. Integration: Blending Vision and ProcessChapter 9. Production TimelineProduction CalendarMilestonesProduction ProcessPulling the Timelines TogetherCreating a Gantt ChartProduction MeetingsSummaryChapter 10. Production Scope and Audience ExperienceProduction ScopeAudience ExperienceSummaryChapter 11. Integrating Elements OnstageStage ConsiderationsScenery and PropsLightingSoundDigital MediaCostumesSummaryPart IV. Culmination: Performance and BeyondChapter 12. Production WeekTimelineCue-to-Cue RehearsalTechnical (Tech) RehearsalDress RehearsalExpecting the UnexpectedSummaryChapter 13. PerformanceFront of HouseBackstage CrewPerformersStrikeSummaryChapter 14. PostmortemTechnical Production PerspectiveChoreographer and Artistic PerspectivesMediatorsFeedbackNow What?

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Book Synopsis

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