Theatre studies Books
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Verbatim, Verbatim: Contemporary Documentary
Book SynopsisFive specially commissioned discussions of verbatim theatre - in the words of the people who make it. 'What a verbatim play does is flash your research nakedly. It’s like cooking a meal but the meat is left raw.’ - Max Stafford-Clark Plays which use people’s actual words as the basis for their dramaare not a new phenomenon. But from the stages of national theatres to fringe venues and universities everywhere, ‘verbatim’ theatre, as it has come to be known, is currently enjoying unprecedented attention and success. It has also attracted high-profile criticism and impassioned debate. In these wide-ranging essays and interviews, six leading dramatists describe their varying approaches to verbatim, examine the strengths and weaknesses of its techniques and explore the reasons for its current popularity. They discuss frankly the unique opportunities and ethical dilemmas that arise when portraying real people on stage, and consider some of the criticisms levelled at this controversial documentary form. 'The intention is always to arrive at the truth.' - Nicolas Kent
£15.99
James Currey African Theatre 18
Book SynopsisHighlighted in this volume is the detective play The Inspector and the Hero by Femi Osofisan, one of Africa's leading playwrights. The play has until now only been published in Nigeria. This open issue of African Theatre is a departure from the traditional themed format to showcase the plethora of styles, approaches and perspectives that populate the contemporary field of African theatre studies, with contributions from Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana. Focusing mainly on case studies, contributors engage a variety of performance forms, ranging from investigations into radical dramatic and popular musical performances, through "street theatre" (festivals and masquerade shows) and pop culture, to consideration of applied theatre, dance, audience, cultural performances and folktales. Articles address African American and African cultural dialogue; choreographic study; the carnivalization of indigenous African festivals; the stigmatization of disability; the performance of nationality, as well as orality and African performance aesthetics. Highlighted in this volume is the playscript of the detective play The Inspector and the Hero by Femi Osofisan, one of Africa's foremost playwrights. Volume Editor: CHUKWUMA OKOYE Series Editors: Yvette Hutchison, Reader, Department of Theatre & Performance Studies, University of Warwick; Chukwuma Okoye, Reader in African Theatre & Performance, University of Ibadan; Jane Plastow, Professor of African Theatre, University of Leeds.Table of ContentsIntroduction - Chukwuma Okoye "Man in the Mirror": The issue of appropriation in the exchange between African & African American popular culture - Stephanie Shonekan NAFEST Danceturgy in search of integration & identity: A study of selected Nasarawa State dance entries - 'Tosin Kooshima Tume Carnivalization of indigenous performance forms & the demystification of ritual essence in costume & mask designs of masquerade art - Bernard Eze Orji An initial investigation into contemporary theatre audiences in Malawi - Amy Bonsall Exploring educational theatre & peer learning to combat stigma & myths about albinism in school settings in Malawi - Zindaba Chisiza Performing the Nation: Incorporating cultural performances into theatre in Ethiopia - Zerihun Birehanu Orality & the folktale: Metaphysical content & performance aesthetics of Anansesem - Sarah Dorgbadzi Playscript: The Inspector & the Hero - Femi Osofisan Book Reviews edited by Sola Adeyemi
£66.50
Alma Books Ltd The Theatre and Its Double (Annotated Edition):
Book SynopsisFirst published in 1938, The Theatre and Its Double is a collection of essays detailing Antonin Artaud’s radical theories on drama and theatre, which he saw as being stifled by conservatism and lack of experimentation. Containing the famous manifestos of the ‘Theatre of Cruelty’, the collection analyses the underlying impulses of performance, provides some suggestions on a physical-training method for actors and actresses, and features a long appreciation of the expressive values of Eastern dance drama.Trade ReviewThis smart reissue of Victor Corti’s 1970 translation is welcome, offering a new generation access to Artaud’s vision of theatre as total art form...even after all these years, it still sends shivers down the spine. * TLS *He has had an impact so profound that the course of all recent serious theatre in Western Europe and the Americas can be said to divide into two periods - before Artaud and after Artaud. -- Susan Sontag
£7.99
Nick Hern Books So You Want To Work In Theatre?
Book SynopsisAn essential guide for young people who want to work in the theatre - but aren't sure exactly what they want to do, or how to get to do it. Many young people are eager to experience the excitement and allure of working in theatre, but often this only goes as far as imagining themselves as actors, on stage in front of an audience every night. In reality, there are more jobs off the stage than on it. They can be every bit as rewarding as acting - and certainly more secure because there are invariably fewer people competing for each one. Using her expertise as Education and Training Editor for The Stage, Susan Elkin encourages aspiring theatre-makers and workers to look beyond acting to some of the other behind-the-scenes options available: playwriting, directing, producing, designing, stage management, administration, publicity, front-of-house, stage door... * She describes what each job entails and how you might achieve that role, including relevant courses and training opportunities offered in the UK. There are also numerous case studies of theatre professionals describing how they got where they are, and top tips for following in their footsteps. Written in a clear, no-nonsense style, this book is an ideal starting point for students considering a career in theatre, but also a useful tool for parents, teachers and career-advisers looking to learn more about the options open to interested young people. * And, for those of you who really must, the book does cover how to get into acting too.Trade Review'A refreshingly candid account of careers in theatre arts that should prove attractive to any reader who is theatrically oriented... a great source of information and encouragement... Elkin's book is a beacon of hope given its roots in reality and sense' * Drama Magazine *'I wish this had been published when I was at school' * Teaching Drama Magazine *'[Susan Elkin's] book provides a clear overview of work opportunities in and around theatre and really should be available to young people in schools across the country' -- David Farmer * Drama Resource *'An easy read, as it reads like a conversation, across a cafe table perhaps, where dollops of sound advice and useful information are being imparted... there is a lot of useful information contained in this conversation and anybody considering a career in the professional theatre would do well to listen' * Youth Drama Ireland *'a valuable resource for careers advisers and potential students alike' * The Stage *'Informative... what readers will really benefit from most is the information supplied by those who do this kind of thing day in, day out.' * British Theatre Guide *
£9.49
Nick Hern Books Diane Samuels' Kindertransport: The author's
Book SynopsisThe author's guide to Kindertransport, an invaluable and uniquely authoritative resource for anyone studying, teaching or performing the play. Since it was first staged by the Soho Theatre Company in London in 1993, Diane Samuels’ Kindertransport has enjoyed huge success around the world, has been revived numerous times, and is widely studied in schools and colleges. The play tells the story of how nine-year-old Eva, a German Jewish girl, is sent by her parents on the Kindertransport to start a new life with a foster family in Britain just before the outbreak of World War Two. Over forty years later, she has changed her name to Evelyn and denied her roots. When her own daughter discovers some old letters and photos in the attic, she is forced to confront the truth about who she really is and to reveal a dark secret that she has done everything to keep hidden. In this author’s guide to the play, Diane Samuels investigates the historical background, drawing on the personal testimony of those whose lives were transformed by the Kindertransport. She explores the creative process that shaped the play through successive drafts. And she presents detailed accounts from the actors, directors, a composer and designer who have contributed to the play’s most notable productions.Trade Review'Such a wonderful companion to the play... incredibly helpful... lends itself for so many different types of student' * Teaching Drama *'Illuminating... It's a refreshing change for a study guide to come from the pen of the person who created the text being studied... an informative, enlightening contribution to textual study and performance' * The Stage *
£9.49
Nick Hern Books Brutus and Other Heroines: Playing Shakespeare's
Book Synopsis'A part we have played is like a person we once met, grew to know, became intimately enmeshed with and finally moved away from. Some of these characters remain friends, others are like ex–lovers with whom we no longer have anything in common. All of them bring something out in us that will never go back in the box.' In a varied and distinguished career, Harriet Walter has played almost all of Shakespeare's heroines, notably Ophelia, Helena, Portia, Viola, Imogen, Lady Macbeth, Beatrice and Cleopatra, mostly for the Royal Shakespeare Company. But where, she asks, does an actress go after playing Cleopatra's magnificent death? Why didn't Shakespeare write more – and more powerful – roles for mature women? For Walter, the solution was to ignore the dictates of centuries of tradition, and to begin playing the mature male characters. Her Brutus in an all–female Julius Caesar at the Donmar Warehouse was widely acclaimed, and was soon followed by Henry IV. What, she asks, can an actress bring to these roles – and is there any fundamental difference in the way they must be played? In Brutus and Other Heroines, Walter discusses each of these roles – both male and female – from the inside, explaining the particular choices she made in preparing and performing each character. Her extraordinarily perceptive and intimate accounts illuminate each play as a whole, offering a treasure trove of valuable insights for theatregoers, scholars and anyone interested in how the plays work on stage. Aspiring actors, too, will discover the many possibilities open to them in playing these magnificent roles. The book is an exploration of the Shakespearean canon through the eyes of a self-identified 'feminist actor' – but, above all, a remarkable account of an acting career unconstrained by tradition or expectations. It concludes with an affectionate rebuke to her beloved Will: 'I cannot imagine a world without you. I just wish you had put more women at the centre of your world/stage… I would love you to come back and do some rewrites.' 'A glorious reminder that genuine diversity on stage offers astonishing creative benefits… Harriet Walter is mesmerising in one play after another, bringing her classical training to bear as a conflicted Brutus, then a Henry IV who wears his crown heavily, and finally a Prospero who knows that the steel bars of prison are resistant to all magic… this is genuinely art to enchant' The Guardian on the Donmar Warehouse's Shakespeare Trilogy Trade Review'Intelligent, thoughtful… a strong combination of actor's guide to interpreting text and more general reflections on Shakespeare, but it's the book's element of female empowerment - whether through cross-casting or making judicious choices - which makes this such a potent read… an invaluable tool for actors, but more than that, this is a battle cry for us all to demand better' * Broadway World *'An entertaining, informative and interesting read for anyone involved with acting, language and performance, but above all Shakespeare' * Word Matters (Journal of the Society of Teachers of Speech & Drama) *'Illuminating… provides fascinating insights that come out of researching, rehearsing and performing the roles… will be of interest to scholars as well as actors of either gender playing those characters' * BritishTheatre.com *'Delightful... intelligent, entertaining and informative' * British Theatre Guide *'A quiet jewel of a book… perhaps only a great actress with a lot less narcissism than average could write such an intelligent, hard-nosed book about Shakespeare, and about gender… any actor who wants to master their art should read it and take notes' * The Australian *'Enlightening and entertaining… Harriet Walter has a real gift for an account which is part personal journey and part practical analysis of Shakespeare’s words and how they can be interpreted – by someone who really knows... if you want insights into playing Shakespeare’s roles for women in the widest sense then look no further than this penetrating, very readable book' * Ink Pellet *'One of those startling one-offs that seem to resist categorisation… [asks] lively questions, and Walter is restless and intelligent in pursuit of answers... this is a clever, energetic, principled mind at work' * The Oldie *'Walter understands Shakespeare’s language instinctively… drama students approaching these parts themselves will find it a helpful textual guide' * Spectator *'No book has given me a greater insight into the mind of an actor and I thoroughly enjoyed flicking through the pages to find out about the next character to sink her teeth and magnificent mind into' * Female Arts *'What Harriet Walter has to say about acting and the insight into the roles she has played will be of interest not only to actors but to anybody studying Shakespeare and searching for clues about the characters' * Mature Times *
£12.34
Nick Hern Books The Playwright's Journey: From First Spark to
Book SynopsisA clear, supportive and comprehensive guide to writing a play - based on the author's long-running playwriting masterclasses, as taught at the UK's National Theatre. This book leads you through everything you need to know, including: The theatrical tools and techniques you can use to bring your play to life on the stage (and how these differ from writing for film and TV); Discovering and trusting your writing process, with a range of approaches for developing your initial idea into a completed script; Understanding your characters, including their goals and central conflicts, and using emotional logic to connect them to your story; Finding the dramatic structure and theatrical setting that best suits your play; The key elements of constructing a great scene, including how to handle exposition, invoke tension, deepen characterisation and create effective transitions; Writing engaging, active dialogue by finding each character's voice, balancing exposition with subtext, and rooting what a character says in their specific context Throughout, you'll find examples from classical and modern plays, plus insights from other contemporary playwrights into their own writing journeys. Each chapter provides a set of exercises to help you practise what you've learnt. There's also advice on what to do once you've finished your script - including redrafting, receiving feedback and taking notes - and how to navigate your play's progress towards production. Whether you're an emerging playwright or embarking on your first-ever play, The Playwright's Journey will help you develop your creativity, strengthen your connection to your material, and transform your idea into a fully formed play that feels alive on the page - and the stage.Trade Review'A very, very smart book which left me nodding in sage agreement with every chapter... [Lays] bare the most complex, convoluted ideas with exquisite lucidity, wit and empathy... A substantial and rare aesthetic achievement which every aspiring playwright, producer and director should read and respect' Joe Penhall; 'Kind, good, sane and useable advice, brilliantly written' Blanche McIntyre
£13.49
Nick Hern Books Being a Playwright: A Career Guide for Writers
Book SynopsisThe essential playwriting career guide, from the team behind acclaimed new writing theatre company Papatango. Writing a good play is only a small part of making it as a successful playwright; understanding the business side of building a career is just as crucial. Yet most advice for budding writers focuses only on the craft of playwriting, ignoring the practicalities of the industry – which makes it harder for those without connections or know-how to get their work on stage. Being a Playwright sets out, transparently and honestly, all the factors besides writing that playwrights need to know about to succeed. It includes advice on: How to get a script noticed; Which programming and commissioning opportunities to pursue; How to approach agents, companies and collaborators Drawing on Papatango's decade-long experience of discovering and launching successful new writers – who have gone on to win prizes such as BAFTA, OffWestEnd, Royal National Theatre Foundation and Alfred Fagon Awards – this straightforward and accessible book discusses the opportunities and pitfalls of life as a playwright. Whether you're an aspiring writer wondering how to break into the industry, or a working playwright looking to land bigger commissions, this is your insider road map to navigating the world of professional theatre.Trade Review'Very good and very practical… it all feels encouragingly rooted in real experience' * Ink Pellet *'Thorough is an understatement… there is much to learn about and ponder in this extremely well written and laid out volume' * British Theatre Guide *'An effective guide that could make a difference in someone's life… if you've ever wanted to be a playwright this book will give you the tools and hope you need' * Broadway World *'Accessible and informative... an essential tool kit to support the playwright at many stages of writing – highly recommended!' * BritishTheatre.com *
£12.34
Nick Hern Books Getting, Keeping & Working with Your Acting
Book SynopsisThis empowering, informative guide explains everything actors need to know about agents – how to find one, what they do, and how to work with them effectively to help you succeed in your career. If you're currently seeking an agent, discover how to research and contact them, and what they're looking for in their clients. And if you already have one, learn how to manage and get the most out of this crucial relationship. Also included are invaluable tips on how to write a great CV; obtain attention-grabbing headshots, showreels and voicereels; prepare for and excel at auditions; embrace social media; protect your mental health; and much more. The Compact Guides are pocket-sized introductions for actors and theatremakers, each tackling a key topic in a clear and comprehensive way. Written by industry professionals with extensive hands-on experience of their subject, they provide you with maximum information in minimum time.
£8.54
Nick Hern Books So You Want To Be A Playwright?
Book SynopsisHow to write a play and get it produced - a manual for playwrights. Playwright and former literary manager Tim Fountain guides the budding playwright over the many hurdles involved in getting a play on - from finding a story that only you know, through the detailed construction of the play, and on to the strategies you can use to get it on stage. • What kind of play do you want to write? • Where do you get your ideas from? • How much exposition do you need? • Where do you find your characters' voices? • What should you do when you get stuck? • Where should you send your play? The book also deals with the actual production: choosing directors, designers and actors, and coping with rehearsals, previews and press nights. Includes appendixes of vital websites, and contact details for new-writing theatres, agents and publishers. 'A marvellous and invaluable guide... full of wisdom and no-nonsense practical advice on the tricky but thrilling business of making plays' Willy RussellTrade Review'A terrific book. Informative and easy to read' * ReviewsGate.com *'Excellent... very practically geared to those writing for the stage today' * British Theatre Guide *
£11.69
Nick Hern Books Other People's Shoes: Thoughts on Acting
Book SynopsisHarriet Walter's wonderfully practical - and personal - introduction to acting. 'Acting is what I do with who I am', writes Harriet Walter. And in this book she takes us step by step through the processes involved in performance. Each step of the way is illuminated with brilliantly precise examples from her own career. So we are introduced to the Workshop, the Rehearsal, and the Roots and Pathways into a role. Then follows the main meat of the book: six Keys to the Development and Exploration of character. The closing section deals with Performance on stage and screen. Every insight, every suggestion is firmly rooted in the author's own experience. Harriet Walter's book is full of unparalleled insights into the everyday working life of an actor, and into quite how much hard work is needed before they can convincingly put themselves in other people's shoes. 'My advice to a young actor: read this book' Richard EyreTrade Review'Buy it, and be delightfully and unhectoringly informed about exactly what it is that actors get up to and why... Harriet Walter is sharp, clear, elegant, sturdily sensitive' * Observer *'A fascinating insight into the working life of an actor... very enjoyable' * The Times *
£13.49
Nick Hern Books Year of the King
Book SynopsisOther early 'stand-out' roles came in the premieres of Caryl Churchill's Cloud Nine (1979) and Mike Leigh's Goose Pimples (1981). He was Malcolm Bradbury's History Man on TV (1981) before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982, where he has played a huge variety of leading role in modern plays such as David Edgar's Maydays (1983) and Peter Flannery's Singer (1989) but chiefly in Shakespeare. He was the Fool to Michael Gambon's Lear, a famous Richard III, Shylock, Malvolio, Leontes, Macbeth with Harriet Walter, and, currently, Iago. For the RSC he was also Cyrano and Tamburlaine and the Malcontent. Interspersed with these were appearances at the National Theatre - as Astrov to Ian McKellen's Uncle Vanya, as Stanley Spencer in Pam Gems's play and as Titus Andronicus, which he originated at the Market Theatre, Johannesburg. In October 2004 he will appear at the National again in his own play based on Primo Levi's This was a Man. Following his debut as a writer with Year of the King, he has written four novels - Middlepost, Indoor Boy, Cheap Lives and The Feast - as well as an autobiography, Beside Myself (2001), and a play, I.D. (premiered at the Almeida, 2003).Trade Review"'One of the finest books I have ever read on the process of acting' Time Out; 'This is a most wonderfully authentic account of the experience of creating a performance' Sunday Times; 'A brilliant compulsive account' Michael Billington, Guardian; 'It is very funny... The drawings are miraculous too. Is there no end to the man's talent, damn him?' Evening Standard"
£13.49
Nick Hern Books Taking Stock: The Theatre of Max Stafford-Clark
Book SynopsisInside accounts of the making of some of the most influential theatre productions of the last four decades. Max Stafford-Clark has been at the cutting edge of theatre in Britain for more than thirty years. Taking Stock draws on diaries, photos and interviews to recreate the evolution of nine of his most famous and influential productions: Fanshen by David Hare Epsom Downs by Howard Brenton Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill Rita, Sue and Bob Too by Andrea Dunbar Serious Money by Caryl Churchill Our Country's Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker The Steward of Christendom by Sebastian Barry Some Explicit Polaroids by Mark Ravenhill Macbeth by William Shakespeare The result is one of the richest, most intimately informative books on the making of theatre.Trade Review'a rare opportunity to get inside the mind of one of British theatre's most original practitioners... a fascinating view of an incredibly diverse body of work' * British Theatre Guide *'a splendid portrait of the vicissitudes of the collective life' * Times Literary Supplement *'fascinating... By pioneering the workshop method of rehearsal, where actors and director all contribute ideas before sending the playwright off to pen the text, Stafford-Clark made a major innovation in the evolution of British drama... He also tells a good story' -- Aleks Sierz * Independent *'a terrific read... an absolute treasure trove of insights, tips, reminiscences and lessons in the 'process' of how a new play comes into the world' * Rogues and Vagabonds *
£13.49
Nick Hern Books Ibsen's A Doll's House: A Study Guide
Book SynopsisThe Nick Hern Books Page to Stage series – highly accessible guides to the world's best-known plays, written by established theatre professionals to show how the plays come to life on the stage. Director Stephen Unwin takes you scene by scene through the action of Ibsen's play A Doll's House, analysing moment by moment what is actually said and done, and how the staging of these moments affects our understanding of them. Also included in this volume: a concise introduction to Ibsen and the historical background of the play; a discussion of the characters and setting; and an exploration of the possibilities for staging, lighting, costumes, props and furniture, and the sound and music. Ideal for anyone studying, teaching or performing A Doll's House, as well as anyone interested in how the play works on stage.
£9.49
CB Editions The End of Ends
Book SynopsisThe final book of the Polish theatre director Tadeusz Bradecki (1955-2022), The End of Ends is a book about art and story-telling that contains an embedded novel.
£10.80
Salamander Street Limited The Ultimate Drama Pot Collection: 100 Monologues
Book SynopsisA book packed with one hundred monologues, aimed at young performers from pre teens to young adults. The book has been written by a drama teacher with over twenty years' experience which includes heading up a performing arts faculty in a secondary school, GCSE and A-Level examining and most currently residing as the principal of a successful theatre school. She also has her work published in the 2019 LAMDA Acting Anthology and has several published plays. The original monologues and scenes can be used for class work, festivals and exams. The monologues have guidance on age suitability, and there is a good mix of male and female characters, with some written as non-gender specific in order to give the performer a wider selection of pieces to choose from. This collection of creative material would be a great asset to any drama teacher’s resources and be of benefit to primary and secondary schools as well as youth groups, and those preparing for auditions. “A great series of monologues, funny, sad and heart warming. Like a little sidekick in paperback form! Extremely reliable resources for all genres of monologue. The author has, thankfully, broadened the horizons for anyone looking for suitable and appropriate audition material. Students will be thrilled to perform these fun, new, fresh, quirky and up to date pieces.” Dave King (Drama Teacher and LAMDA Tutor)Table of ContentsMonologue Activities 1 Rehearsal Tasks 3 Suitability: Pre-teen Feisty Fairy 6 Jack 7 My Friend Henry 8 Peter Pan in Wonderland 10 Extraordinary 11 My World 13 I Won’t Choose 15 Alfie 16 It’s Here Somewhere 18 I’m Not Ready 20 My Grandma Never Sits Down 22 A Mermaid’s View 24 Magical Pet 25 Cowboy Trumps Indian 27 Wilderness Badge 29 Pirate Not Princess 30 Fame club 31 Santa Can Only Be Red 33 Check Mate! 35 Queen of Hearts and the Best Tarts 37 No One Understands Me 39 I Love the Ice 40 Poof! 42 Circus Dog 44 Show and Tell 46 I’m Not Contrary 48 Suitability: Pre-teen/Young Teen I’m not Contrary 48 Gran Says 50 Evacuee 52 Fleeced 54 Winner 56 Loves me, loves me not 57 The Light 59 I Dated an Elf 61 The Breakup 63 There’s Nothing Merry About Me 65 Geronimo! 67 If Walls Had Ears 69 Caravanning 71 Angry Waves 73 Life in Black and White 75 Unsinkable 77 Happy Place 79 Dystopia — The Taste That Once Was 81 Turbulent Times 83 Mission Complete 85 Excitement is Exhausting! 88 One Last Spell 90 A Striking friendship 92 Hard Times 94 Bitter Sweet Nightmares 96 I’m Not Scared 98 The Audition 100 Suitability: Teen The Audition 100 Cyber Torture 102 Dear Jenny 104 More Dragons 106 Dear Diary 109 Karma 111 Inner Beauty 113 Chapped 115 I’m Not a Vandal 117 Underworld 120 Mirror, Mirror 122 Less is More 124 The Ugly Vase 126 Curtain Going Up! 128 Enjoy the Moment 131 Going Solo 133 An Unwanted View 135 I Miss You 137 Trouble 139 The Lodger 141 Stinky Shoe 143 Sparkle 145 Little Red Lie 147 The Big Apple 149 Hair We Go! 151 Suitability: Teen/Young adult Hair We Go 151 Solitary 153 Eat Me! 155 When the World Turned Grey 157 Haunting 159 No Stars on this Jacket 161 What Am I Doing Here? 163 The Beauty Treatment 165 The Loft 167 New Home 169 Oxbridge Material 171 And the winner is… 173 The Urge 175 Evil Personified 177 Rest in Purgatory 179 Sometimes 181 Suitability: Young Adult Sometimes 181 Stood Here Looking at You 183 The Robbery 185 Desperate 187 Fashion Buzz 189 Me Too! 191 I Do 193 What I Never Had 195
£14.24
Springer Nature Switzerland AG Mapping Global Theatre Histories
Book SynopsisThis textbook provides a global, chronological mapping of significant areas of theatre, sketched from its deepest history in the evolution of our brain's 'inner theatre' to ancient, medieval, modern, and postmodern developments. It considers prehistoric cave art and built temples, African trance dances, ancient Egyptian and Middle-Eastern ritual dramas, Greek and Roman theatres, Asian dance-dramas and puppetry, medieval European performances, global indigenous rituals, early modern to postmodern Euro-American developments, worldwide postcolonial theatres, and the hyper-theatricality of today's mass and social media. Timelines and numbered paragraphs form an overall outline with distilled details of what students can learn, encouraging further explorations online and in the library. Questions suggest how students might reflect on present parallels, making their own maps of global theatre histories, regarding geo-political theatrics in the media, our performances in everyday life, and the theatres inside our brains. Table of Contents1. Theatricality in Deep History and the Human Brain.- 2. From Prehistoric to Ancient Theatricality.- 3. Greco-Roman Beginnings of "Theatre" (as Theatron/Theatrum).- 4. Traditional Forms of Asian Theatre.- 5. Medieval Europe and Premodern Africa, Australia, and the Americas.- 6. Early Modern Developments in Italy and France (1400s-1600s).- 7. Early Modern Mixtures in England, Spain, and the New World (1500s-1600s).- 8. Restoration and Baroque Revolutions (1600s-1700s).- 9. Romanticism, Melodrama, and Minstrelsy (1800s).- 10. Modern Realisms and Anti-Realisms (Late 1800s to Early 1900s).- 11. Mid-Twentieth Century Euro-American Innovations.- 12. Postmodern Theatre in the US (1950s to 2010s).- 13. Postmodern Theatre in Europe (1950s-2010s) .- 14. Global, Postcolonial Theatre.
£47.49
Springer Nature Switzerland AG Memorialising Shakespeare: Commemoration and
Book SynopsisThis book is the first comprehensive account of global Shakespeare commemoration in the period between 1916 and 2016. Combining historical analysis with insights into current practice, Memorialising Shakespeare covers Shakespeare commemoration in China, Ukraine, Egypt, and France, as well as Great Britain and the United States. Chapter authors discuss a broad range of commemorative activities—from pageants, dance, dramatic performances, and sculpture, to conferences, exhibitions, and more private acts of engagement, such as reading and diary writing. Themes covered include Shakespeare’s role in the formation of cultural memory and national and global identities, as well as Shakespeare’s relationship to decolonisation and race. A significant feature of the book is the inclusion of chapters from organisers of recent Shakespeare commemoration events, reflecting on their own practice. Together, the chapters in Memorialising Shakespeare show what has been at stake when communities, identity groups, and institutions have come together to commemorate Shakespeare.Table of Contents1. Introduction: Memorialising Shakespeare, Memorialising Ourselves; Monika Smialkowska and Edmund G. C. King.- 2. From Common Reader to Canon: Memorialising the Shakespeare-Reading Soldier during the First World War; Edmund G. C. King.- 3. A Greenwich Night’s Dream: Shakespeare, Empire, and the Royal Navy in Post-Armistice Britain; Kurt Schreyer.- 4. Culture and Colonialism: The 1916 Tercentenary in Egypt; Karma Sami and Monika Smialkowska.- 5. Divergence and Convergence: The ‘Universal’ versus the National Bard; Irena R. Makaryk.- 6. French Shakespeare: From Victor Hugo to Patrice Chéreau; Dominique Goy-Blanquet.- 7. Canonising Cleopatra? Shakespeare400 and the Library, Lovers, and Saints of Alexandria; Katherine Hennessey.- 8. Citizen of the world, or citizen of nowhere? Shakespeare Lives in China in 2016; Duncan Lees.- 9. Commemorating Shakespeare through Dance and Music, 1964–2016; Elizabeth Klett.- 10. Curating Shakespeare in the North; Adam Hansen.- 11. ‘The Conceit of This Inconstant Stay’: Exhibiting Shakespeares in Eugene, Oregon; Lara Bovilsky.- 12. Afterword; Ton Hoenselaars.
£74.99
Springer Nature Switzerland AG Analysing Gender in Performance
Book SynopsisAnalysing Gender in Performance brings together the fields of Gender Studies and Performance Analysis to explore how contemporary performance represents and interrogates gender. This edited collection includes a wide range of scholarly essays, as well as artists’ voices and their accounts of their works and practices. The Introduction outlines the book’s key approaches to concepts in English language gender discourses and gender’s intersectionalities, and sets out the approaches to performance analysis and methods of research employed by the various contributors. The book focuses on performances from the Global North, staged over the past fifty years. Case studies are diverse, ranging from site-specific, dance theatre, speculative drag, installation, and music video performances to Mabou Mines, Churchill, Shakespeare and Ibsen. Contributors explore how gender intersects with sexuality, social class, race, ethnicity, indigeneity, culture and history. Read individually or in tension with one another, the essays confront the contemporary complexities of analysing gender in performance. Table of Contents1 Introduction.Part I 1970s–1990s.2 Pina Bausch’s Kontakthof: Choreographies of Gender and Costume.3 Queer Becomings: The Ridiculous Theatrical Company’s Camille and Split Britches/Bloolips’ Belle Reprieve.4 Théâtre du Soleil and Ariane Mnouchkine: Living and Performing Gender Politics.5 Nora, Lucia, and Lear: Gender and Performance at Mabou Mines.6 Freaks and Not Freaks: Theatre and the Making of Crip Identity.7 Fires in the Mirror: Representations of Race, Gender and Class in Anna Deavere Smith’s Search for American Character.Part II Interruption: Artists Speak About Their Work.8 Black Women Performers: ‘I Don’t Want to Do Anything Else’.9 Trans-body-text: Exploring Performance Disruptions, a Discussion with Lazlo Pearlman.10 Embodied and En-sited Performance: Reflections on Gender in Cooking Miss Julie/Miss Julie Cooks and March of Women.11 A Manifesto of Living Self-portraiture (Identity, Transformation, and Performance).Part III 2000s–2020s.12 Love and Information by Caryl Churchill, or Sexuality and Gender in Non-binary Times.13 Gender and the Aesthetics of Occupation: Making Room for Women’s Labour at the Theatre.14 Performing Reproduction in an Age of Overproduction: Environmental Installations by Ai Hasegawa.15 Loose Wrists: Camp and Intersectional Politics in the Works of Cazwell, Todrick Hall, and Big Freedia.16 Riotous Assembly: Performing Gender and Social Justice in thisispopbaby’s RIOT.17 From Gimmick Casting to Standard Practice: Re-gendering Shakespeare in Performance.18 ‘Women’s Business’: Leah Purcell’s The Drover’s Wife and the Reclamation of Black Australian History.19 Gender-Assemblages: The Scenographics of Sin Wai Kin.
£44.99
Springer International Publishing AG Modernism and Scottish Theatre since 1969: A
Book SynopsisThis book argues that Scottish theatre has, since the late 1960s, undergone an artistic renaissance, driven by European Modernist aesthetics. Combining detailed research and analysis with exclusive interviews with ten leading figures in modern Scottish drama, the book sets out the case for the last half-century as the strongest period in the history of the Scottish stage. Mark Brown traces the development of Scottish theatre’s Modernist revolution from the arrival of influential theatre director Giles Havergal at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow in 1969 through to the advent of the National Theatre of Scotland in 2006. Finally, the book contemplates the future of Scotland’s theatrical renaissance. It is essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary theatre and/or the modern history of live drama in Scotland.Table of Contents1. Preface: Defining our terms.- 2. Introduction.- 3. 'My wife glimpsed a testicle!': the Citizens Theatre since 1969.- 4. Communicado and 'popular experimentalism'.- 5. Interviews with five theatremakers.- 6. The National Theatre of Scotland: mapping onto the landscape.- 7. Conclusion: the future of a renaissance.
£999.99
Yayasan Lontar Fatimah: A Play in 8 Acts
Book SynopsisIn Arab circles in the Dutch East Indies in the 1930s, plays were staged not only to entertain but also to educate and to further the emancipation of the traditionally oriented Arab minority. Some plays were well received, others evoked protests. Fatimah was one of the plays which stirred up commotion, inciting riots throughout Java. The play and accompanying events make clear which kind of norms and values governed relations within the community and what kind of frustrations and aspirations members of the minority experienced. Original text of the play included.
£15.71
Penguin Young Readers Mad Libs For the Fans Wicked Edition
£5.99
State University of New York Press Hunting for Justice
Book Synopsis
£24.70
Orion Publishing Co Shooting Martha
Book Synopsis''Darkly comic, beautifully written and full of surprises''Daily Mail ''Really funny. David is a great writer'' Paula Hawkins, Good Housekeeping''A riotously good novel, witty and earnest, brimming with sharply drawn characters and creeping suspense. David Thewlis is a fabulous writer'' Anna Bailey, Sunday Times bestselling author of Tall Bones''A deliciously smart, hilarious human drama with the pace and intrigue of a gripping thriller. One of the year''s most memorable novels''B P Walter, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Dinner GuestCelebrated director Jack Drake can''t get through his latest film (his most personal yet) without his wife Martha''s support. The only problem is, she''s dead...When Jack sees Betty Dean - actress, mother, trainwreck - playing the part of a crazed nun on stage in an indie producti
£11.24
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Beginning
Book SynopsisA wry, funny and touching meditation on loneliness, that private shame of the singleton in the era of the dating app and of fraudulent boasting on social media written with a real depth of insight, humour, compassion and a keen sense of the ridiculous... The IndependentIt's the early hours of the morning in the aftermath of Laura's housewarming party. Danny, 42, divorced and living with his mother, is the last remaining guest. The flat is in a mess and so are they. One more drink?This sharp and astute two-hander takes an intimate look in real-time at the first fragile moments of risking your heart and taking a chance. Both comedic and tender, it asks questions about mutual loneliness and human connections. Beginning premiered at the National Theatre, London in October 2017. This new Modern Classics edition features an introduction by Sarah Grochala.Trade ReviewEldridge combines a hugely sympathetic sensibility with rare dramatic power, and one leaves this exceptional play rejoicing in his talent and impatient for his next. * Telegraph *What Eldridge captures well is the way people's emotions and desires are rarely in perfect synch... * Guardian *David Eldridge's gorgeous new play is a wry, funny and touching meditation on loneliness, that private shame of the singleton in the era of the dating app and of fraudulent boasting on social media. Written with a real depth of insight, humour, compassion and a keen sense of the ridiculous... * Independent *
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Blithe Spirit
Book SynopsisSome of [Coward''s] most sparkling dialogue ever... This play is about something substantial - the way past relationships come back to haunt us - but it''s the gossamer-like nature of the piece, its sheer levity of spirit, that makes it such an enduring achievement - The TelegraphWhen socialite and novelist Charles Condomine attends a séance hosted by eccentric medium Madame Arcati, he''s only hoping to gather material for his next book: he never expected to be haunted by his temperamental ex-wife, Elvira. Can Charles keep this willful spirit at bay, or will his new marriage to his second wife, Ruth, come to an untimely demise?With unforgettable characters, witty dialogue and farcical situations, Blithe Spirit ran for decades on the West End, becoming one of the most well-known plays in the British canon.This new edition is published in Methuen Drama''s iconic Modern Classics series to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Coward''s death and features a new introd
£10.99
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) Shakespeare and Brecht
Book SynopsisStephen Unwin is a theatre and opera director who founded the English Touring Theatre in 1993 and opened the Rose Theatre, Kingston in 2008. He has staged over sixty professional productions, ten of which were plays by Shakespeare and three by Brecht.
£14.99
Nick Hern Books Timberlake Wertenbaker's Our Country's Good: A
Book SynopsisPage to Stage series – highly accessible guides to the world's best-known plays, written by established theatre professionals to show how the plays come to life on the stage. 'Modern classic' was the fitting accolade bestowed on Timberlake Wertenbaker's Our Country's Good soon after its premiere in 1988 at the Royal Court Theatre, London. The play tells how a company of convicts staged George Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer in the early days of the Australian penal colony. Having directed the premiere, Max Stafford-Clark brings his own unrivalled insights to this in-depth study of how it actually works on stage. Sections include an introduction about the creation of the play, a discussion of its action moment by moment, the historical context, the characters and how the production was rehearsed and designed for its original production. The result is an invaluable and authoritative guide for anyone studying, teaching or performing the play.Trade Review'A very authoritative teaching and learning resource' * The Stage *'Absolutely fascinating... Even Timberlake Wertenbaker herself might struggle to analyse her writing any better' * British Theatre Guide *Table of ContentsMAX STAFFORD-CLARK established Joint Stock in 1974, ran the Royal Court Theatre 1979-93, and then set up the extremely successful touring theatre company, Out of Joint, which he continues to run. He is the author of Letters to George (also published by NHB), a rehearsal journal about his own staging of The Recruiting Officer.
£10.44
The University of Alabama Press Theatre Symposium Vol. 30
Book SynopsisFor the thirtieth volume of Theatre Symposium, the editors return to a topic first proposed over twenty years ago in volume nine (theatre and politics in the twentieth century), reimaged for a broader, more comprehensive time frame.
£26.96
University of Alabama Press Theatre History Studies 2023 Volume 42
Book SynopsisThe official journal of the Mid-America Theatre Conference.
£26.96
Cornell University Press Theaters of Pardoning
Book SynopsisFrom Gerald Ford''s preemptive pardon of Richard Nixon and Donald Trump''s claims that as president he could pardon himself to the posthumous royal pardon of Alan Turing, the power of the pardon has a powerful hold on the political and cultural imagination. In Theaters of Pardoning, Bernadette Meyler traces the roots of contemporary understandings of pardoning to tragicomic theaters of pardoning in the drama and politics of seventeenth-century England. Shifts in how pardoning was represented on the stage and discussed in political tracts and in Parliament reflected the transition from a more monarchical and judgment-focused form of the concept to an increasingly parliamentary and legislative vision of sovereignty.Meyler shows that on the English stage, individual pardons of revenge subtly transformed into more sweeping pardons of revolution, from Shakespeare''s Measure for Measure, where a series of final pardons interrupts what might otherwise have been a cycleTrade ReviewA valuable contribution to Law and Humanities scholarship and reflection on the future of liberal constitutionalism, Meyler's book cuts to the quick of pardoning practices from seventeenth-century England to contemporary America. Highlighting both the seemingly irresistible draw of pardoning as a theatrical assertion of sovereign power and the revolutionary opportunities latent in the uncoupling of sovereignty from the figure of the sovereign ruler, Meyler pierces the illusion of absolute authority and sets out an alternative Arendtian vision for the state grounded in forgiveness. * The New Rambler *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Theaters of Pardoning 1. Dramatic Judgments: Measure for Measure, Revenge, and the Institution of the Law 2. Emplotting Politics: James I and the "Powder Treason" 3. Non-Sovereign Forgiveness: Mercy among Equals in The Laws of Candy 4. From Sovereignty to the State: The Tragicomic Clemency of Massinger's The Bondman 5. Between Royal Pardons and Acts of Oblivion: The Transitional Justice of Cosmo Manuche and James Compton, Earl of Northampton 6. Pardoning Revolution: The 1660 Act of Oblivion and Hobbes's Recentering of Sovereignty Postlude: Pardoning and Liberal Constitutionalism Appendix A Appendix B Bibliography Index
£27.54
Boydell & Brewer Ltd The Brecht Yearbook / Das Brecht-Jahrbuch 48
Book SynopsisBrecht Yearbook 48 features a section on Brecht's and Heiner Müller's engagement with modern living, a group of essays on "Brecht Post-2020," and additional new Brecht research on various topics. The Brecht Yearbook, published on behalf of the International Brecht Society, is the central scholarly forum for the study of Brecht's life and work and of topics relevant to him. Volume 48 opens with an article on the research that informed the 2022 exhibition Brecht's Paper War. The next section examines Brecht's and Heiner Müller's engagement with modern living: from the housing question in the 1920s to the dramaturgical function of furniture to dialectical stage-auditorium configurations in the early GDR. The following section on "Brecht Post-2020" explores dramaturgical approaches to the learning play under pandemic conditions as well as the "spectrological" aspects of Drums in the Night. Additional new research includes essays on the critical edition of Brecht's notebooks, his reception in fascist Italy, the ambivalence of the heroic in his work, the prioritization of political parable over avant-garde aesthetics in Round Heads and Pointed Heads, boxing as inspiration for epic theater, Hegelian aspects of Refugee Conversations and The Measures Taken, and the working alliance of Brecht and Kurt Weill. Edited by Markus Wessendorf. Contributors: Fanti Baum, Luke Beller, Manuel Clancett, Daniel Cuonz, Fritz Hennenberg, Matthew Hines, Alba Knijff, Sophie König, Grischa Meyer, Marie Millutat, Zafiris Nikitas, Cornelia Ortlieb, Matthias Rothe, Kumars Salehi, Francesco Sani, Stephan Strunz, Lara Tarbuk, Raffaella Di Tizio, Julia Weber, Marten Weise, Noah Willumsen, Claus Zittel.Table of ContentsEditorial List of Abbreviations Research for an Exhibition Grischa Meyer (Berlin) Bertolt Brecht's Paper War - Reading Newspapers during Wartime Working with Brecht and Müller: "Dwelling in the Empty Center" Noah Willumsen (Berlin), Sophie König (Berlin), and Marten Weise (Frankfurt am Main) introduction: Leben im Falschen: Wohnen bei Brecht und Müller Stephan Strunz (Dresden) Wider die Deskription: Brecht und der Diskurs des Wohnungselends Lara Tarbuk (Berlin) "Man muss versuchen, sich einzurichten in Deutschland!": Zur Bedeutung der Möbel in Trommeln in der Nacht und Die Hochzeit Marie Millutat (Berlin) Einrichten und Einkleben: Brechts Collagewerkstatt im Exil Cornelia Ortlieb (Berlin) interlude i: Wohnen im Schreiben oder Kein Schreibtisch nirgends Julia Weber (Berlin) interlude ii: "Wohnen in der leeren Mitte": Zu einem Topos aus Heiner Müllers Medeamaterial Luke Beller (Baltimore) "I Can Go Hungry Everywhere": Brecht, Mr. Keuner, and Cosmopolitanism Matthew Hines (Cambridge, UK) Models of Socialist Drama in the Early GDR: The Dialectical Audience and the Spatial Metaphor in The Correction by Inge and Heiner Müller Fanti Baum (Frankfurt am Main) literary essay: Das Einnehmen der Mitte für ihre Freiräumung-eine Wohnfibel gegen das bürgerliche Leben Brecht Post-2020: Part 2-Pandemic Learning Plays and the Logic of the Specter Francesco Sani (Leicester) The Lehrstück as a Digital Space for Dialectics: Robinson Crusoe on His Deserted Island (2021) Zafiris Nikitas (Thessaloniki) Brechtian Future(s): Life of Galileo as a Pandemic Lehrstück Alba Knijff (Barcelona) Structural Undecidability and the Logic of the Specter in Bertolt Brecht's Drums in the Night New Brecht Research Claus Zittel (Stuttgart) Im Dickicht der Texte: Brechts Nachlass im Lichte der neuen kritischen Edition seiner Notizbücher Raffaella Di Tizio (Rome) Brecht's Reception in Italy at the Time of Fascism Daniel Cuonz (St. Gallen) Unglücklich der Held, dessen Land ihn nötig hat: Zur Ambivalenz des Heroischen bei Bertolt Brecht und zu ihrer Aktualität Matthias Rothe (Minneapolis) Round Heads and Pointed Heads and the End of Avantgarde Manuel Clancett (Lüneburg) Feine Raufereien. Brecht und die Evidenz des Boxens Kumars Salehi (Canton, NY) Too Dialectical by Half: Brecht as a Reader of Hegel Fritz Hennenberg (Leipzig) Hier Brecht-dort Weill: Bedeutung und Deutung eines Arbeitsbunds Book Reviews Patrick Eiden-Offe (Berlin) Georg Lukács. Texte zum Theater. Hrsg. von Jakob Hayner und Erik Zielke Anja Hartl (Innsbruck) Susanne Schmieden. Paradoxa über Politik und Theater: Zur Bedeutung der Gegenmeinung bei Denis Diderot und Bertolt Brecht Fadi Skeiker (Philadelphia) Sonja Mejcher-Atassi and Robert Myers (eds.). The Theatre of Sa'dallah Wannous: A Critical Study of the Syrian Playwright and Public Intellectual Joseph Prestwich (Cambridge, UK) Anja Hartl. Brecht and Post-1990s British Drama: Dialectical Theatre Today Ramona Mosse (Zurich) Martin Revermann. Brecht and Tragedy: Radicalism, Traditionalism, Eristics Notes on the Contributors
£48.75
Rutgers University Press The Great White Way: Race and the Broadway
Book SynopsisBroadway musicals are one of America’s most beloved art forms and play to millions of people each year. But what do these shows, which are often thought to be just frothy entertainment, really have to say about our country and who we are as a nation? Now in a new second edition, The Great White Way is the first book to reveal the racial politics, content, and subtexts that have haunted musicals for almost one hundred years from Show Boat (1927) to Hamilton (2015). This revised edition includes a new introduction and conclusion, updated chapters, as well as a brand-new chapter that looks at the blockbuster musicals The Book of Mormon and Hamilton. Musicals mirror their time periods and reflect the political and social issues of their day. Warren Hoffman investigates the thematic content of the Broadway musical and considers how musicals work on a structural level, allowing them to simultaneously present and hide their racial agendas in plain view of their audiences. While the musical is informed by the cultural contributions of African Americans and Jewish immigrants, Hoffman argues that ultimately the history of the American musical is the history of white identity in the United States. Presented chronologically, The Great White Way shows how perceptions of race altered over time and how musicals dealt with those changes. Hoffman focuses first on shows leading up to and comprising the Golden Age of Broadway (1927–1960s), then turns his attention to the revivals and nostalgic vehicles that defined the final quarter of the twentieth century. He offers entirely new and surprising takes on shows from the American musical canon—Show Boat (1927), Oklahoma! (1943), Annie Get Your Gun (1946), The Music Man (1957), West Side Story (1957), A Chorus Line (1975), and 42nd Street (1980), among others. In addition to a new chapter on Hamilton and The Book of Mormon, this revised edition brings The Great White Way fully into the twenty-first century with an examination of jukebox musicals and the role of off-Broadway and regional theaters in the development of the American musical. New archival research on the creators who produced and wrote these shows, including Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Stephen Sondheim, and Edward Kleban, will have theater fans and scholars rethinking forever how they view this popular American entertainment. Trade Review“From Show Boat to Hamilton, from Oklahoma! to The Book of Mormon, Warren Hoffman provides an engaging and insightful analysis of how race has shaped 20th and 21st-century musical theatre. His perceptive and persuasive readings foreground normative whiteness and underline how every musical is “about” race. Required reading for the musical theatre student and aficionado alike.” -- Stacy Wolf * author of Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical *“Warren Hoffman’s new edition of The Great White Way remains as provocative, smart, challenging and entertaining as the original publication. Hoffman’s book is, in some sense, like a Broadway musical itself — surprising in its many and varied elements, opinions, defenses and prosecutions. The role of race in the history of Broadway has, I’m sure, never been more thoroughly or more judiciously explored. And it’s a terrific read.” -- Jack Viertel * author of The Secret Life of the American Musical *"Warren Hoffman delivers a comprehensive and robust examination of the American musical as a purveyor of white identity and privilege. Easy to read and adept at elucidating the complexities of race in performance, The Great White Way is straightforward and unapologetic. Within it, Hoffman contextualizes the racial disparities embedded in the art form and acknowledges the musical’s powerful and irresistible place in the public imagination. This book belongs on the shelf of any theater maker or scholar who seeks to decolonize sites of theater production and pedagogy." -- Rena M. Heinrich * University of Southern California *"This revised edition brings The Great White Way fully into the twenty-first century with an examination of jukebox musicals and the role of off-Broadway and regional theaters in the development of the American musical." * Broadway World *"There have been musicals produced on Broadway that have had subject matter that reflect diversity but it is Hoffman’s analysis that Broadway has yet to fully embrace diversity or taking risks. It seems that the non-profit theatre companies are more likely to take such risks. Hoffman’s analysis is worth pondering." * Mark Kappel Dance *"As ‘West Side Story’ returns to Broadway, it has a lot to say about race in America," by Warren Hoffman https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/02/20/west-side-story-returns-broadway-it-has-lot-say-about-race-america/ * Washington Post *"MAXAMOO BOOK CLUB: THE GREAT WHITE WAY – RACE AND THE BROADWAY MUSICAL" podcast interview with Warren Hoffman http://www.maxamoo.com/podcast/maxamoo-book-club-the-great-white-way-race-and-the-broadway-musical/ * Maxamoo Book Club podcast *Broadway Radio interview with Warren Hoffman * Broadway Radio *"The Lost Origins of Broadway's West Side Story," an excerpt from The Great White Way https://therevealer.org/the-lost-origins-of-broadways-west-side-story/ * The Revealer *"White Supremacy and the Broadway Musical" by Warren Hoffman https://medium.com/@whoffman18/white-supremacy-and-the-broadway-musical-a44ebd1b0f08 * Medium *"You've Got To Be Carefully Taught" BBC 2 interview with Warren Hoffman * BBC 2 - "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught" *Table of ContentsContents Preface to the Second Edition Overture: All Singin’! All Dancin’! All White People? Act One: 1927–1957 1 Only Make Believe: Performing Race in Show Boat 2 Playing Cowboys and Indians: Forging Whiteness in Oklahoma! and Annie Get Your Gun 3 Trouble in New York City: The Racial Politics of West Side Story and The Music Man Act Two: 1967–2019 4 Carbon Copies: Black and Interracial Productions of White Musicals 5 A Chorus Line: The Benetton of Broadway Musicals 6 Everything Old Is New Again: Nostalgia and the Broadway Musical at the End of the Twentieth Century 7 Blockbuster Musicals in the Age of Obama: The Book of Mormon and Hamilton Exit Music Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Permissions Index
£27.20
Abrams Creating Back to the Future The Musical
Book SynopsisThe official behind-the-scenes companion to the stage musical adaptation of Back to the Future; includes the complete lyrics to all original songs! This essential companion to the stage show will bring back fond memories for those who’ve seen it and prepare new fans who haven’t for the greatest musical of all time! Welcome to Hill Valley! Creating Back to the Future The Musical offers fans of the film franchise and lovers of musical theater an engrossing and entertaining look at the birth of a new theatrical classic that adapts the timeless film for the stage. With unprecedented access to cast and crew, author Michael Klastorin (Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History) shares exclusive, in-depth interviews and previously unpublished photography. His account reveals and details the years-long process, creative ingenuity, and technical innovation that went into the show’s Manchester tryout aTrade Review“This lavish celebration tells its journey to New York City, from the early out-of-town tryouts and the dreams of the West End upended by the COVID pandemic, to, finally, its huge success. The songs, the sets . . . and the support of director Robert Zemeckis and the movies’ storied cast are all captured here.” * Broadway World *“If you’re a fan of Back to the Future or musical theater in general, it’s definitely worth a read. It’s a warts-and-all account rather than a rosy, 'everything went perfectly' fairy tale, which leads me to believe the musical is a true creative endeavor.” * Times-Georgian *
£24.00
Rowman & Littlefield Sondheim on Music: Minor Details and Major
Book SynopsisFrom his early work as lyricist for West Side Story to acclaimed creations such as A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George, and Sweeney Todd, Stephen Sondheim is widely regarded as the most important figure in musical theater since the second half of the 20th century. Who better to discuss this prolific artist’s work than the master himself? Sondheim on Music: Minor Details and Major Decisions is a collection of interviews conducted by Mark Eden Horowitz, senior music specialist in the music division of the Library of Congress. In these guided conversations, Sondheim expounds in great depth and detail on his craft. As a natural teacher, thoughtful and opinionated, Sondheim discusses the art of musical composition, lyric writing, the collaborative process of musical theater, and how he thinks about his own work. The entire scope of Sondheim’s career is covered here, in which Sondheim’s greatest works are discussed—from Passion, Assassins, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, and Pacific Overtures to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Merrily We Roll Along, Company, Follies, Anyone Can Whistle, and A Little Night Music. Sondheim even provides thoughts about the film adaptations of his works, such as Sweeney Todd. The book also features an entire chapter on Bounce, the previous incarnation of his latest musical, Road Show. Preserving the essential elements of the previous volumes, this edition includes all of the interviews—verbatim—and features a revised introduction and a postlude with an additional conversation. Finally in paperback, Sondheim on Music: Minor Details and Major Decisions, The Less Is More Edition is a must-have for fans of these creative genius.Trade ReviewI've learned so much from the work of Stephen Sondheim, and in this book, others interested in the craft of musical theatre composition, whether as professionals or fans, will find a myriad of lessons and inspirations. -- Stephen Schwartz, composer/lyricist, Wicked; GodspellIndispensable for any student, writer, or ardent fan of drama and musical theater. It puts the reader in the room with one of our greatest American masters. -- Jeanine Tesori, composer of Caroline, or Change and Fun HomeHorowitz has managed to relax Sondheim into loquacity, technical generosity, and humour far more than most, perhaps all, of his predecessors (and there have been many); they exude an unusual sense of well-being, for which Horowitz must be credited with extraordinary skill and amenability. -- Stephen Banfield * The Musical Times *Any with a curiosity about the musical theatre of the past half century or a passing interest in the creative process behind it will find gems here. The real meat of the book is in free-ranging discussions of Sondheim’s choices, tastes, and reflections on music and theater throughout and beyond his own career. -- Rob Kendt, Backstage WestMark Horowitz reveals the compositional process of Stephen Sondheim through a fascinating series of conversations with the composer. It is thrilling to discover the intimate details of how these classic songs, scores, and shows were created. Utterly captivating and illuminating. -- Stephen Flaherty, Tony Award-winning composer of Ragtime, Once On This Island, and SeussicalOne of the finest books focusing on [Sondheim's] work. * Playbill *In these remarkable dialogues Mark Horowitz has elicited cogent, illuminating insights into the creative process from Stephen Sondheim, the ever-astonishing titan of the musical stage. -- Robert Kimball, Musical theatre historian and artistic advisor to the estates of Cole Porter and Ira GershwinSondheim devotees will be forever grateful to Library of Congress music specialist Mark Horowitz for the interviews he conducted with Sondheim. -- Chip Brown * Smithsonian Magazine *An excellent companion work to the esteemed composer's book. Horowitz skillfully balances his technical content, serving both the needs of the music student and the theatre enthusiast. * Bay Stages *A provocative, illuminating portrait of a creative powerhouse. * Baltimore Sun *Recommended for libraries with a prominent emphasis on music. * Library Journal *For musicians, Horowitz's book is a treasure trove of self-revelation from the most significant living composer for the American musical theatre. * International Record Review *What sets this milestone work apart from other texts on Sondheim or other interviews with the composer is the fine balance between broad and specific questions. The broader questions can be understood and enjoyed by any audience, since they deal very generally with Sondheim's thoughts and opinions about theatre. On the other hand, the specific questions provide an outstanding, first person source for scholars of music and theatre in particular, with pointed discussions on the musical scores, and a rare view of Sondheim's own compositional sketches. * Studies In Musical Theatre *Mr. Sondheim was interviewed on stage by Mark Eden Horowitz, whose essential book, Sondheim on Music, offers in-depth discussions with the composer. * The New York Times *
£24.65
Cambridge University Press Antigone Interrupted
Book SynopsisAntigone, Interrupted explores the intertwined history of law, politics, gender and humanism through a new reading of Sophocles' classical tragedy. Studying the play in its fifth-century and modern contexts, Bonnie Honig argues for an Antigone committed not just to dissidence but to a positive politics of counter-sovereignty and solidarity.Trade Review'Honig's sweeping consideration of how the 'Antigone' is read and misread offers us a new way to approach the pauses, the ellipses, and the frank interruptions that punctuate this classic text. We have all struggled so hard to make the words mean in this or that way that we have perhaps forgotten the more dramatic features of the text in which relationships rupture, words trail off, and events still language. This book offers a trenchant analysis of sovereignty, belonging, and freedom through a perspective at once dramatic, literary, and political. Honig's sustained engagement with contemporary criticism shows how important the figure and text of Antigone is for any effort to think about the risks and the necessity of contestatory democratic culture.' Judith Butler, University of California, Berkeley'Bonnie Honig provides a stunning, capacious and intensely 'political' reanimation of the 'Antigone'.' Simon Critchley, The New School for Social Research'Many books pride themselves on being 'provocative' - but this is the real thing! Engaged and engaging, sophisticated and polemical, Antigone, Interrupted interrupts the critical mainstream with real political urgency and edge.' Simon Goldhill, King's College, Cambridge'Bonnie Honig's Antigone, Interrupted shows how central Sophocles' play is to recent and current philosophical, political, cultural, psychoanalytical and gender theory debates in Europe and the USA. The book is not primarily an analysis of these debates (though one learns a great deal about them along the way), but an attempt to make a striking intervention in them.' Craig Hannaway, Bryn Mawr Classical Review'When a leading theorist of agonistic democracy writes a book on Antigone, it seems fitting to acknowledge the accomplishment by contesting its core claims. Bonnie Honig's Antigone, Interrupted, offers much to praise and is certainly a book worth reading, contesting, and interrupting for all interested in contemporary political theory. It demonstrates the ongoing significance and contestability of Antigone, for democratic theory, feminist theory, and political thought more generally.' Paul E. Kirkland, Review of Politics'Antigone, Interrupted is a significant book. Like all of Honig's work, it is theoretically sophisticated, erudite, and engaging, furnishing both a trenchant critique of prior interpretations of Antigone and an original, provocative, and highly political revisioning of the play. In so doing, it asks significant questions not only about the political consequences and risks of privileging mortality and vulnerability as ontological facts of the human condition but also about the terms of democratic political engagement. It deserves to be widely read.' Moya Lloyd, Perspectives on Politics'Honig's book [offers] a very useful critical map of current thinking while providing a reappraisal - and 'interruption' - of all Antigones that have gone before.' Morning Star'One of the great virtues of Antigone, Interrupted (and there are many) is its systematic disruption of these, now conventional, conceptions or receptions of Antigone as an isolated, heroic figure of mourning and resistance. … Honig's readings of the text … are inventive, unexpected and, in some parts, nothing short of inspired.' Paul Muldoon, History of Political ThoughtTable of ContentsPreface; Introduction; Part I. Interruption: Introduction to Part I: 1. Tragedy, maternalism, ethics: toward an agonistic humanism; 2. 'Antigone versus Oedipus', I: feminist theory and the turn to Antigone; 3. 'Antigone versus Oedipus', II: the directors' agon in Germany in Autumn; Part II. Conspiracy: Introduction to Part II: 4. Mourning, membership, and the politics of exception: plotting Creon's conspiracy with democracy; 5. From lamentation to logos: Antigone's conspiracy with language; 6. Sacrifice, sorority, integrity: Antigone's conspiracy with Ismene; Conclusion.
£22.49
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) Broadway Nation
Book SynopsisDavid Armstrong is the writer, producer, and host of Broadway Nation the popular podcast that tells the remarkable story of how Immigrants, Jews, Queers, African Americans, Women, and other outcasts invented the Broadway Musical and how they changed America in the process. With more than 100 episodes to date, Broadway Nation has reached an audience of more than 135,000 listeners. This podcast was inspired by the popular large lecture course (100 students each quarter) that Armstrong teaches at the University of Washington School of Drama which is titled 'The Broadway Musical'. During his 40-year career Armstrong has worked as a director, producer, playwright, and choreographer at leading theatre companies across America as well as off and on Broadway. He is best known for his work at The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle where from 2000 to 2018 he served as Artistic Director & Executive Producer. During his tenure The 5th produced 19 new musicals, nine of which subsequently moved to Broadway including Disney's Aladdin, A Christmas Story - The Musical, and the Tony Award winning Best Musicals Hairspray and Memphis.
£27.54
Faber & Faber Matchbox Theatre
Book SynopsisMatchbox Theatre presents a sketch show in miniature: thirty short entertainments by Michael Frayn, author of Skios and Noises Off, ''the funniest farce ever written'' (New York Times).These tiny plays are offered here for performance in the smallest theatre in the world: the theatre of your own imagination. The scripts are provided. Everything else -- casting, set design, ice-cream sales -- is up to you . . .
£11.39
Duke University Press Performance
Book SynopsisIn this invitation to reflect on the power of performance, Diana Taylor explores the multiple and overlapping meanings of performance, showing how it can convey everything from artistic, economic, and sexual performance, to providing ways of understanding how race, gender, identity, and power are performed.Trade Review"Performance offers scenarios... for active pedagogy, inviting students and others to explore and perhaps undo the links between images and writing, texts and performances, so as to conduct their own performatic appropriations." -- Loren Kruger * Critical Inquiry *"Taylor's fascinating, multicultural analysis of performance explores not only what performance is but also what it does—what it allows one to see, to experience, and to theorize—and 'its complex relation to systems of power.' . . . Recommended." -- M. S. LoMonaco * Choice *"The book is performative and multivocal, combining images of performances in the Americas, Taylor’s narrative essays, and important excerpts from key texts on performance by academics, activists, and artists....The result is a work that gives ample space to artists/artivists as the creators of tactics rather than to performance studies scholars who analyze nonperformance phenomena as performance." -- Patricia Ybarra * TDR: The Drama Review *"Introduction, reflection, and provocation coalesce most successfully in Taylor’s passionate insistence on the necessity of performance and its academic study. Performance, Taylor argues, has real effects, but the nature of those effects is not pre-determined. The wielder determines the worth of the weapon. These passages alone would suffice to make the book a trusted companion of students and senior scholars alike." -- David Calder * New Theatre Quarterly *"This book is a valuable introduction to performance art and performance studies. It is deftly argued and elegantly composed. Taylor concludes by saying that performance is ‘world-making’ and that we need to understand it (208). This book helps us to do just that." -- Adrian Curtin * Studies in Theatre and Performance *“Incredibly important. Performance is a proffer of a new way of looking and thinking about performance.” -- Robert Summers * CAA Reviews *Table of ContentsPreface 1. Framing [Performance] 2. Performance Histories 3. Spect-Actors 4. The New Uses of Performance 5. Performative and Performativity 6. Knowing through Performance: Scenarios and Simulation 7. Artivists (Artist-Activists), or What's to Be Done? 8. The Future(s) of Performance 9. Performance Studies Notes
£18.89
Taylor & Francis Ltd The Prop Building Guidebook
Book SynopsisNow in its third edition, The Prop Building Guidebook: For Theatre, Film, and TV walks readers through techniques used in historical and contemporary prop making and demonstrates how to apply them to a variety of materials.Experienced prop maker Eric Hart covers the tools and techniques used by professional prop makers throughout the entertainment industry. He outlines a construction process that gives readers the foundational knowledge to choose the best materials and methods for each prop and the background information to know the advantages of these choices. This new edition includes updated information and techniques throughout, including: Over a hundred new images and diagrams Updated terminology, products, and brands used internationally Expanded sections on 3D printing, vacuum forming, foam patterning, and more A new chapter on prop design New information on international safety standards, cleaning, and sanitation More recipes and step-by-step instruction for various finishes Illustrated by hundreds of full-color photographs, this is the most comprehensive guide to prop construction available for professional and student prop makers in theatre, film, and tv.For additional how-to videos, instructional documents, and supplemental information, visit www.propbuildingguidebook.com.Trade ReviewPraise for The Prop Building Guidebook"I really enjoyed the first Prop Building Guidebook. Eric Hart is a real pro in the prop business. If I lived on the East Coast, it would be great to do a project with him. I have been a professional prop maker in Hollywood for 43 years and still learned a lot from the first book! Looking forward to Book II."Paul Pearson, President of Custom Movie Props and prop builder on Starship Troopers, 14 seasons of Star Trek, and Daredevil"The Prop Building Guidebook is indispensable, whether you’re a working props professional or an amateur enthusiast. From basic skills to complex builds, and from the thinking behind a prop and the research required, to figuring out how a prop needs to work—it’s all here. Eric Hart has mastered his wide range of skills in many productions, and is generous and eloquent in sharing them."Ross MacDonald, prop artisan on Boardwalk Empire, The Hateful Eight, and National Treasure: Book of Secrets"If you do crafts, models, cosplay, or anything that involves imagination, engineering, and a unique eye in design and execution, get this book. If you are a serious student in the discipline of Props Design, get this book! The book is inspiringly comprehensive and a must for professionals and academics alike. Eric has given you the keys to the Kingdom and then shows you how to masterfully replicate them."Jay Duckworth, founder of the Prop Summit and props master on Hamilton, Shakespeare in the Park, the Public TheaterTable of Contents1. What is a Prop? 2. Safety and Health 3. Shop Spaces and Tools 4. Supplies and Materials 5. Choosing Materials 6. Props Design and Execution 7. Structure and Frames 8. Carpentry 9. Metal 10. Plastics 11. Flat Patterning 12. Fabric 13. Sculpting 14. Molding and Casting 15. Shells and Composites 16. Texture and Surface Prep 17. Painting and Coating 18. Graphics 19. Formal Training 20. Your Portfolio
£35.14
Oxford University Press Inc Yankee Doodle Dandy
Book SynopsisPlaywright, composer, actor, director, and producer George M. Cohan looms large in musical theater legend. Remembered today for classic tunes like You''re a Grand Old Flag and Give My Regards to Broadway, he has been called the father of musical comedy, and his statue stands in the heart of the New York theater district. Cohan''s early twentieth-century shows and songs captured the spirit of an era when staggering social change gave new urgency to efforts to define Americanism. He was an Irish American who had the audacity to represent himself as the Yankee Doodle emblem of the nation, a vaudevillian who had the nerve to unapologetically climb the ranks and package his lower-brow style as Broadway. In Yankee Doodle Dandy, the first book on Cohan in fifty years, author Elizabeth T. Craft situates Cohan as a central figure of his day. Examining his multifaceted contributions and the various sociocultural identities he came to embody, Craft shows how Cohan and his works indelibly shaped the American cultural landscape. Informative and engaging, this book offers rich reading for Broadway musical aficionados as well as scholars of musical theater and American cultural history.
£22.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Womans Voice
Book SynopsisPatsy Rodenburg OBE is a world expert on teaching voice, speech and presentation skills to individuals and companies across corporate and creative industries, as well as working with actors in theatre, film and television. Currently, she is Professor of Text and Poetry at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, UK, after serving as Head of Voice from 1981 until 2016. Over the past 40 years, she has been pioneering the only existing MA in Training Actors (Voice) and has sat on the board of directors for the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2020, she established The Patsy Rodenburg Academy, which provides a safe and creative space for teachers, leaders, actors and all others to explore storytelling, while developing leadership, theatre and voice skills.She has coached some of the world's leading business figures, including CEOs and board-level executives at leading global institutions such as the London Stock Exchange, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, The Royal BritishTable of ContentsPrologue Chapter 1 – The Beginnings Chapter 2 – Cages Chapter 3 – Brilliant Women Chapter 4 – Whole Presence, Whole Voice Chapter 5 – The Unquestionably Equal Woman Chapter 6 – Equal? Chapter 7 – Mother Margaret and Nanna Winifred Chapter 8 – Winnie Chapter 9 – My Father Chapter 10 – Education Chapter 11 – Vocation Chapter 12 – Voice and Rhetoric Chapter 13 – The Fading Memory of Women’s Power Chapter 14 – John Chapter 15 – Scarls Chapter 16 – Focusing on Voice Chapter 17 – Handmaidens Chapter 18 – Breaking Free – Going Deeper – Demanding More Chapter 19 – 2006: Moving On – The Revolution of Thriving, not just Surviving Chapter 20 – Facing the Inevitable Chapter 21 – Where is your Voice? Chapter 22 – Masks of Survival Chapter 23 – Form and Content Epilogue Index
£18.04
Nick Hern Books Hamilton and Me: An Actor's Journal
Book Synopsis‘Stand. Breathe. Look. Try to empty my mind. Somehow, for some reason, I have been brought to this place to tell this story, now. So tell it. That’s all.’ When Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical Hamilton opened in London’s West End in December 2017, it was as huge a hit as it had been in its original production off- and on Broadway. Lauded by critics and audiences alike, the show would go on to win a record-equalling seven Olivier Awards – including Best Actor in a Musical for Giles Terera, for his portrayal of Aaron Burr. For Terera, though, his journey as Burr had begun more than a year earlier, with his first audition in New York, and continuing through extensive research and preparation, intense rehearsals, previews and finally opening night itself. Throughout this time he kept a journal, recording his experiences of the production and his process of creating his award-winning performance. This book, Hamilton and Me, is that journal. It offers an honest, intimate and thrilling look at everything involved in opening a once-in-a-generation production – the triumphs, breakthroughs and doubts, the camaraderie of the rehearsal room and the moments of quiet backstage contemplation – as well as a fascinating, in-depth exploration of now-iconic songs and moments from the musical, as seen from the inside. It is also deeply personal, as Terera reflects on experiences from his own life that he drew on to help shape his acclaimed portrayal. Illustrated with dozens of colour photographs, many of which are shared here for the first time, and featuring an exclusive Foreword by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this book is an essential read for all fans of Hamilton – offering fresh, first-hand insights into the music and characters they love and know so well – as well as for aspiring and current performers, students, and anyone who wants to discover what it really felt like to be in the room where it happened. Hamilton and Me was featured as Book of Week on BBC Radio 4 in August 2021.Trade Review'Masterful and excellently written... offers audiences and readers the chance to not only be in the 'room where it happens' but also to smell the sweat, feel the pulsing hearts and hear the resonance... deserves a permanent place on aspiring musical theatre performers' bookshelves' * Reviews Hub *'The author's credentials as a Hamilton expert are second to none... the real strength of this book lies not only in its affection for the show and the company but also a great deal of detail about the topsy-turvy adventure of bringing it to the stage... a highly articulate, very thoughtful and hugely enjoyable read' * British Theatre Guide *'A rare insight behind the scenes... fascinating, well-written, relatable and engaging... if you're a fan of Hamilton, an aspiring actor, or just a lover of history, this book will inspire you to take a look at those characters and performers you admire and see them in a different way' * The Play's The Thing UK *'Insightful, honest, and reflective... a fantastic insight into a process few outside the production bubble will ever get to witness... grab a copy today' * Everything Theatre *'An inspirational and insightful read... the level of detail that the book affords into the rehearsal process is particularly fascinating, taking us so far behind the scenes you can smell the greasepaint... jam-packed full of hard-won insights and all kinds of practical advice' * There Ought To Be Clowns *'Remarkable... a fascinating insight into the process of getting Hamilton staged... a must-read for all Hamilton fans, but even if Hamilton doesn't set your world alight it is a book I would recommend for any theatre fan or performer anyway due to the insight it gives in preparing for a role and the process of getting a West End show on stage' * Musical Theatre Musings *'A smart blend of memoir and vital insight into what performers go through to get a show on the road... an absolute delight. Illuminating about both the craft of acting and the glorious show that is Hamilton, it takes you on a whirlwind journey through what was clearly an incredibly important period in Giles Terera's life. Thoroughly recommended for anyone with an interest in acting, Hamilton, or just theatre in general' * Mind The Blog *'A great read, with beautiful photographs and steeped with history and experiences from Terera's view. If you love Hamilton you will love this book!' * Confessions of a Bookworm *'Well-written from the heart and very interesting, this book provides an insight into the life of an actor and how Giles approached the development of his character. A super resource for students and teachers alike' * Word Matters (Journal of the Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama) *
£14.44
Salamander Street Limited Breaking into Song: Why You Shouldn't Hate
Book Synopsis“This book is a fascinating cri de coeur and made me question everything I think about musicals” Alan Cumming A book for those who can’t stand musicals, those who love them, and every theatregoer, academic, practitioner and student in between. Breaking Into Song explores theatre’s most divisive genre, and asks the fundamental questions: What makes a musical? Why are they so polarising? And why have we allowed a form so full of possibility to become so repetitive and restrictive? Through a series of essays, London-based director, dramaturg and musical theatre specialist Adam Lenson asks what audiences can do to stay open minded and what creatives can do to make new musicals better. Examining both sides of the divide, he explores how those who both love and hate musicals can expand the possibilities of this misunderstood medium. Dive in and discover the political foundations of the form, the difficulties in pinning down exactly what it is, the connections between musicals, video games, opera and comic books, and why a musical is, actually, a lot like a poopy baby. “A passionate and cogently argued call to arms and a very enjoyable read” Lyn Gardner “This book is really brilliant. If you care about/enjoy/work in/struggle with/want to understand/have concerns for the state of musical theatre, it is essential reading. Hugely recommended” Howard Goodall “I would advise anyone who… hates musicals… to read this book” Musical Theatre Review “Bold, inclusive and willing to adapt, Adam Lenson’s blueprint for musical theatre above all looks at sustainability.” The Reviews Hub Contents: Breaking Into Song The Wound On Hating Musicals Cash Machines Musicals and Comic Books Superpowers Musicals are Political Poopy Babies When Words Are No Longer Enough Collaboration Time and Memory Photocopying a Photocopy I’m Not a Genre, Not Yet a Medium Expertise What’s The Point? Definitions Audiences Musicals and Video Games Can Musicals Ever Be Cool? The Triangle Tiny Bowls Musicals and Opera Digging vs Telescopes The Musical Cardboard Cities Musicals Cost Too Much Autobiography Opposites Build it and They Will Come What’s in a Name? Replicas Stacks Making SpaceTrade Review'This book is a fascinating cri de coeur and made me question everything I think about musicals.' Alan Cumming'A passionate and cogently argued call to arms and a very enjoyable read.' Lyn GardnerTable of ContentsBreaking Into Song The Wound On Hating Musicals When Words Are No Longer Enough Cash Machines Musicals Are Political Superpowers Poopy Babies Collaboration Photocopying A Photocopy I’m Not A Genre, Not Yet A Medium What’s The Point? Definitions Can Musicals Ever Be Cool? Audiences Musicals and Video Games Time and Memory The Triangle Tiny Bowls Stacks Musicals and Opera Digging vs Telescopes The Musical Musicals Cost Too Much Build It And They Will Come Autobiography Cardboard Cities Musicals and Comic Books Opposites What’s In A Name? Replicas Making Space
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Boy
Book Synopsis
£999.99
Oxford University Press Inc Gays on Broadway
Book SynopsisA fascinating look at the gay and lesbian influence on the American stage by an internationally-recognized authority on the topicFrom the genteel female impersonators of the 1910s to the raucous drag queens of La Cage Aux Folles, from the men of The Normal Heart to the women of Fun Home, and from Eva Le Gallienne and Tallulah Bankhead to Tennessee Williams and Nathan Lane, Gays On Broadway deftly chronicles the plays and people that brought gay culture to Broadway.Writing with his customary verve and wit, author Ethan Mordden follows the steady liberation of gay themes on the American stage. The story begins in the early twentieth century, when gay characters were virtually banned from productions. The 1920s saw a flurry of plays closed on moral grounds as well as the Wales Padlock Act, which forbade representation of sex degeneracy. While authorities made consistent attempts to shutter the movement, the public remained curious, and after a few decades of war making, a truce broke out when The Boys In the Band became a national smash hit. From this point on, gay theatre proved simply too popular to abolish. With this change, theatre was graced with a host of unforgettable characters - from thrill killers to historical figures to drag performers, as well as professional gays (such as the defiantly effeminate window dresser in Kiss of the Spider Woman), closeted gays, and those run-of-the-mill citizens who don''t reside entirely within the colorful nonconformist identity (such as the two male lovers in the dinner-theatre comedy Norman, Is That You?).Spoken plays and musicals, playwrights, directors, and actors all played their part in popularizing the gay movement through art. Gays on Broadway is an essential chronological review of the long journey to bring the culture of gay men and women onto the American stage.Trade ReviewA gossipy, insightful survey of the (often closeted) gay contribution to American theatre. * David Benedict, The Guardian *I can't think of a writer better equipped than Ethan Mordden to take on this important subject. Erudite, free-wheeling, and dishy, Gays on Broadway brings over a century of gay theater to vivid life-the plays and personalities, as well as the politics and peril of true representation, both on and off the stage. This is a bracing, provocative, and wildly entertaining read. * Jonathan Tolins, playwright, Buyer & Cellar *Filled with passion for his subject, fascinating if sometimes eccentric insights, and delicious backstage gossip. * M. Clum, New York Journal of Books *Several of this collection's essays demonstrate just how high toward heaven the musical has allowed gays to kick. * Raymond-Jean Frontain, The G&LR *Table of Contents1. The 1910s and 1920s: You Mussst Come Over! 2. The 1930s: The Gays Who Came to Dinner 3. The 1940s: The Poet of Big Characters 4. The 1950s: The Body Beautiful 5. The 1960s: You Shouldn't Wear Heels When You Do Chin-Ups 6. The 1970s: Did You Go To Oberlin? 7. The 1980s: Well, Yes, Actually, Yes, I Have 8. The 1990s and 2000s: They're Taking Over 9. The Present: Mr. Albee Never Changes His Mind Bibliography Index
£22.99
Oxford University Press Inc A Wonderful Guy
Book SynopsisIn A Wonderful Guy, Eddie Shapiro sits down for intimate, career-encompassing conversations with nineteen of Broadway's most prolific and fascinating leading men. Full of detailed stories and reflections, the talks dig deep into each actor's career; together, these chapters tell the story of what it means to be a leading man on Broadway over the past fifty years.Trade ReviewThe conversations and stories, so generously told by these beautiful gentlemen, provide a moving glimpse into the complicated lives of artists. * Bebe Neuwirth *Of course the dish is delicious, but Eddie has gotten into the hearts and brains of these Wonderful Guys. As with his book, Nothing Like a Dame, I came for the great showbiz stories, but my take always were philosophies about working in the theater, and loving portraits of men who've given their lives to that most seductive mistress: the stage! * Michael Urie *Reading Eddie Shapiro's interviews with these gentlemen of the theatre was like being with them at their shrink sessions, in the confessional booth and at a table at Joe Allen's all at the same time. The next time I see these guys I will feel like I've seen them all naked, I don't know if Eddie Shapiro should be applauded or arrested! But good Lord, it made for a great read! Bravo! * Marc Shaiman *These inspiring conversations show how and why these are truly great men of the theater and great guys, many of whom I have had the honor to work with and call my friends. Enjoy the adventures of these fellas! * Chita Rivera *Eddie Shapiro asks the right questions, sometimes the really hard ones, sometimes the ego-boosting-leading ones we hoped he would ask, but always the right ones, the honest ones that get inside these wonderful guys. I learned so much I never knew! * Kelli O'Hara *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Joel Grey 2. John Cullum 3. Len Cariou 4. Ben Vereen 5. Michael Rupert 6. Terrence Mann 7. Howard mcGillin 8. Brian Stokes Mitchell 9. Marc Kudisch 10. Michael Cerveris 11. Norm Lewis 12. Will Chase 13. Christopher Sieber 14. Norbert Leo Butz 15. Christian Borle 16. Raul Esparza 17. Gavin Creel 18. Cheyenne Jackson 19. Jonathan Groff Index
£31.49
Oxford University Press The Child in Shakespeare
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£28.45