Theatre studies Books

Book SynopsisBryony Lavery's play Frozen won the TMA best play award, the Eileen Anderson Central Television award was produced at Birmingham Rep, then the National Theatre, then on Broadway where it was nominated for four Tony awards. Stockholm, for Frantic Assembly, won the Wolff-Whiting award for Best Play of 2008. Beautiful Burnout for The National Theatre of Scotland and Frantic Assembly received a Fringe First at Edinburgh, before productions in the UK, New York, Australia and New Zealand. Dirt was nominated for the Charles McArthur award for most outstanding play or musical of 2013, Washington DC. Recent work includes: The Believers (Frantic Assembly); Queen Coal (Sheffield Crucible); Treasure Island (National Theatre); 101 Dalmatians (Chichester Festival Theatre); Brideshead Revisited (York Theatre Royal/ETT); Our Mutual Friend (Hull Truck/City of Culture 2017) and Balls (One Year Lease/Stages Theatre - Houston and NYC). She is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Literature, an honorary

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2020 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate TheatreI looked at her, wanting her to laugh. Wanting her to share in the joke. But she didn't. She just stared. I knew then, in that moment that she had taken it literally...Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Richard Gadd has a chilling story to tell about obsession, delusion and the terrifying ramifications of a fleeting mistake.This powerful and engaging monologue play portrays a man brought to the edge by the actions of a chance encounter which takes a toll on all aspects of his life. In doing so it asks important questions about victims, the justice system and how one decision has the ability to change your life.Trade ReviewFrankly magnificent * Fest *A true one off * Daily Telegraph *A mercurial talent * Independent *

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Book SynopsisMartin Sherman's worldwide hit play Bent took London by storm in 1979 when it was first performed by the Royal Court Theatre with Ian McKellen as Max (a character written with the actor in mind). The play itself caused an uproar. It educated the world Sherman explains. People knew about how the Third Reich treated Jews and to some extent gypsies and political prisoners. But very little had come out about their treatment of homosexuals. Gays were arrested and interned at work camps prior to the genocide of Jews gypsies and handicapped and continued to be imprisoned even after the fall of the Third Reich and liberation of the camps. The play Bent highlights the reason why - a largely ignored German law Paragraph 175 making homosexuality a criminal offense which Hitler reactivated and strengthened during his rise to power.

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Book SynopsisDavid Mamet is one of America's great dramatists and screenwriters. His plays include Oleanna; Glengarry Glen Ross, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize and a New York Drama Critics Circle Award; Speed-the-Plow; and Sexual Perversity in Chicago, among others. His films include, as screenwriter, The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Verdict, The Untouchables, The Edge and Wag the Dog, and as a writer/director, House of Games, Homicide, Things Change , The Spanish Prisoner and State and Main. He is also the author of children's books; books of essays; novels and a book on acting, True and False.Table of ContentsONE: The Wind-Chill Factor The Perfect Ball Game Anti-Stratfordianism The Problem Play Letters of Transit TWO: Second Act Problems Violence Self-Censorship THREE: Three Uses of the Knife The Eleven-O’Clock Song The End of the Play Index

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Book SynopsisIn the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, during the protectorate period of British occupation in Egypt-theaters and other performance sites were vital for imagining, mirroring, debating, and shaping competing conceptions of modern Egyptian identity. Central figures in this diverse spectrum were the effendis, an emerging class of urban, male, anticolonial professionals whose role would ultimately become dominant. Acting Egyptian argues that performance themes, spaces, actors, and audiences allowed pluralism to take center stage while simultaneously consolidating effendi voices. From the world premiere of Verdi's Aida at Cairo's Khedivial Opera House in 1871 to the theatrical rhetoric surrounding the revolution of 1919, which gave women an opportunity to link their visibility to the well-being of the nation, Acting Egyptian examines the ways in which elites and effendis, men and women, used newly built performance spaces to debate morality, politics, and the implications of modernity. Drawing on scripts, playbills, ads, and numerous other sources, the book brings to life provocative debates that fostered a new image of national culture and performances that echoed the events of urban life in the struggle for independence.Trade ReviewActing Egyptian offers a rigorously researched scholarly publication while avoiding the stuffiness of (some) academic writing…Theatre, history, and other humanities scholars interested in performance traditions and identity politics [in] the Middle East and North Africa will find Acting Egyptian especially worthwhile. * Al Jadid *This book is an important addition to a growing body of literature that seeks to elucidate the 'full range' of Egyptian voices, shining light on the cacophonous, bottom-up route by which national culture is contested and refashioned by those with less power...Gitre’s concise writing and the scope of her engagement with the extant historiography in framing her intriguing case studies makes Acting Egyptian an innovative introductory text to the formation of Egyptian national identity. * American Historical Review *Gitre writes a rigorous and enjoyable book of social history that points to exciting new avenues for Arabic theatre research...The way that Gitre positions her subjects as both objects of elite imaginations of collective identity and as active agents who trouble these imaginaries owes much to her attention to the slippages and inconsistencies of her archive. This, along with a lively prose style and attentive historical framing, makes Acting Egyptian an easily recommended book of social history, one that anyone interested in global theatre and performance history can learn from. * Theatre Journal *[An] excellent recent book...a lively study of the role of theater in staging cultural debates over what it meant to be Egyptian and modern, from 1869 (when both the Khedivial Opera House and the Suez Canal opened) until 1930...Acting Egyptian engages with the academic literature on Egypt and will appeal to historians and Arabic literature specialists. * Middle East Journal *Table of Contents Acknowledgments Note on Transliteration Introduction Chapter 1. Aida in Egypt Chapter 2. How to Be an Effendi Chapter 3. The Story of Ahmad the Rat Chapter 4. Cabarets and the Mothers of the Nation Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times called it "a superb new musical with great art and humor." New York magazines lauded it as a "musical gem with the kind of surprising songs only found in the best musical theater." The Washington Post called it "musical storytelling of the highest caliber, a work whose captivatingly generous spirit is matched by its exemplary intelligence and fearless embrace of deep feeling." But Dear Evan Hansen isn't just a darling of the critics. The emotional masterpiece is resonating across generations, where at the heart of the show is a universal message about our desire to connect more deeply in a world dominated by impersonal digital interactions. The Dear Evan Hansen musical follows the story of Evan Hansen, an anxiety-ridden teenager who gets caught up in a line that he never meant to tell and, as a result, finally begins to feel like he fits in. The show deals with universal themes of family, alienation, bullying, mental health, addiction and belonging, while also starting a much-needed conversation about what it means to be growing up in America in the digital age. The book-produced by Melcher Media, the team behind Hamilton, Wicked, Rent, and many more-will tell you the story of the musical from its conception nearly a decade ago to the Broadway stage. From developing the idea to writing the show, composing, casting, and rehearsals, DEAR EVAN HANSEN will appeal to fans far and wide will offer them the opportunity to continuously revisit the show, and for those who haven't seen the musical, reading the book will make them feel like they have. Filled with interviews with the cast and crew, original behind-the-scenes photography, a deeper look into Evan's fictional world and the visual world of the show, unreleased lyrics, and of course the libretto, as well as reflections on the creators own formative memories from their adolescence as it relates to the show's themes, and important examinations of how we present ourselves online and mental health, DEAR EVAN HANSEN will be a beautifully produced, thoughtful, and uplifting book.

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Book SynopsisMusicals are the most popular form of stage entertainment today, with the West End and Broadway dominated by numerous long-running hits. But for every Wicked or Phantom of the Opera, there are dozens of casualties that didn't fare quite so well. In this book, Julian Woolford explores the musical-theatre canon to explain why and how some musicals work, why some don't, and what you should (and shouldn’t) do if you're thinking of writing your own. Drawing on his experience as a successful writer and director of musicals, and as a lecturer in writing musicals at the University of London, Woolford outlines every step of the creative process, from hatching the initial idea and developing a structure for the work, through creating the book, the music and the lyrics, and on to the crucial process of rewriting. He then guides the reader through getting a musical produced, with invaluable advice about generating future productions and sustaining a career. The book includes dozens of exercises to assist the novice writer in developing their craft, and detailed case studies of well-known musicals such as Les Misérables, The Sound of Music, Miss Saigon, Little Shop of Horrors, Godspell and Evita. An essential guide for any writers (or would-be writers) of musicals, How Musicals Work is a fascinating insight for anyone interested in the art form or who has ever wondered what it takes to get from first idea to first night. ‘A comprehensive and thoughtful guide to everything one must consider in order to write a successful musical. It would take at least a decade to learn all of this on one’s own. Invaluable.’ David Zippel (lyricist of City of Angels and The Woman in White) ‘If anyone knows how musicals work (I’m not sure I do), this highly entertaining dissection of every aspect of that bewildering art form reveals that Julian Woolford does.’ Tim RiceTrade Review'Excellent... a useful source of information' * The Stage *'Extraordinarily informative... always practical and always readable... a seminal examination' * ReviewsGate.com *'There is plenty here of interest to anyone wishing to analyse or create musicals or even with a general interest in the subject' * British Theatre Guide *

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Book SynopsisA biography of one of the most important writers in English of the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century. It offers fresh insights into his life and work, concentrating on the themes, patterns, relationships, ideas and language common to his life and creative output.Trade Review"William Baker's Harold Pinter affords readers with a comprehensive, career-spanning analysis of the Nobel Laureate's life and art. A deft and eminently rewarding exploration of one of postwar literature's great masters, Baker's study will become the standard-bearer for our understanding and enjoyment of Pinter's time-eclipsing work." - Professor Ken Womack, Penn State University, USATable of ContentsIntroduction and Acknowledgements; 1. Growing Up; 2. Ireland, Precarious Existence and Marriage; 3. Early Plays; 4. Success; 5. Turning Points; 6. The 1970s and 1980s; 7. The 1990s and Beyond: Political Engagement; 8. Conclusion: Cancer, The Nobel Prize, Mutations of Mortality, Poetry; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisMarianne Novy is a Professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh, USA and has been teaching Shakespeare from a feminist perspective there since 1971.Trade ReviewUsing close reading, social context, and some intriguing nuggets of performance history, Novy's book is as illuminating as it is readable. It is also rendered all the more urgent by her inclusion of current gender issues. * Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Likeness and Difference 3. Desire 4. Marriage 5. Motherhood 6. Language 7. Between Women 8. Work Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisPetra Kuppers is Professor of English, Theatre and Drama, Art and Design, and Women's Studies at the University of Michigan, USA. She also teaches on the low-residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College. She is the author of The Scar of Visibility: Medical Performances and Contemporary Art, Community Performance: An Introduction and Disability Culture and Community Performance, amongst other titles.

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Book SynopsisFeatures a modernised text of Marlowe's play with annotation on the page, a comprehensive Introduction, and related texts, including selections from Machiavelli's "Prince", Gentillet's "Anti-Machiavel", and Bacon's "The Advancement of Learning".Trade ReviewA provocative edition, one which belongs on the shelves of student and scholar alike. --Martha Oberle, Frederick Community College, Maryland, in The Sixteenth Century Journal

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive companion to the six-part Emmy-winning PBS documentary series, Broadway: The American Musical is the gold standard of musical theater history books, tracing the roots of the art form at the turn of the twentieth century through the smashing successes of the new millennium. The in-depth text is lavishly illustrated with a treasure trove of photographs, scenic renderings, production stills, and rehearsal shots, many previously unpublished. With a foreword by Julie Andrews, this edition is revised and updated, with brand-new material on all the Broadway musicals through the 20182019 season, including The Book of Mormon, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and more. Called by Playbill an epic tomehandsomely produced and intensely researched, this five hundred-page volume is a must-have for theater fans, casual enthusiasts, and students of all ages.

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Book SynopsisA backstage pass to the groundbreaking, hit musical Hamilton, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, including the award-winning libretto, behind-the-scenes photos and interviews, and exclusive footnotes from composer-lyricist-star Lin-Manuel Miranda, now streaming on Disney+ with the original cast. Lin-Manuel Miranda''s groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject, the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims our country''s origins for a diverse new generation.Hamilton: The Revolution gives readers an unprecedented view of both revolutions, from the only two writers able to provide it. Miranda, along with Jeremy

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Book SynopsisWe lay there without moving. But under us all moved, and moved us. - KrappSamuel Beckettâs most accessible play is also one of the twentieth centuryâs most moving dramas about aging, memory, and disappointment. Daniel Sack offers the first comprehensive survey of Krappâs Last Tape (1958) with a general reader in mind. Structured around a series of questions, five approachable sections contextualize the play in the larger career of its Nobel-Prize-winning writer, explore its major thematic concerns, and offer comparative analyses with Beckettâs other signal works. Sack also uses discussions of significant productions, including those directed by the playwright himself, to ground interpretation of the play in terms of its performance and provide a useful resource to directors and actors. Both a critical and personal exploration of this haunting play, this volume is a must-read for anyone with an interest in Beckettâs work.Table of Contents1. What Happens 2. Who Happens 3. How it Happens 4. When it Happens 5. Where it Happens Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIN THE HEIGHTS: THE COMPLETE BOOK AND LYRICS OF THE BROADWAY MUSICAL

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Book Synopsis[Beaumarchais'] fame rests on Le Barbier de Seville (1775) and Le Mariage de Figaro (1784), the only French plays which his stage-struck century bequeathed to the international repertoire. But his achievement has been adulterated, for ‘Beaumarchais’ has long been the brand name of a product variously reprocessed by Mozart, Rossini, and the score or so librettists and musicians who have perpetuated his plots, his characters, and his name. The most intriguing question of all has centered on his role as catalyst of the Revolution. Was his impertinent barber the Sweeney Todd of the Ancien Régime, the true begetter of the guillotine? . . . Beaumarchais' plays have often seemed to need the same kind of shoring up as his reputation, as though they couldn't stand on their own without a scaffolding of good tunes. Yet, as John Wells' lively and splendidly speakable translations of the Barber, the Marriage, and A Mother's Guilt demonstrate, they need assistance from no one. [Beaumarchais] thought of the three plays as a trilogy. Taken together, they reflect, as John Leigh’s commentaries make clear, the Ancien Régime’s unstoppable slide into revolution. --David Coward in The London Review of BooksTrade Review[Beaumarchais'] fame rests on Le Barbier de Seville (1775) and Le Mariage de Figaro (1784), the only French plays which his stage-struck century bequeathed to the international repertoire. But his achievement has been adulterated, for 'Beaumarchais' has long been the brand name of a product variously reprocessed by Mozart, Rossini, and the score or so librettists and musicians who have perpetuated his plots, his characters, and his name. The most intriguing question of all has centered on his role as catalyst of the Revolution. Was his impertinent barber the Sweeney Todd of the Ancien Régime, the true begetter of the guillotine? . . . Beaumarchais' plays have often seemed to need the same kind of shoring up as his reputation, as though they couldn't stand on their own without a scaffolding of good tunes. Yet, as John Wells' lively and splendidly speakable translations of the Barber , the Marriage , and A Mother's Guilt demonstrate, they need assistance from no one. [Beaumarchais] thought of the three plays as a trilogy. Taken together, they reflect, as John Leigh's commentaries make clear, the Ancien Régime's unstoppable slide into revolution. --David Coward in The London Review of Books

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Book SynopsisThe Japanese dramatic art of Noh has a rich six-hundred-year history and has had a huge influence on Japanese culture and such Western artists as Ezra Pound and William Butler Yeats. The actor and playwright Zeami (1363?1443) is the most celebrated figure in the history of Noh, with his numerous outstanding plays and his treatises outlining his theories on the art. These treatises were originally secret teachings that were later coveted by the highest ranks of the samurai class and first became available to the general public only in the twentieth century. William Scott Wilson, acclaimed translator of samurai and Asian classics, has translated the Fushikaden, the best known of these treatises, which provides practical instruction for actors, gives valuable teachings on the aesthetics and spiritual culture of Japan, and offers a philosophical outlook on life. Along with the Fushikaden, Wilson includes a comprehensive introduction describing the historical background and philosophy of Noh, as well as a new translation of one of Zeami''s most moving plays, Atsumori.

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Book SynopsisIn his Pulitzer prize-winning 1993 book Lincoln at Gettysburg, Garry Wills showed how the Gettysburg Address revolutionized the conception of modern America. In Witches and Jesuits, Wills again focuses on a single document to open up a window on an entire society. He begins with a simple question: If Macbeth is such a great tragedy, why do performances of it so often fail? After all, the stage history of Macbeth is so riddled with disasters that it has created a legendary curse on the drama. Superstitious actors try to evade the curse by referring to Macbeth only as the Scottish play, but production after production continues to soar in its opening scenes, only to sputter towards anticlimax in the later acts. By critical consensus there seems to have been only one entirely successful modern performance of the play, Laurence Olivier''s in 1955, and even Olivier twisted his ankle on opening night. But Olivier''s ankle notwithstanding, Wills maintains that the fault lies not in ShakespearTrade ReviewA lively and provocative read... makes `Macbeth' come alive as a play. * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisThis is the first book of its kind in English. It is a comprehensive and scrupulously researched account of the theatrical activity, of professional groups of players who left England for Central and Eastern Europe between the years 1590 and 1660.Table of ContentsList of illustrations; Preface; Introduction; Part I. The Baltic Route: 1. Gdansk; 2. Elbing; 3. Königsberg; 4. Pomerania; 5. Livonia; Part II. The Noble Patrons: The Habsburgs and the Vasas: 6. Warsaw; 7. Bohemia; 8. Austria; Part III. The Theatres: 9. The Gdansk fencing-school; 10. The Royal Theatre in Warsaw; Appendixes; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe amazing true story of Charlotte Cibber, a child of the theatre who scandalized proper society - whenever possibleTrade Review'Precocious, gifted, charismatic, and eccentric, Charlotte Charke illuminated the eighteenth century with the fleeting brightness of a shooting star. Kathryn Shevelow has written a remarkable book which admirably captures this most elusive of social rebels' Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana 'Shevelow writes well and wittily, and captures the gamut of the eighteenth-century theatrical world, from its heights in Drury Lane - which went to Charlotte's bewigged head - to its depths among rural travelling players, where she ended up as a result' Sunday Times 'Charlotte is a remarkably learned and even more remarkably entertaining history - not only of a truly fascinating and startlingly-original woman, but also of her times and culture. Kathryn Shevelow brings to life the madness, absurdity and baseness of 18th-century Britain, and the recreates for modern readers the fascinating peculiarities of its theater world. This is a brilliant piece of popular history' David Liss, author of A Conspiracy of Paper 'Quite the spectacle was Charlotte: actress, cross-dresser and general hell-raiser' Washington Post

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Book SynopsisHave you ever been curious about what it takes to get an original Broadway musical to opening night? Ted Chapin, college student at the time, had a front row seat at the creation of Stephen Sondheim''s Follies, now considered one of the most important musicals of modern time. He kept a detailed journal of his experience as the sole production assistant, which he used as the basis for Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies, originally published in 2003. He was there in the drama-filled rehearsal room, typing the endless rewrites, ferrying new songs around town, pampering the film and television stars in the cast, travelling with the show to its Boston tryout and back to New York for the Broadway opening night. With an enthusiast''s focus on detail and a journalist''s skill, Chapin takes the reader on the roller-coaster ride of creating a new and original Broadway musical. Musical theater giants, still rising in their careers, were working at top form on what became

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Book SynopsisProp Building for Beginners outlines the basic concepts of prop building by featuring step-by-step instructions to create twenty of the most commonly featured items in theatrical and filmed productions. This book uses a combination of projects to expose readers to a wide range of materials and tools that they might find in a basic scenery or costume shop, serving both as a guide to building simple props and as a crash course in the variety of items a props person may have to build. The projects require a variety of tools, techniques, and materials so that a practitioner who completes all of them will have received a complete introduction to the basics of prop building.Assuming no previous knowledge of prop building, this is the perfect primer for students, hobbyists, or community theater enthusiasts looking to enter the prop shop.Prop Building for Beginners includes access to full-scale printable versions of the patterns featured in the book.Table of ContentsIntroductionSafetyA Note About PatternsPart 1: Projects1. Letter2. Old Book3. Lantern4. Treasure Chest5. Chalice6. Roast Chicken7. Skull8. Key9. Scepter10. Loaf of Bread11. Crown12. Sword13. Tree Branch with Leaves 14. Folding Fan15. Coin Purse16. Haversack17. Dead Bird18. Wooden Crate19. Rehearsal Cube20. Upholstered Foot StoolPart 2: Materials21. Paper and Papier-Mâché22. Foam and Clay23. Fabric24. Wood 25. Glue and Tape26. PaintSpecial ThanksGlossary Index

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Book SynopsisChronicles the creation of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man—reprinted now as the Broadway Edition Composer Meredith Willson described The Music Man as “an Iowan’s attempt to pay tribute to his home state.” Now featuring a new foreword by noted singer and educator Michael Feinstein, this book presents Willson’s reflections on the ups and downs, surprises and disappointments, and finally successes of making one of America’s most popular musicals. Willson’s whimsical, personable writing style brings readers back in time with him to the 1950s to experience firsthand the exciting trials and tribulations of creating a Broadway masterpiece. Fresh admiration of the musical—and the man behind the music—is sure to result.Trade Review"This is the first-person perspective of a deeply canny and meticulous chronicler who managed to preserve the creative process as if it were spontaneously happening, catching the mundane moments and details that illuminate and humanize the story. The moment-to-moment ups and downs, ins and outs, and subtly shifting creative process that careen forward like a roller coaster all somehow make sense, and those details illustrate in most vivid terms what it feels like to solve a puzzle for which you’re not certain you have all the pieces."—Michael Feinstein, from the Foreword"Dollars to doughnuts, Meredith Willson dotes on brass bands. In The Music Man, he has translated the thump and razzle-dazzle of brass-band lore into a warm and genial cartoon of American life."—Brooks Atkinson, New York Times, 1957

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Book SynopsisAvailable for the First Time in Paperback!ÞFrom Aristotle's ÊPoeticsÊ to Vaclav Havel the debate about the nature and function of theatre has been marked by controversy. Daniel Gerould's landmark work ÊTheatre/Theory/TheatreÊ collects history's most influential Eastern and Western dramatic theorists ä poets playwrights directors and philosophers ä whose ideas about theatre continue to shape its future. In complete texts and choice excerpts spanning centuries we see an ongoing dialogue and exchange of ideas between actors and directors like Craig and Meyerhold and writers such as Nietzsche and Yeats. Each of Gerould's introductory essays shows fascinating insight into both the life and the theory of the author. From Horace to Soyinka Corneille to Brecht this is an indispensable compendium of the greatest dramatic theory ever written.

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Book SynopsisJon Solomon's new book offers an exciting and detailed study of the Ben-Hur brand, tracking its spectacular journey from Wallace's original novel through to twenty-first century adaptations, and encompassing a wealth of previously unexplored material along the way

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Book SynopsisGregory Doran's account of his quest to re-discover Cardenio, the lost play written by Shakespeare and John Fletcher. A thrilling act of literary detection that takes him from the Bodleian Library in Oxford, via Cervantes' Spain to the stage of the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford. Fully illustrated throughout, Shakespeare’s Lost Play tells a fascinating story, which, like the play itself, will engross Shakespeare buffs and theatregoers alike. Doran’s much-praised production of Cardenio for the Royal Shakespeare Company marked the culmination of years spent searching for a famously 'lost’ play co-authored by William Shakespeare. In this book, Doran takes us with him on his quest to unearth every extant clue and then into the rehearsal room as he pieces together a play unseen since its first performance in 1613. The result, as the Guardian attested, is ‘an extraordinary and theatrically powerful piece, one that should both please audiences and keep academic scholars in work for years’.Trade Review'Part detective story, part lively summary of the historic research and theatrical processes involved in resurrecting a lost play... It is one of the pleasures of Shakespeare's Lost Play that the reader picks up an education in a whole range of topics' * Around the Globe magazine *'Throughout Doran is a charming and invariably helpful guide... Furthermore, he successfully communicates his passion for the theatre and enables the reader to understand the wealth of labour that lies behind a complicated production' * Times Literary Supplement *'Reading this book is like entering a marvellous emporium... the delight is in the detail.... endlessly entertaining and informative.' * ReviewsGate.com *'Fascinating' * The Stage *

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Book SynopsisThis updated fourth edition of Theatre Histories offers a critical overview of global theatre, drama, and performance, spanning a broad wealth of world cultures and periods, integrating them chronologically or thematically, and showing how they have often interacted.Bringing together a group of scholars from a diverse range of backgrounds and approaches to the history of global theater, this introduction to theatre history places theatre into its larger historical contexts and attends to communicationâs role in shaping theatre. Its case studies provide deeper knowledge of selected topics in theater and drama, and its âœThinking Through Theatre Historiesâ boxes discuss important concepts and approaches used in the book.Features of the fully updated fourth edition include: Deeper coverage of East Asian and Latin American theater. Richer treatment of popular culture. More illustrations, photographs, and information about online resources. New case studies, include several written by authoritative scholars on the topic. Pronunciation guidance, both in the text and as audio files online. Timelines. An introduction on historiography. A website with additional case studies, a glossary, recordings of the pronunciation of important non-English terms, and instructor resources. A case studies library listing, including both those in print and online, for greater instructor choice and flexibility. This is an essential textbook for undergraduate courses in theatre history, world theatre and introduction to theatre, and anyone looking for a full and diverse account of the emergence, development, and continuing relevance of theatre to cultures and societies across the world.

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Book SynopsisFrom the turn of the century to the 1960s, the songwriters of Tin Pan Alley were synonymous with American popular music. Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart--even today these giants remain household names, their musicals regularly revived, their methods and styles analyzed and imitated, and their songs the bedrock of jazz and cabaret. In this new edition of The Poets of Tin Pan Alley, authors Philip Furia and Laurie Patterson offer a unique perspective on these great songwriters, showing how their poetic lyrics were as important as their brilliant music in shaping a golden age of American popular song.Furia and Patterson continue the tradition of great perception and understanding established in the first edition as they explore the deft rhymes, inventive imagery, and witty solutions these songwriters used to breathe new life into rigidly established genres. They devote full chapters to such greats as Irving Berlin, Lorenz Hart, Ira Gershwin, Cole PortTrade Review[A] fascinating history of the popular lyricists....A triumph worth trumpeting. * St. Louis Post-Dispatch *Sophisticated, literate....A welcome addition to the sparse lyrics-as-literature shelf. * Kirkus Reviews *Well-written and interesting....A good history of American popular culture. * Choice *Furia not only pays tribute to the great lyricists but does it with a joy and flair that ingratiates itself to the reader page upon page....Overall, pleasure reading and then some. * West Coast Review of Books *The author's love and enthusiasm for his subject, and also the fact that you can't help humming while reading, make this the rare book of literary criticism that is downright enjoyable. * Booklist *Apparently all the younger lyricists of the present day freely acknowledge that they are not as gifted as Ira Gershwin, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart, and other early masters of the art form. Along comes Mr. Furia's admirable study to provide more than ample documentation. It goes without saying that any professional or would-be lyricist ought to eagerly devour every page, but even those who pay more disinterested attention to the popular arts will be fascinated by this insightful analysis. * Steve Allen *A lovingly conceived, scholarly, and entertaining tribute to the great popular wordsmiths of this century. It is well researched and contains much fascinating information. I recommend it. * Michael Feinstein *The first scholarly study of the lyrics of Tin Pan Alley, placing these texts in the sweep of American literature, analyzing not only their overall poetic style but individual variations as well....Invaluable. * Charles Hamm, Dartmouth College *Table of ContentsPreface 1. Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah Love: Alley Standards 2. After the Ball: Early Alley 3. Ragged Meter Man: Irving Berlin 4. Ragged and Funny: Lyricists of the 1920s 5. Funny Valentine: Lorenz Hart 6. 'S Wonderful: Ira Gershwin 7. The Tinpantithesis of Poetry: Cole Porter 8. Conventional Dithers: Oscar Hammerstein 9. Paper Moons: Howard Dietz and Yip Harburg 10. Fine Romances: Dorothy Fields and Leo Robin 11. Hip, Hooray, and Ballyhoo: Hollywood Lyricists 12. Swingy Harlem Tunes: Jazz Lyricists 13. Midnight Sun: Johnny Mercer 14. Call Me Irresponsible: Sammy Cahn 15. The Great American Songbook Notes Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA behind-the-scenes look at the making of the iconic musical Sunday in the Park with GeorgePutting It Together chronicles the two-year odyssey of creating the iconic Broadway musical Sunday in the Park with George. In 1982, James Lapine, at the beginning of his career as a playwright and director, met Stephen Sondheim, nineteen years his senior and already a legendary Broadway composer and lyricist. Shortly thereafter, the two decided to write a musical inspired by Georges Seurat's nineteenth-century painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Through conversations between Lapine and Sondheim, as well as most of the production team, and with a treasure trove of personal photographs, sketches, script notes, and sheet music, the two Broadway icons lift the curtain on their beloved musical. Putting It Together is a deeply personal remembrance of their collaborati

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Book SynopsisThe rise of celebrity stage actresses in the long eighteenth century created a class of women who worked in the public sphere while facing considerable scrutiny about their offstage lives. Such powerful celebrity women used the cultural and affective significance of their reproductive bodies to leverage audience support and interest to advance their careers, and eighteenth-century London patent theatres even capitalized on their pregnancies. Carrying All Before Her uses the reproductive histories of six celebrity women (Susanna Mountfort Verbruggen, Anne Oldfield, Susannah Cibber, George Anne Bellamy, Sarah Siddons, and Dorothy Jordan) to demonstrate that pregnancy affected celebrity identity, impacted audience reception and interpretation of performance, changed company repertory and altered company hierarchy, influenced the development and performance of new plays, and had substantial economic consequences for both women and the companies for which they worked. Deepening the fields of celebrity, theatre, and women's studies, as well as social and medical histories, Phillips reveals an untapped history whose relevance and impact persists today.Trade Review"Phillips's most significant contribution is her move to focus on the gravid body and its realities as well as significance(s), something both earlier histories of actresses and cultural histories of maternity have shied away from. The book's dialogues and echoes across and between different case studies – and with our own time – are significant for eighteenth-century, celebrity, and theatre studies."— Elaine McGirr, editor of Stage Mothers: Women, Work, and the Theater, 1660-1830Table of ContentsFigures Acknowledgments Introduction 1 Inheriting Greatness: Susanna Mountfort Verbruggen and Anne Oldfield 2 Pregnant Sensibility: Susannah Cibber and George Anne Bellamy 3 Conceiving Genius: Sarah Siddons 4 Prolific Muse: Dorothy Jordan Conclusion: Celebrity Pregnancy, Then and Now Appendix: Birth and Christening Dates Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAn articulate, exceptionally researched study of Chinese theater. - Choice

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Book SynopsisJust to say the name Vivien Leigh invokes two quick images to anyone familiar with motion pictures--Scarlett O'Hara and Blanche DuBois.Table of ContentsPreface Biography Chronology Stage Appearances Filmography Unrealized Projects Awards and Nominations Videography Radio Appearances Television Appearances Discography Collectibles Bibliography Archives Posthumous Tributes Index

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Book SynopsisLet Them Haunt Us analyzes contemporary aesthetics engaged in trauma and critically challenges its canonical status as "unrepresentable". Focusing on case studies in the aesthetic practices of Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Omer Fast, Forensic Architecture, and Paul McCarthy this book proposes to redefine trauma as a productive framework to exploring individual, collective, and cultural conflicts addressed in current artistic and curatorial practices. Anna-Lena Werner considers the aesthetic realm as a potential forum that provides methods of understanding the humanitarian consequences of violence and warfare, and to reveal the effects of trauma on visual culture, collective memory, and politics.

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