Theatre studies Books

Book SynopsisThis 1925 comedy of manners that''s funny yet also unorthodox and unsettling... a celebration of abnormality and at the same time a disquieting study of both the pleasures and the pains of not being able to restrain oneself. - Evening StandardWhen four guests, all invited by different members of the Bliss family, arrive for a weekend at their country house near Maidenhead, they''re expecting a idyllic retreat. But this peaceful promise is quickly trounced when the self-absorbed eccentricities of the Blisses are trained on the guests, who leave the country mansion humiliated and embarrassed.First produced in 1925, Hay Fever is a technical masterpiece, seamlessly combining high farce with a comedy of manners, and delivering Coward his first major commercial success.This new edition is published in Methuen Drama''s iconic Modern Classics series to coincide with the 125th anniversary of Coward's birth and features a new introduction by Michael Billington.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsEditor’s Note by Jesse Feiler xiii Foreword by Katie Finneran xv Foreword by David Hyde Pierce xix Acknowledgments xxiii Part One The Actor Introduction 3 1 Concept 11 2 Identity 22 3 Substitution 34 4 Emotional Memory 46 5 Sense Memory 52 6 The Five Senses 60 7 Thinking 65 8 Walking and Talking 69 9 Improvisation 73 10 Reality 75 Part Two The Object Exercises Introduction 81 11 The Basic Object Exercise 91 12 Three Entrances 95 13 Immediacy 102 14 The Fourth Wall 106 15 Endowment 112 16 Talking to Yourself 119 17 Outdoors 124 18 Conditioning Forces 129 19 History 134 20 Character Action 139 Part Three The Play and the Role Introduction 145 21 First Contact with the Play 147 22 The Character 152 23 Circumstances 158 24 Relationship 165 25 The Objective 174 26 The Obstacle 180 27 The Action 184 28 The Rehearsal 192 29 Practical Problems 201 30 Communication 213 31 Style 217 Epilogue 222 The Studio Story, by Uta Hagen 224 Address to the Austrian Academy, by Herbert Berghof 239 Sources, by Uta Hagen 244 About Uta Hagen 252 About Haskel Frankel 254 Index 255

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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

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Book SynopsisMusical theatre is often perceived as either a Broadway based art form, or as having separate histories in London and New York. Musical Theatre Histories: Expanding the Narrative, however, depicts the musical as neither American nor British, but both and more, having grown out of frequent and substantial interactions between both centres (and beyond). Through multiple thematic histories', Millie Taylor and Adam Rush take readers on a series of journeys that include the art form's European and American origins, African American influences, negotiations arounddiversity, national identity, and the globalisation of the form, as well as revival culture, censorship and the place of social media inthe 21st century.Each chapter includes case studies and key concept boxes to identify, explain and contextualise important discussions, offering an accessible study of a dynamic and ever evolving medium.Written and developed for undergraduate students, this introductory textbook providTrade ReviewThe history of musical theatre has been told countless times, and often in the same way; so it is refreshing to read a study of the musical that offers a myriad tellings of the tale. Like holding a diamond up to Broadway and West End shows, each chapter in Taylor and Rush's fascinating book offers a different perspective. For students and scholars of the musical, the book provides a rich seam of thought-provoking discussions written in an accessible and engaging way. Bouncing between Britain and America in its central focus, it explores the musical as a ‘transnational’ form – one that has developed on either side of the Atlantic, yet one that has always been caught in a tussle between two different worlds. In the expert hands of Millie Taylor and Adam Rush, readers will experience an exciting set of transatlantic adventures in musical theatre. * Dominic Symonds (Professor of Musical Theatre, University of Lincoln, UK) *Table of Contents‘Why We Tell the Story’: Introduction Historiography and Context(s) Deciphering Multiple Histories How to Read this Book Chapter 1 - ‘Do You Hear the People Sing?’: From Operetta to Poperetta European Origins Musical Comedy and Broadway Operetta (1900-1940) American Origins Into the Twentieth Century The Musical Play and Beyond (1940-1960) Fragmentation and the Concept Musical The Megamusical, or Poperetta Conclusion Chapter 2 - ‘New Music’: From Ragtime to Rap Ragtime and Early African American Music Early African American Musical Theatre Shuffle Along, And All That Jazz The Rise of Minstrelsy and ‘Coon Songs’ Dreamgirls and Motown Rap, Hip-Hop and Hamilton Conclusion Chapter 3 - ‘Waving Through A Window’: From Intertext to Instagram Literary Adaptations Stage and Screen Interactions The Wonderful World of Oz Singin’ in the Rain and the Hollywood Film Musical Disney and the Animated Musical Cast Recordings You Already Know You’re Gonna Love It… Television Musicals Social Media and the Worldwide Web (of Showtunes) Conclusion Chapter 4 - ‘Easy to be Hard’: From Censorship to Sex Legal Censorship in Britain, 1485-1843 A Changing Landscape, 1843-1968 Censorship in America, 1620-1967 Politics meets Finance Hair (and all that followed) Self-Censorship and Political Correctness Conclusion Chapter 5 - ‘Stand Up’: From Gender Duality to Diversity Late Victorian Britain Music Hall and Variety Early Twentieth Century Transatlantic Transfers The ‘Golden Age’ – Post-World War II Diversity and Difference – After the 1960s Into the Twenty First Century Conclusion Chapter 6 - ‘Another National Anthem’: From Ourselves to the Other Before the Great War World War II and Post-War Reconstruction 1990s British Resurgence (as Mythologised in American Musicals) Challenging American Mythology Hybrid Influences in Musical Theatre Conclusion Chapter 7 - ‘A Whole New World’: From The Mikado to the Megamusical Colonialism Culture within Colonialism The Cultural Dimension of Globalisation Global Producers and International Productions Conclusion Chapter 8 - ‘Journey to the Past’: From Revival to Revisal Reviving Gypsy 1970s American Revivals New Models and Styles (Concert and Small-Scale Productions, Actor-Musicianship, Opera House Productions) Revision and Reinvention Conclusion Abstracts + Keywords Bibliography

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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 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) *

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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

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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 SynopsisSince 1660 when actresses first began performing on the English stage, women have forged bright careers in theatre, while men called the shots. Four hundred years of women playwrights, from Aphra Behn to Caryl Churchill, yet plays by women make up less than a quarter of staged productions in the UK, leading to a scarcity of roles for women. With women buying most of the tickets, theatre productions risk losing their relevance to modern culture if they fail to represent the many and varied lives of women. With an overview of post-war theatre and 25 exclusive interviews with leading women theatre-makers, this book inspires us to create a truly equal and inclusive theatre today. Including interviews with: Nina Lee Aquino Sudha Buchar Moira Buffini Paule Constable Denise Gough Jill Greenhalgh Vicky Ireland Jude Kelly Bryony Lavery Rachel Maza Kumiko Mendl Katie Mitchell Marsha Norman Lynn Nottage Kate O'Donnell Winsome Pinnock Emma Rice Daryl Roth Jenny Sealey Saviana Stanescu Michelle Terry Kate Waters and more...Trade Review"An inclusive and all-around eye-opening account of how theatre has changed...an enlightening path into the dazzling minds of these groundbreaking women." - The Broadway World; "As a publication, 50 Women in Theatre is comprehensive and a good thing to have, an important collection of talent around the world." -The Reviews Hub; Star rating: five stars - Musical Theatre Review; Fight for gender equality is harder than ever: Read The Stage; "Or how about celebrating achievement? Part of a series called '50 Women in ...', 50 Women in Theatre must have been good fun and rather satisfying to research and assemble. It consists, after a detailed introduction, of 50 short celebrations of the contributions made to theatre by women since 1945. And they are wonderfully diverse both in terms of who they are and what they've achieved. Thus we go from choreographer Gillian Lyne to producer Thelma Holt, director Jenny Sealey and voice guru Cicely Berry. Actors include Audra McDonald, Meera Syal, Glenda Jackson and Judi Dench, We also read about producers such as Nica Burns, actor/directors like Michelle Terry and playwrights including Moira Buffini and Bryony Lavery. Some of these accounts are written in the third person (Caryl Churchill, Sonia Friedman) not least because some of them are dead (Joan Littlewood, Jocelyn Herbert) or, presumably, preferred not to be interviewed. Others are presented as "in their own words" and written at greater length usually in a question and answer format. It's an attractive hard back book on shiny paper with lots of coloured photographs so it would make a good present." - Sardine Magazine, no.56

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Book SynopsisThe Wardrobe Supervisorâs Toolkit: A Comprehensive Guide to Wardrobe is a complete resource for organizing and streamlining the wardrobe process for any live production, with tips and tricks to quickly and seamlessly dress performers for their next scene.This book offers a foundation for anyone wishing to improve their wardrobe skills, as well as specific steps for universities and theater companies to implement into their wardrobe process. Elizabeth Polley draws on professional experiences to provide clear directions, numerous examples, practical forms and lists, and advice for keeping calm and bringing order to backstage costume changes. This toolkit includes paperwork samples, quick-change tricks, laundry solutions, dress rehearsal recommendations, items to have in a wardrobe kit, and much more.This book is written for new and emerging Wardrobe professionals and costume shop managers, as well as students in technical theatre courses, including Costume Technol

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Book SynopsisA definitive new account of the professional and personal life of one of Hollywood''s most unforgettable, influential stars.Archie Leach was a poorly educated, working-class boy from a troubled family living in the backstreets of Bristol. Cary Grant was Hollywood''s most debonair film star--the embodiment of worldly sophistication. Cary Grant: The Making of a Hollywood Legend tells the incredible story of how a sad, neglected boy became the suave, glamorous star many know and idolize. The first biography to be based on Grant''s own personal papers, this book takes us on a fascinating journey from the actor''s difficult childhood through years of struggle in music halls and vaudeville, a hit-and-miss career in Broadway musicals, and three decades of film stardom during Hollywood''s golden age. Leaving no stone unturned, Cary Grant delves into all aspects of Grant''s life, from the bitter realities of his impoverished childhood to his trailblazing role in Hollywood as a film star who defied the studio system and took control of his own career. Highlighting Grant''s genius as an actor and a filmmaker, author Mark Glancy examines the crucial contributions Grant made to such classic films as Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Notorious (1946), An Affair to Remember (1957), North by Northwest (1959), Charade (1963) and Father Goose (1964). Glancy also explores Grant''s private life with new candor and insight throughout the book''s nine sections, illuminating how Grant''s search for happiness and fulfillment lead him to having his first child at the age of 62 and embarking on his fifth marriage at the age of 77. With this biography--complete with a chronological filmography of the actor''s work--Glancy provides a definitive account of the professional and personal life of one of Hollywood''s most unforgettable, influential stars.Trade ReviewScrupulously researched... Interweaving Grant's personal life with his career, Glancy provides the kind of detailed production histories and nuanced close readings of Grant's performances that will appeal to die-hard Cary Grant fans and film studies academics alike. * Charlotte Crofts, Open Screens *The volume is well indexed and the text fully supported by endnotes and a generous bibliography... Glancy's account is full, readable and scholarly. * John Stevens, Transactions *As a star biography it sets new standards of scholarship... It will become a definitive account of Grant, providing a judiciously balanced and peceptive evaluation of his intervowen personal and professional life, elucidated in pellucid prose whose elegance mirrors its subject. * Andrew Spicer, Archives *Glancy's account is full, readable and scholarly and it is confidently predicted that this particular quarry is now closed. * Josh Stevens, Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society *Offering glimpses of Grant both inside and outside of studio walls, Glancy succeeds in culling together a cohesive book based upon Grant's personal papers ...if the reader is not familiar with the breath of Grant's filmography, Glancy's book steps in as a guide through Grant's many works. * Annette Bochenek, Hometowns to Hollywood *The definitive biography: forensic, myth-busting, and psychologically fine-tuned. Both a well-written work of scholarship and an entertaining ride through the life and work of one of Hollywood's most fascinating stars. * Mark Kidel, filmmaker and writer *Mark Glancy's detailed biography carefully pieces together the actor's early life, from the day-dreaming teenager's expulsion at school to his life in music hall and his early struggles in New York... before his cinema stardom... a first-rate study of a star of cinemas golden age. * Martin Chilton, Independent *[an] exemplary biography * David Thomson, London Review of Books *Cary Grant has been the subject of so much gossip over the years so it is pleasant to read a book that takes an unsensational look at a Hollywood great. * Paul Donnelley, Daily Express *Glancy's years of research reveal themselves not just in the exceptionally detailed retelling of the Grant story, but in the scrupulous examination of conflicting sources... first-rate biography * Pamela Hutchinson, Sight & Sound *No other Grant biography has probed beneath the actor's tuxedo elegance with the urgency, critical acumen and basic common sense that are on display in Cary Grant: The Making of a Hollywood Legend. It's exceptional book. * Tom Ryan, Senses of Cinema *In contrast to typical celebrity biographies which take the tone of a gossipy exposé, Glancy's book feels balanced, well-researched... The author treats his subject with polite respect and admiration. * Lani Gonzalez, Book and Film Globe *It's a good, thorough read and may hint at a change in the winds of how we look at this famously private, famously gorgeous and underrated movie star. * Roger Moore, Movie Nation *Glancy is a good writer and storyteller... [his] approach is measured and illuminating. * Tom Ryan, The Australian *an exceedingly well-researched book... riveting throughout... This is certainly one of the best books about the golden era of Hollywood that I have ever read, and I recommend it to anyone interested in films. * Mel Cooper, Plays to See *By contrast with some of his predecessors, Glancy does a superb job of shining light on as much of Grant's life as can be understood without bogging down in unnecessary detail. * Dave Luhrssen, Shepherd Express *A solid biography * David Pitt, Booklist *A thorough and thoughtful biography... An excellent portrait that emphasizes the man more than the movie star. * Peter Thornell, Library Journal *Mark Glancy has given the beloved star a deservedly respectful treatment. He offers a detailed and interesting biography which does not shy away from the controversies in Grant's life. However, the information is presented in a factual, non-salacious manner that is very readable. * Booked Solid with Virginia C *Most biographies of Hollywood Slebs are usually hagiographies or a collection of salacious stories... So it was with relief that I found Glancy's book does not fall into this trap but takes time to explore and research Cary Grant as a serious subject for a biographer... I so enjoyed reading this book and found it totally absorbing. Mark Glancy goes into detail about Cary's acting and role in all of his films, leaving nothing out and so the reader can appreciate and follow his film career alongside his personal life. * Elaine Simpson-Long, Random Jottings *Table of ContentsPreface Part One: Archie Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Part Two: Tumbler Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Part Three: Matinee Idol Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Part Four: Cary Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Part Five: American Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Part Six: Movie-Made Man Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Part Seven: Truth Seeker Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Part Eight: Survivor Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Part Nine: Legend Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Sources Notes Filmography

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Book SynopsisProvides a clear guide to Kathakali, exploring the origin, evolution and characteristics of the form today and the ways it has adapted for a 21st-century audience.Kathakali provides an introduction to this vibrant mode of dance drama, which comes from Kerala in southwest India and combines poetry, music, rhythm and dance to represent stories of gods, demons and humans. Tracing the distinctive features of Kathakali - which is sometimes tightly structured with fixed conventions and sometimes fluid enough to incorporate imaginative flight of fancy. It charts how the form has changed over the centuries and assesses its cultural legacy today. It also includes translations of extracts from poems, plays and performance manuals, as well as interviews with actors and cultural historians.Kathakali, literally story play', originated in Kerala in the latter part of the 16th century. Today it commands attention and involves practitioners from around the world. Largely drawing its stor

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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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Book SynopsisThe Morse Code: Decoding the Career of Iconic Lighting Designer Peter Morse explores key developments and evolving techniques, processes, and technology within contemporary theatrical lighting design through the career and impact of US lighting designer Peter Morse.Peter Morseâs career as a lighting designer spans over 50 years. He has worked with most of entertainmentâs biggest artists, including Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Prince, and many more. This book documents his firsthand perspective of how the entertainment industry has changed, and it features his unique perspective on how the evolution of the lighting industry resulted in an evolution of his design and practice. More than a simple biography, this book explores the history of contemporary lighting design through Peterâs eyes and experience, tracing the evolution of technology and trends, and how one designerâs creativity impacted an industry. Each chapter explores the work of a decade and is illustrated with personal interest stories from his collaborations with iconic artists and production photography.The Morse Code is a valuable resource for new and experienced lighting designers, students of lighting design, and those interested in the history of technical theatre.

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Book SynopsisHilary Mantel and Ben Miles' exhilarating stage adaptation of The Mirror and the Light, one of 2021's must-see theatrical events, and the long awaited conclusion to the Oliver Award-winning Wolf Hall Trilogy. England, May 1536. Anne Boleyn's fate has been sealed by a hired French executioner. it now befalls Jane Seymour to deliver King Henry VIII the healthy heir he craves. Thomas Cromwell, the blacksmith's son from the gutters of Putney, has knocked down everyone in his path: established at the right hand of the king, he is now the second most powerful man in England. But what will you do, an astute witness asks, when the king turns on you, as sooner or later he turns on everyone close to him?Hilary Mantel's twice Booker Prize-winning trilogy is the outstanding literary achievement of recent times. Following Oliver and Tony Award-winning productions of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, hailed as a landmark and must-see theatrical event on both sides of the Atlantic, Mantel and Ben MiTrade Review Praise for Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies on stage: ‘A gripping piece of narrative theatre … history made manifest’ Guardian ‘Enthralling … splendidly entertaining and at times deeply touching’ Daily Telegraph ‘Gripping yet darkly funny … a bold, unforgettable lesson in history and politics’ The Times ‘An impressive feat, a compelling drama played out across the canvas of a nation soaked in rain and mud and blood … accessible and consistently engrossing’ Hollywood Reporter ‘A fast-paced political thriller … fiendishly engaging’ Time Out New York

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Book SynopsisA Waterstones Best Book of 2024''Marriage to Mike Leigh, the minutiae of working on Gavin and Stacey: it''s a tribute to her range that there''s something here to interest everybody'' TelegraphThe first memoir from the national treasure, critically acclaimed actress and much-loved Gavin and Stacey star.Candice Marie in Nuts in May. Beverly in Abigail's Party. Mrs Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Betty in Fat Friends. Sue in Here We Go and Pamela in Gavin & Stacey we can all name a beloved, iconic character brought to life by the magnificent Alison Steadman.Growing up in post-war, working-class Liverpool, the young Alison ever the entertainer would address the world from the stage of her bedroom window, until she got a taste for performing in front of an actual audience at her progressive 1960s drama school. By the time she left, her mind was made up: she was going to be an actress! If only she could conquer the onstage giggling Always pushing boundaries reclining naked on a sofa in her first role, embracing groundbreaking female characters from day one Alison has deservedly found acclaim and recognition, succeeding in her TV and theatre career while juggling family life a difficult feat for any working mother, but particularly for an actress in the twentieth century.From the nervy Mrs Bennet to the robo-dancing Pam-el-aah, Alison has proved herself again and again to be a comedy genius. Here, with her distinctive warmth and humour, she vividly recalls all the must-read moments of a life spent in and out of character.

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Book SynopsisIn this absorbing and surprising memoir, one of the biggest names of classic Hollywood—the star of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and Marnie—tells her story, including never-before-revealed experiences on the set of some of the biggest cult films of all time .

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Those who like their beach books with a lot of drama will find what they’re looking for—and then some. Summer Stage is best enjoyed for its setting (in its varied loveliness Block Island becomes almost another character), for its observations about the changing nature of fame, and for its occasional sly commentary.” — Wall Street Journal “Meg Mitchell Moore kept me flipping pages late into the night in a new novel about the fleeting nature of notoriety, the darker side of fame, and how, sometimes, simply saying yes can change our lives in the most unexpected ways. Set against the backdrop of a revival of Much Ado About Nothing on beautiful Block Island, a mother, daughter, and uncle—each struggling to reinvent themselves—will learn that, while you can’t change an iconic play, it’s never too late to rewrite your own story. Summer Stage is a five-star novel that deserves a standing ovation! And Meg Mitchell Moore has a permanent place on my list of favorite authors.” — Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil “Moore brings summer theatre to life in her sparkling latest. The relationships feel real and engaging, and the dialogue is sharp and snappy, with smart writing that examines familial relationships with insight and aplomb. This one’s equally charming and satisfying.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Moore's latest deliciously captures the energy of a summer of creativity with this ensemble piece, combining a strong sense of place with likable narrators. From Sam’s stubborn vulnerability to Amy’s competence that belies bigger dreams, the characters are both relatable and aspirational. Give this to fans of Elin Hilderbrand and The Summer Set, by Aimee Agresti.” — Booklist (starred review) “Moore has created a story that unfolds much like a hot summer day at the beach—slow and languid and spiced up with a bit of drama. A light beach read that also examines the benefits and costs of celebrity.” — Kirkus Reviews "One of my own favorite writers." — Elin Hilderbrand “A family of actors encounter more than they bargained for during a summer on Block Island, which finds them mounting a production while dealing with secrets, ambition, and self-discovery.” — Southern Living “There’s sun, sea and major drama—you’ll be carried away.” — People on Vacationland "Irresistible." — Vogue.com on Vacationland "What a pleasure to open Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore and be invited for the summer to midcoast Maine. A novel full of rich, complex characters, deep blue-gray ocean views, and simmering secrets, Vacationland is as sophisticated and delicious as lobster bisque." — Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters and The Lifeguards "Engrossing....A truly lovely tale of families, love, mistakes, forgiveness, and, yes, happiness." — Kirkus Reviews on Vacationland "Delectable...Readers are in for a treat." — Publishers Weekly on Vacationland

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Book SynopsisImpassioned, witty and polemical, At Your Own Risk is Derek Jarman''s defiant celebration of gay sexuality.In At Your Own Risk, Derek Jarman weaves poetry, prose, photographs and newspaper extracts into a rich tapestry of gay experience in the UK. The buttoned-up repression of the fifties and sixties makes way for liberation and free love in the seventies, only to be chased by the terror and pain of HIV/AIDS. This is Jarman at his passionate best, written when he was already ill with HIV and in the midst of the moral panic surrounding the AIDS crisis. Defiant and furious, he not only celebrates his own sexuality but skewers wider society for its brazen homophobia. Reissued here 25 years after Jarman''s death, with an introduction by Straight Jacket author Matthew Todd, At Your Own Risk remains a singular work. It is a powerful reminder of how far we have come and how much further we have left to go.''It blew my mind quiteTrade ReviewIf there is any such thing as the literary equivalent of an incendiary bomb, then this is it... His semtex-packed sentences are welcome thunderflashes of dissent in the grey drizzle of a dispirited political climate * New Statesman *At Your Own Risk gives the reader access to something that is hard to articulate, the near asphyxiating pain, anxiety and rage which many gay people have felt living under the physical, legal and cultural attacks of the last few years * Observer *For all his anger, Jarman never seems brutalised. He retains his humanity and good humour. His is a wonderfully garrulous, mercurial, polymathic daemon * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisSimon Callow is an actor, director and writer. He has appeared on the stage and in many films, including the hugely popular Four Weddings and a Funeral. His books include Being an Actor, Shooting the Actor, Love is Where it Falls, the first two volumes of his four-volume life of Orson Welles, his theatrical memoir My Life in Pieces, and, most recently, the highly acclaimed Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World.Trade ReviewOne of the very best theatre books ever -- Alec GuinnessRemarkable...extraordinarily well written, perceptive and rivetingly sympathetic -- John GielgudSimon Callow is a writer - and a very good one too. Few people can match him in catching with words the physical excitement of a great performance -- Peter HallCallow’s emphatic biography certainly presents this complicated man in all his contradictory roles -- Sally Morris * Daily Mail *a fine character actor’s tribute to the king of the tribe. The numerous insights show Callow to be that rarity, an actor who can write about acting -- Jake Kerridge * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis**As featured on Barack Obama''s Summer 2022 Reading List**Winner of the Gordon Burn PrizeWinner of the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in NonfictionFinalist for the National Book Critics Circle AwardFinalist for the Pen/Diamonstein-Spievogel Award for the Art of the EssayShortlisted for the National Book Award''Gorgeous'' - Brit Bennett''Pure genius'' - Jacqueline Woodson''One of the most dynamic books I have ever read'' - Clint SmithAt the March on Washington, Josephine Baker reflected on her life and her legacy. She had spent decades as one of the most successful entertainers in the world, but, she told the crowd, I was a devil in other countries, and I was a little devil in America, too. Inspired by these words, Hanif Abdurraqib has written a stirring meditation on Black performance in the modern age, in which culture, history and his own lived experience collide.With sharp insight, humour and heart, Abdurraqib explores a sequence of iconic and intimate performances that take him from mid-century Paris to the moon -- and back down again, to a cramped living room in Columbus, Ohio. Each one, he shows, has layers of resonance across Black and white cultures, the politics of American empire, and his own personal history of love and grief -- whether it''s the twenty-seven seconds of ''Gimme Shelter'' in which Merry Clayton sings, or the magnificent hours of Aretha Franklin''s homegoing; Beyoncé''s Super Bowl show or a schoolyard fistfight; Dave Chapelle''s skits or a game of spades among friends.Trade ReviewHanif Abdurraqib's genius is in pinpointing those moments in American cultural history when Black people made lightning strike. But Black performance, Black artistry, Black freedom too often came at devastating price. The real devil in America is America itself, the one who stole the soul that he, through open eyes and fearless prose, snatches back. This is searing, revelatory, filled with utter heartbreak, and unstoppable joy. -- Marlon James, author of Black Leopard Red WolfA rapturous exploration of black genius. Whether heralding unsung entertainers or re-examining legends, Hanif Abdurraqib weaves together gorgeous essays that reveal the resilience, heartbreak, and joy within black performance. I read this book breathlessly. -- Brit Bennett * author of The Vanishing Half *To read Hanif Abdurraqib is to be embraced in the middle of chaos. In his latest book, A Little Devil In America: In Praise of Black Performance, he does what many great writers do, which is to illuminate and join the dots between connections readers may once have failed to see. * Huck *Abdurraqib is one of the most brilliant writers I've ever read. A Little Devil In America needs to be on every bedside table, every high school and college desktop - and basically, in this age of a revolution, this is that ONE book that everyone needs to read. Pure genius. I'm not even trying to get at even SOME of the brilliance Hanif gets to with this book-there is just too much. From Black Exceptionalism to Josephine Baker to Old Heads-he brings it and clarifies it, then shapes it into every bit of medicine we need right now. -- Jacqueline Woodson * author of Red at the Bone *Poignant, powerful, candid, written with sincerity and emotion ... An important book * New York Times *The most important cultural critic in America right now? This writer gets my vote. Abdurraqib has delivered a winner. * Chicago Tribune *Hanif Abdurraqib has a way of taking slices of our cultural landscape, examining them, and transforming them into observations and analyses that leave me underlining the entire page. In A Little Devil In America, Abdurraqib brilliantly braids together history, criticism, and prose so stunning that it makes you want to read every word out loud just so you can hear its music. Everything Abdurraqib writes is a must-read, but this is his best yet. It is one of the most dynamic books I have ever read. -- Clint SmithBlending pop-culture essays, memoir, and poetry, A Little Devil in America delves into the manyiterations of Black artistic expression through an often deeply personal lens ...Startling, layered, and timely, this is an essential, illuminating collection * Booklist (starred review) *A thoughtful memoir rolled into a set of joined essays on life, death, and the Black experience in America... Social criticism, pop culture, and autobiography come together neatly in these pages, and every sentence is sharp, provocative, and self-aware ... A winner. -- Kirkus Reviews (*starred review*)A Little Devil in America is so so heavy in some places that I have to take breaks. It just hurts to read some of these truths, woven in such beautiful writing. -- Yomi SodeIn this staggeringly intimate meditation, Abdurraqib shines a light on how Black artists have shaped-and been shaped by-American culture. His prose is reliably razor-sharp. Filled with nuance and lyricism, Abdurraqib's luminous survey is stunning. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Abdurraqib pens respectful, heartwarming essays that reflect on giants in music, television, cinema, and even magic...his stories will inspire and provoke thoughtful meditations on how Black lives matter in all areas of life and art. * Library Journal (starred review) *Abdurraqib uses his inimitable blend of incisive, piercing criticism and shimmering stream-of-consciousness to explore everything from the problem with praising Black women for being "vessels" who have "saved America" with their votes (he points out: "It occurred to me that Black women were simply attempting to save themselves") to Dave Chappelle's appeal to white audiences to the death of his mother. Moving, provocative, and infused with a singular lyricism, A Little Devil in America is an exultant blend of memoir and criticism, a must-read for anyone looking to better understand this country and its people. * Refinery29 *It's an absolutely brilliant book from a critic who's become one of the country's most essential writers... To call Abdurraqib anything less than one of the best writers working in America, and to call this book anything less than a masterpiece, would be doing him, and literature as a whole, a disservice -- Michael Shaub * Minneapolis Star Tribune *These 'notes in praise of Black performance' encompass dance, music, film, and standup, along with everyday affectations and embodiments of masculinity, fear, intimacy, and belonging. Subjects include Josephine Baker, Michael Jackson, blackface, "Soul Train," and brotherhood. ...Combines meditations on personal experiences-losing his mother, navigating the Midwestern punk scene-with affectionate studies of cultural moments and figures, beloved and under-sung alike. Abdurraqib views performance as an expression of life and a means of survival * The New Yorker *[Abdurraqib] has brought to pop criticism and cultural history not just a poet's lyricism and imagery but also a scholar's rigor, a novelist's sense of character and place, and a punk-rocker's impulse to dislodge conventional wisdom from its moorings until something shakes loose and is exposed to audiences too lethargic to think or even react differently -- Gene Seymour * Bookforum *A book that brims with wonder and introspection while also honoring the significance and contributions of so many of the lives within it. Abdurraqib's passions are fully on display, and his widespread love is infectious in the best way possible, resulting in a masterwork that will not only move readers but will also send them off into their own personal rabbit holes of joy and wonder. This is, perhaps, the greatest gift a writer can give to his readers, and A Little Devil in America delivers it in spades -- Daniel Modlin * The Daily Beast *contemplative and scholarly... it is a joy to watch [Hanif's] mind work. In his new collection of interconnected essays, the author...excavates the bits of pop culture that often get paved over by white supremacy and our collective short-term memory. As for the parts we think we know - Abdurraqib has lots to say about Whitney Houston, Dave Chappelle, Green Book, Altamont, and more - it's his pointed and frequently personal re-examinations that set A Little Devil soaring -- Patrick Rapa * The Philadelphia Inquirer *A vibrant showcase of sharp writing, Abdurraqib's A Little Devil in America attests that Black performance at its root is not simply an outward show of talent but also a means of survival. Read carefully. Abdurraqib's book is a challenge not to accept the usual explanations for the performances we witness. * BookPage *Abdurraqib's great strength is his ability to present broad, canny observations through the lens of his personal experience, and his intimate exploration of what these specific moments meant to him as a Black Muslim coming of age in the US is what lingers long after you've finished the book * Buzzfeed *Abdurraqib has written a profound reflection on how Black performance is woven into the fabric of American culture... A Little Devil in America is a joyous ode to Black performance throughout history. * PureWow *Throughout, Abdurraqib writes with urgency as he highlights what these performances mean, how they connect to his own feelings on grief, love and life, and where they fit into American history. * TIME Magazine *From Josephine Baker to Soul Train to 'Sixteen Ways of Looking at Blackface,' Abdurraqib takes us on a wild ride through the history of Black performances, artists who crushed boundaries and carved out spaces for vigorous forms of African American expression. His is an intimate, conspiratorial voice, musically inflected, blending scholarship with anecdote, a 'waltz in a circular chamber of your homies and not-homies, shouting chants of excitement.' * Oprah Magazine *Abdurraqib breathes new life into performers of significance in his life, both legendary and unsung * A.V. Club *Abdurraqib is one of our finest writers period. A brilliant poet, essayist and cultural critic, he handles nostalgia, pop culture, Blackness and friendship in ways few writers can. Here, he examines Black America's changing views of Whitney Houston, the death of Michael Jackson, the spiritual properties of dancing, Afrofuturism and more. The early chapter "Sixteen Ways of Looking at Blackface" is a deeply humane piece of virtuoso writing. Longer dispatches are broken up by lyric, stream-of-consciousness pieces that refresh the soul and remind readers that there's little Abdurraqib can't do -- Aarik Danielsen * Columbia Star Tribune *In his new collection of essays, A Little Devil in America, the poet and critic Hanif Abdurraqib surveys this sprawl of expression. Here he charges himself with quite an ambitious task, pinning down and contextualizing the historic scale of such a globally significant cultural output, and it is one that would appear to call for an equally ambitious scope... Contemplations of legendary voices, sleights of hand, and charismatic choreographies are in dialogue with his own stories of grief, love, faith, and the search for freedom within the confinements of borders and a body...Abdurraqib expands the conception of "performance" to include the whole realm of behavior and culture...Playfulness, seduction, artistry, and reinvention: Abdurraqib wants us to know that these devilish gestures have their place, too, among the saints that line the corridors in this tiresome, captivating, and essential struggle * The Nation *In A Little Devil in America, Abdurraqib walks readers through Black archives of dance, film, social struggle, and song as though these "intimate histories" of performance (as Saidiya Hartman calls them) could free us from anything that misses the beat. For this collection of essays, he does the work of a DJ: he digs through the crates, selects the most appropriately unexpected songs/topics/subjects, builds a collage between cuts and scratches, and presents his set. His books are soundscapes in print, and I was somehow listening to each sentence as if it were a breakbeat of personal narrative and socio-historical commentary...Hanif is one of the most exciting writers of his generation * Los Angeles Review of Books *Abdurraqib, known for his playful, intelligent sense of humor on Twitter, highlights amazing performances that shed light on societal constructions and moments of sheer joy his book about Black culture in America. Writing about joy is challenging; falling back on cliche is a constant temptation that Abdurraqib avoids in this insightful tome * Forbes *That sense of limitlessness wraps itself around every essay in Abdurraqib's newest book, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance. In it, he writes about Black performance in America-from Great Depression-era dance marathons to the enduring cool of Don Cornelius to the art of Mike Tyson entering a boxing ring-with both great reverence and rigorous analysis. The book, in the way Abdurraqib's work so often does, erects monuments to our should-be legends and our unignorable icons alike, and paints an expansive, deeply felt portrait of the history of Black artistry -- Leah Johnson * Electric Literature *This deft consideration of seemingly irreconcilable values, between the personal and private dimensions of performance, can be found throughout the essays in A Little Devil in America...Abdurraqib sees performance as a site of radical questioning, experimentation, and dream-making. This book is not a work of theory. It is sensual. We watch him watching his idols and we watch him dancing along with them, sometimes clumsily. If Brooks's goal is to make a case for performers' intellectualism, Abdurraqib's is to help us understand how they teach us to live richer, more embodied lives -- Danielle A. Jackson * Vulture *Engrossing and moving ... A new, poetic take on essays that, I think, changes the game in many ways. -- Roger Robinson * New Statesman Books of the Year *Astonishing, impressive ... the connections he makes point to the enduring influence of Black art ... a book as bold as it is essential * TIME Book of the Year *

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Book SynopsisPull back the curtain on the real history of magic – and discover why magic really matters   If you read a standard history of magic, you learn that it begins in ancient Egypt, with the resurrection of a goose in front of the Pharaoh. You discover how magicians were tortured and killed during the age of witchcraft. You are told how conjuring tricks were used to quell rebellious colonial natives. The history of magic is full of such stories, which turn out not to be true. Behind the smoke and mirrors, however, lies the real story of magic.   It is a history of people from humble roots, who made and lost fortunes, and who deceived kings and queens. In order to survive, they concealed many secrets, yet they revealed some and they stole others. They engaged in deception, exposure, and betrayal, in a quest to make the impossible happen. They managed to survive in a world in which a series of technological wonders appeared, w

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