Theatre studies Books

Book Synopsis International vaudeville star and Broadway prima ballerina Jeanne Devereaux performed for millions across America and Europe from age eleven until her retirement at forty. A headliner at Radio City Music Hall, she led a large group of performers on one of the first USO Camp Shows tours to Japan. Born Jean Helman, she entered showbiz as a dancing trouper performing in palatial theaters and was one of the last vaudevillians surviving into the 2010s. In her later years living in Pasadena, California, Devereaux indulged her passion for research and writing in the Huntington Library''s Rothenberg Reading Room, losing none of her intelligence and wit despite a fading memory. Drawing on personal interviews, theatrical programs, and her diary and letters, this biography illuminates the life and career of one of vaudeville''s stars of stage, film, and television.

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Book Synopsis Fanny Brice, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Barbra Streisand, Alan Menken, Stephen Sondheim--Jewish performers, composers, lyricists, directors, choreographers and producers have made an indelible mark on Broadway for more than a century. Award-winning producer Stewart F. Lane chronicles the emergence of Jewish American theater, from immigrants producing Yiddish plays in the ghettos of New York''s Lower East Side to legendary performers staging massive shows on Broadway. In its expanded second edition, this historical survey includes new information and photographs, along with insights and anecdotes from a life in the theater.

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Book Synopsis In a career spanning six decades, Agnes Moorehead (1900-1974) was perhaps unique among 20th-century American actresses in making her name in four entertainment media--radio, theater, film and television--after age 40. Focusing on 25 of her most representative performances, this retrospective analyzes her work on radio serials like Mayor of the Town (1942-1949) and Suspense (1942-1962), her stage productions of Don Juan in Hell and Gigi, her television appearances on Bewitched and The Twilight Zone and her Emmy-winning appearance on The Wild Wild West. The author presents Moorehead''s roles in the context of her personal life, discusses her relationship with directors, producers and other performers and provides little known facts about the productions.

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Book Synopsis This collection of 23 new essays focuses on the lives of female screenwriters of Golden Age Hollywood, whose work helped create those unforgettable stories and characters beloved by audiences--but whose names have been left out of most film histories. The contributors trace the careers of such writers as Anita Loos, Adela Rogers St. Johns, Lillian Hellman, Gene Gauntier, Eve Unsell and Ida May Park, and explore themes of their writing in classics like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Ben Hur, and It''s a Wonderful Life.

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Book Synopsis Documenting a theater project for incarcerated youth in a New Mexico juvenile detention facility, this book presents the script of a play about prison life, and interweaves the author''s creative, self-reflective text (autoethnography). The collaborative experience of writing and staging such a play enacted by prisoners frames a discussion of larger social and political themes in the criminal justice system, and of the complexities of getting juveniles to engage with variously positioned mentors.

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Book Synopsis Sir Christopher Lee (1922-2015) was one of the most beloved actors of the past sixty years. He appeared in more than 200 feature films--from Hammer Horror and James Bond thrillers to Star Wars and Lord of the Rings--and more than 100 made-for-televison movies. A versatile performer, he played a menacing figure in Dracula and The Wicker Man, a tragic one in The Curse of Frankenstein and The Mummy, and a spiritual hero in The Devil Rides Out. This study explores his legacy as a film actor and his diverse interpretations of the theme of good vs. evil.

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Book Synopsis Like the age-old feud between the Montagues and Capulets in Romeo and Juliet, the enduring rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers makes for great drama. Macbeth''s career began with promise but ended in ruin--not unlike Pete Rose''s. Twelfth Night''s Viola''s disguise as a boy to enter into a man''s world is echoed in Babe Didrikson Zaharias'' challenge to the pro golf patriarchy when she competed in the Los Angeles Open. Exploring parallels between Shakespeare''s plays and famous events in the world of sports, this book introduces seven of the best-known plays to the sports enthusiast and offers a fresh perspective to Shakespeare devotees.

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Book Synopsis Presenting some of the best work from the 2017 Comparative Drama Conference at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, this collection highlights the latest research in comparative drama, performance and dramatic textual analysis. Contributors cover a broad range of topics, from the practical ethnography of directing foreign language productions to writing for theoretical stages to the radical deaf theater of Aaron Sawyer''s The Vineyard. A full transcript of the keynote conversation with American playwright and screenwriter Lisa Loomer is included.

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Book Synopsis The 15th in a series drawn from scholarship presented at the annual Comparative Drama Conference at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, this collection provides insights into texts and practices currently at the forefront of theatrical discussion. The volume includes various essays on the intersections of script and performance, and features an exclusive interview with keynote speaker, playwright Simon Stephens.

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Book Synopsis This volume is the sixteenth in a series dedicated to presenting the latest findings in the fields of comparative drama, performance, and dramatic textual analysis. Featuring some of the best work from the 2019 Comparative Drama Conference in Orlando, this book engages audiences with new research on contemporary and classic drama, performance studies, scenic design and adaptation theory in nine scholarly essays, two event transcripts and six book reviews. This year''s highlights include an interview with playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and a roundtable discussion on the sixtieth anniversary of Lorraine Hansberry''s A Raisin in the Sun.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments  viiPreface  1A Conversation with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Baron Kelly)  5A Raisin in the Sun at 60: A Conversation (Teresa Gilliams, Nathaniel G. Nesmith, Janna Segal, Baron Kelly and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins)  27Radical Resurrections: A Performance History of John Brown's Body (Victoria Lynn Scrimer)  49Deep When: A Basic Design Philosophy for Addressing Holidays in Historical Dramas (Michael Schweikardt)  63Uncanniness and Alienation in Lisa D'Amour's Detroit and Airline Highway (M. Scott Phillips) 78Precious Resources: Cultural Archiving in the Post-Apocalyptic Worlds of Mr. Burns and Station Eleven (Paul D. Reich)  96Past the Lyrical: Mythographic Metatheatre in Marina Carr's Phaedra Backwards (Phillip Zapkin)  113Infidelity, Adaptation, and Textuality: Directing Late Medieval and Early Modern French Farce (Scott D. Taylor)  130Rectories Meet "One-Hour" Rooms: Williams on Summery and Eccentric Loves (Jeffrey B. Loomis)  148A Portrait of the Krapp as a Young[er] Man: Michael Laurence's Krapp, 39   (William Hutchings)  161Waiting for Rothko (Doug Phillips)  174Review of Literature: Selected Books Simon Critchley, Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us (Doug Phillips)  189Trevor Boffone, Teresa Marrero and Chantal Rodriguez, eds. Encuentro: Latinx Performance for the New American Theater  (Osvaldo Sandoval-Leon)  193Lopamudra Basu. Ayad Akhtar, the American Nation, and Its Others After 9/11: Homeland Insecurity (Mahwash Shoaib)  197Max Shulman and J. Chris Westgate, eds. Performing the Progressive Era: Immigration, Urban Life, and Nationalism on Stage (Patrick Midgley)  200Selby Wynn Schwartz. The Bodies of Others: Drag Dances and Their Afterlives (Alicia M. Goodman)  204David Palmer, ed. Visions of Tragedy in Modern American Drama  (Melissa Rynn Porterfield)  207Index  211

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Book Synopsis Gene Hackman (b. 1930) has been described as the best actor of his generation. During almost half a century as an American film, television and stage actor, film producer and author, he was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning the Best Actor for The French Connection (1971) and the Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven (1992), as well as three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs. This study examines his film work in detail, with a filmography/videography included.

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Book Synopsis Based on years of research as well as interviews conducted with Circle in the Square''s major contributing artists, this book records the entire history of this distinguished theatre from its nightclub origins to its current status as a Tony Award-winning Broadway institution. Over the course of seven decades, Circle in the Square theatre profoundly changed ideas of what American theatre could be. Founded by Theodore Mann and Jose Quintero in an abandoned Off-Broadway nightclub just after WWII, it was a catalyst for the Off-Broadway movement. The building had a unique arena-shaped performance space that became Circle in the Square theatre, New York''s first Off-Broadway arena stage and currently Broadway''s only arena stage. The theatre was precedent-setting in many other regards, including operating as a non-profit, contracting with trade unions, establishing a school, and serving as a home for blacklisted artists. It sparked a resurgence of interest in playwright Eugene O''NeilTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ixPreface 1Introduction: The Plaque (1973) 7 1. Apprenticeship (1945–1950) 11Part I—The Off Broadway Years 2. Alternative Theatre (1950–1952) 22 3. The Off Broadway Movement (1953) 39 4. The Curse of Success (1953–1956) 56 5. Destiny Intervenes (1956) 68 6. The O'Neill Renaissance (1956) 80 7. The Second Circle in the Square (1957–1960) 96 8. Off and On (1960–1962) 110 9. Endings and Beginnings (1963) 12810. New Partners (1963–1964) 13911. Competition Off Broadway (1965) 15412. Triumph and Tragedy (1966–1968) 16613. Nobody Owns O'Neill (1968) 18414. Overproducing (1968–1972) 197Part II—The Broadway Years15. The Third Circle in the Square (1972) 21416. Redefining a Myth (1972–1976) 23017. A Broadway Institution (1973–1976) 24718. Matters of Perception (1976–1982) 25919. The O'Neill Centenary (1981–1988) 27620. A Time to Grieve (1990–1994) 29921. Amends (1994–1997) 31522. A Theatre with Character (1994–1999) 33423. The Legacy (2000–2020) 347Circle in the Square Productions 355Works Cited 359Index 377

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Book Synopsis The volume is a collection of scholarly essays and personal responses that contextualizes Hamilton: An American Musical in various frameworks: hip-hop theatre and history, American history, musicals, contemporary politics, queer theory, feminism, and more. Hamilton is arguably the most important piece of American theatre in 25 years in terms of both national impact and shaping influence on American theatre. It is part of a larger history of American theatre that reframes the United States and shows the nation its face in a manner not before seen but that is resolutely true. With essays from a number of scholars, artists, political scientists, and historians, the book engages with generational differences in response to the play, transformations of the perception of the musical between the Obama and Trump administrations, youth culture, color-conscious casting, feminist critiques, comparisons with black-ish, The Mountaintop, Assassins, and In the

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Book Synopsis Immersive theater calls upon audience members to become participants, actors and others. It traditionally offers binary roles--that of oppressor or that of victim--and thereby stands the risk of simplifying complex social situations. Challenging such binaries, this book articulates theatrical grey zones when addressing juvenile detention, wartime interventions and immigration processes. It presents scripts and strategies for directors and playwrights who want to create theatrical environments that are immersive and pedagogical; aesthetically evocative and politically provocative; simple and complex.

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Book Synopsis The western genre touched on ideals of honor, conquest, and freedom of spirit, and its stories packed cinemas of the early sound era. This volume covers 30 western film series produced from the mid 1930s to the early 1950s. Included are such long-running series as Hopalong Cassidy, The Durango Kid and The Three Mesquiteers as well as those that had moderate or brief runs like The Singing Cowgirl and The Texas Rangers. Major genre stars like John Wayne, Ken Maynard, Tim McCoy, Buck Jones and Johnny Mack Brown headlined the popular Saturday matinee fare. The book contains a plot synopsis and analysis of each series'' place in cinema history, many photographs and illustrations and a detailed filmography.Trade ReviewAuthor Pitts captures the mood of the 1930s, 1940s, and the early 1950s as he describes popular series and explains how stars emerged. Although it was designed to be a ready-reference volume, its narrative strength makes it a good addition to a circulating collection"" - Booklist""profusely illustrated...a welcome and highly prized addition"" - Midwest Book Review""an impressive reference work"" - Examiner.com""a worthy addition to your western bookshelf...excellent writing"" - Western Clippings.

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Book Synopsis During the era often commonly known as McCarthyism, many motion picture and television creators were blacklisted for supposed communist ties. There remained, however, a creative outlet that still welcomed these artists--theatre. This book explores the role theatre played during this turbulent period, covering the formation of the Theatre Guild (which birthed the Group Theatre), the short-lived Federal Theatre Project, and the investigations of the motion picture and television industries, and Broadway, by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Appendices discuss McCarthy''s role and present the memos of investigator Dolores Faconti Scotti, along with a list of prominent witnesses in HUAC''s Broadway hearings, and reactions by artists'' unions in the decades following the blacklist.

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Book Synopsis Group Motion--an improvisational dance performance practice--represents fifty years of co-creation by the authors, with the participation of thousands of dancers, musicians, videographers and others around the globe. Informed by Mary Wigman''s expressionist dance and other contemporary dance and theater traditions, Group Motion has brought dance not only to stages worldwide, but also to public parks, prisons and airports. Part memoir, part guidebook, part philosophy of art treatise, this book provides step-by-step guidance to dozens of improvisational structures or games for dance professionals, theater artists, musicians and other performers who use movement for creative expression.

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Book Synopsis Hollywood, the 1970s. Jason Williams, a former college athlete from very conservative Orange County, hopes to become a film actor in a town where everyone''s looking for a break. He jumps at the chance for the lead in a science fiction parody, an X-rated (later R) spoof of Flash Gordon. Sure, he has to get naked on camera--but so do lots of cute girls. He has no idea the production will be the start of an odyssey that will take him through the highs and lows of Tinseltown, and make him the most known unknown in movies--Flesh Gordon!.

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Book Synopsis British author and essayist George Orwell shot to fame with two iconic novels:?the anti-Stalinist satire Animal Farm and the dystopian masterpiece Nineteen Eighty-Four. A few years after his death in 1950, the CIA bankrolled screen adaptations of both novels as Cold War propaganda. Orwell''s depiction of a totalitarian police state captivated the media in the 1980s. Today, mounting anxieties about digital surveillance and globalization have made him a hot property in Hollywood. Drawing on interviews with actors, writers, directors and producers, this book presents the first comprehensive study of Orwell on film and television. Beginning with CBS''s 1953 live production of Nineteen Eighty-Four that mirrored the McCarthy witch hunts, the author covers 20 wide-ranging adaptations, documentaries and biopics, including two lost BBC dramatizations from 1965.

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Book Synopsis Some people claim that audiences go to the movies for the genre. Others say they go for the director. But most really go to see their favorite actors and actresses. This book explores the work of many of classic Hollywood''s influential stars, such as James Cagney, Bette Davis, Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. These so-called pre-Brando entertainers, often dismissed as old fashioned, were part of an explosion of talent that ran from the late 1920s through the early 1950s. The author analyzes their compelling styles and their ability to capture audiences.Trade Review"The rare writer who writes about acting really well, longtime theater and film critic Dan Callahan can home in on why and how a performance lands, or doesn't. He pays attention to the actor's technique, the actor's tension, the prosody of the actor's voice, all of these being “tells” as to whether or not the actor is truly engaged, or pumping up something artificial to fill in the blanks. This is tough stuff, but reading Callahan is an object lesson on how to do it.[...] Callahan's latest book, The Art of American Screen Acting: 1912-1960, is made up of profile pieces and artistic analysis of the major figures from the silent era up until the moment before the collapse of the studio system. [...] it's a lush and complex look at the art of acting, and how it developed alongside the development of cinema itself. Callahan looks at the rupture represented by Marlon Brando, adding some necessary shadings to the almost universally accepted simplistic reading of Brando as an “improvement.”" - Slant Magazine

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Book Synopsis This first-ever biography exploring the life of Ping Chong (1946), successful avant-garde artist and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, focuses on his valuable contributions to modern theatre. Drawing on primary sources and her own attendance of Chong''s productions, the author takes a broad and informative approach to his work as a performer, playwright and director over 48 years.

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Book Synopsis Who are the most significant gay icons and how did they develop? What influence do they have on gay individuals and communities? This book focuses on the superstars, femmes fatales and divas of the gay celebrity pantheon--Mae West, Julie Andrews, Britney Spears, RuPaul, Cher, Divine, Sharon Needles and many others--and their contributions to gay culture and the complications of sexual and gender identity. The author explores their allure along with the mechanisms of iconicity.

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Book Synopsis Magick as defined by Aleister Crowley is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will. This book explores expressions of movie magick in classic occult films like Hammer''s adaptation of Dennis Wheatley''s The Devil Rides Out and modern occult revival movies. These films are inspired by the aesthetics of fin de siecle decadence, the symbolist writings of Villiers de l''Isle Adam, Wagnerian music drama, the Faust legend, the pseudo-science of theosophy, 1960s occult psychedelia, occult conspiracy theories and obscure aspects of animation.

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Book Synopsis One of the most versatile actors of his generation, Edmond O''Brien made a series of iconic noir films. From a man reporting his own murder in D.O.A. (1949) to the conflicted title character in The Bigamist (1953), he portrayed the confusion of the postwar Everyman. His memorable roles spanned genres from Shakespeare to westerns and comedies--he also turned his hand to directing. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as the harassed press agent Oscar Muldoon in Joseph Mankiewicz''s bitter Cinderella fable The Barefoot Contessa (1954). This first in-depth study of O''Brien charts his life and career from Broadway to Hollywood and to the rise of television, revealing a devoted family man dedicated to his craft.

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Book Synopsis After a meteoric ascent on Broadway that began with Ziegfeld''s 1910 Follies, Lillian Lorraine went on to become one of the most famous entertainers in America. Her passionately lived life made her a prime target for the tabloid gossip doyens of the day. This biography recounts the early West Coast life of this superstar as well as her coronation on Broadway, her work in silent film, and her sexual liaisons that helped her gain her notoriety. It also covers her eventual disappearance from public life, her alcoholism and her death, which went largely unnoticed. She was buried in 1955 in a pauper''s grave. The book includes first-hand personal anecdotes and observations from recently discovered tapes, which were recorded by a confidante of Lorraine''s.Trade Reviewby interviewing some of the last survivors of the Ziegfeld days and carefully combing through secondary sources with a critical eye, Hanson has created an excellent biography that not only examines a fascinating subject but also explores an era a century past."" - Library Journal.Table of Contents Acknowledgments vii Foreword by Richard Ziegfeld 1 Preface 5 1. The Trunk 7 2. The Early Years 10 3. Coast to Coast 15 4. Broadway Bound 17 5. The Promoter 20 6. Ill- Fated Triangle 24 7. The Breakthrough: Up, Up and Away—with Sophie 27 8. Affair of the Necklace 35 9. Enter Bert Williams, Fanny Brice and the Blonde Venus 37 10. The Ziegfeld Follies of 1910—Atlantic City and Beyond 41 11. Enter Nanny Johnson, My Mother 48 12. PR Woes and the Denver Caper 53 13. Anna-Liane-Flo: The Ansonia 56 14. Canadian Getaway 60 15. A Split and Trouble in Paradise 77 16. Ziegfeld vs. Gresheimer 83 17. Catch- Up Time on the Rumor Mill 86 18. Live Reflections 91 19. Enter Billie Burke and the Ghost of the New Amsterdam 96 20. Lillian, on Her Own 102 21. Ziegfeldian Potpourri 106 22. Hollywood Beckons 109 23. The Broadway Fast Track and Ziegfeld’s Frolic 120 24. The Follies of 1918 125 25. Ziegfeld’s Roof Garden and Lillian’s Blue Devil 140 26. Detour and Scandal on the Fast Track 146 27. Marilyn Miller and Frank Carter—Broadway’s Golden Couple 155 28. Lillian Faces Financial Ruin and a Fleeting Comeback 158 29. Dimming Footlights and the Bessie Poole Affair 161 30. End of an Era and Beyond 170 31. Frazzled Silver Lining 176 32. Lillian Hits the Skids—Ziegfeld Redux 181 33. Excommunication 185 34. Final Curtain—Oblivion 186 35. Coda to Lillian and Her Times 191 Epilogue 195 Lillian Lorraine Stage Credits and Filmography 197 Bibliography 201 Index 203

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Book Synopsis Angels in America was one of the most significant pieces of American theatre in the 20th Century. Much has been written on Tony Kushner''s epic drama. However, the National Theatre of Great Britain''s productions of the show are relatively under-discussed. Not only was the National Theatre responsible for helping to originate the play in the early 1990s, but it helped revitalize interest in 2018 with Marianne Elliott''s reimagined version starring Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane. This book considers the role of the National in the play''s history, and how Elliott''s production reframed the play 25 years after the original; it chronicles the tumultuous first production and the play''s successes in London and New York. The book also looks at the key features of the play: its representation of AIDS, its status as an iconic gay play and its searing political commentary. Concluding with an in-depth analysis of Marianne Elliott''s reimagining of the play, this book is a

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Book Synopsis There are numerous publications about the horror genre in film and television, but none that provide information about horror on a legitimate stage until now. This book highlights the most terrifying moments in theater history, from classical plays like Aeschylus'' Prometheus Bound and Euripides'' Medea to the violence of the Grand Guignol company productions in 18th-century France, and present-day productions like Stephen Sondheim''s musical Sweeney Todd, Stephen King''s Carrie and dark 21st-century plays by Clive Barker and Conor McPherson. The book compiles the history and behind-the-scenes tales surrounding stage productions about monsters, hauntings and horrors both historical and imagined. Included are the nightmarish adaptations of popular writings from Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, H.G. Wells, Henry James, Arthur Conan Doyle, and others, as well as plays starring popular characters like Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the InvisiTable of ContentsTable of ContentsAcknowledgments viiiPrefaceIntroduction: Terrifying Moments in Theater History1. Supernatural Monsters2. ­Real-Life Monsters3. Harrowing Adaptations4. Musical Monsters5. Psychotics6. Sherlock Holmes vs. Creatures of HorrorAppendix 1. Birth of the GothicsAppendix 2. The Grand GuignolChapter NotesBibliographyIndex

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Book Synopsis Raised in poverty on an Iowa farm, the Cherry Sisters had little education and no training. But they possessed a burning desire to take to the stage and show the world what they could do--and what they could do was awful. Their unique act was so bad it was good. When the sisters took the stage, they were met with rotten fruit and vegetables, festering meat, dead cats… Riots often broke out after (and sometimes during) their concerts, but they carried on, changing attitudes--and laws--along the way. This book follows the five women through their forty-year career in vaudeville theaters across the U.S. Proud, fearless and fiercely independent in a time when women were treated as second-class citizens, the Cherry Sisters insisted that their voices be heard.

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Book Synopsis A bold and singular collection of six plays by Arab and Jewish playwrights explores the human toll of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: The Admission by Motti Lerner, Scenes From 70* Years by Hannah Khalil, Tennis in Nablus by Ismail Khalidi, Urge for Going by Mona Mansour, The Victims by Ken Kaissar, and The Zionists by Zohar Tirosh-Polk. Rather than striving to achieve balance and moral equivalency between competing narratives, the plays investigate themes of identity, justice, occupation, exile, history and homeland with honesty and integrity. The plays do not take sides or adhere to ideological orthodoxies but challenge tribalism and narrow definitions of nationalism, while varying widely in thematic content, dramatic structure, and time and place. Where politicians and diplomats fail, artists and storytellers may yet succeed--not in ratifying a peace treaty between Israel and Palestine, but in building the sort of s

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Book Synopsis Born in rural Ohio in 1897, Beryl Halley was educated at a strict Freewill Baptist school. After briefly teaching in a one-room schoolhouse, she joined the navy in 1918 before her unlikely path led her to Broadway, then to the Ziegfeld Follies (1923-1925). She also appeared in Earl Carroll''s Vanities and other revues, as well as in films, and had a widely publicized brush with the law (over alleged nudity) in 1926. She retired from show business in 1930, married an insurance executive and had a family, later reappearing in the public eye as an officer in the Ziegfeld Girls'' Club. Making her home in Houston in the 1950s, she worked as legal secretary for a large law firm. Her death at age 90 was unpublicized. Her story is told here for the first time.

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Book Synopsis This book examines the history and influence of the Group Theatre, the most significant acting company in America. Founded during the Great Depression, the Group presented the first plays of Clifford Odets, Sidney Kingsley, and William Saroyan, and launched the careers of Franchot Tone, John Garfield, Elia Kazan, Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, Martin Ritt, and Luther Adler. The intense realism of their performances inspired generations of writers, actors, and directors in both theater and film. After the Group closed, its former members directed or produced the Broadway plays Brigadoon, A Streetcar Named Desire, Death of a Salesman, Camino Real, Bus Stop, The Music Man, Equus, and Yentl. In Hollywood, Group alumni produced, directed, or starred in the award-winning films On the Waterfront, East of Eden, Twelve Angry Men, Hud, Fail-Safe, 1776, Serpico, Network, Norma Rae, and The Verdict. Four of the nation''s best-known acting teachers--Lee Strasbe

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Book Synopsis? The plays of Eugene O''Neill testify to his continued search for new dramatic strategies. The author explores the Nobel Prize winner''s attempts at creating a new Modern play. He shows how, moving away from melodrama or the problem play, O''Neill revisited the classical frames of drama and reinvented theater aesthetics by resorting to masks, the chorus, acoustics, silence or immobility for the creation of his dramatic works.Trade ReviewDubost analyzes O’Neill’s progression as a playwright from his early one-act plays to A Moon for the Misbegotten in the most comprehensive study since Travis Bogard’s Contour in Time."" - Zander Brietzke, author of The Aesthetics of Failure: Dynamic Structure in the Plays of Eugene O’Neill

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Book Synopsis Edwin Forrest was the foremost American actor of the nineteenth century. His advocacy of American, and specifically Jacksonian, themes made him popular in New York''s Bowery Theatre. His rivalry with the English tragedian William Charles Macready led to the Astor Place Riot, and his divorce from Catharine Sinclair Forrest was one of the greatest social scandals of the period. This full-length biography examines Forrest''s personal life while acknowledging the impossibility of separating it from his public image. Included is a historical chronology of every known performance the actor gave.

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Book Synopsis Before radio and sound movies, early 20th century performers and lecturers traveled the nation providing entertainment and education to Americans thirsty for culture. These chautauquas brought politicians, activists, scholars, musical ensembles and theatrical productions to remote communities. A conduit for global perspectives and progressive ideas, these gatherings introduced issues like equal suffrage, prohibition and pure food laws to rural America. This book explores an overlooked yet influential movement in U.S. history, capturing the vagaries of speakers'' and performers'' lives on the road and their reception by audiences. Excerpts from lectures and plays portray a vibrant circuit that in a single summer drew 20 million in more than 9,000 towns.

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Book Synopsis? Eleven African Americans, including a musician, were among the First Fleet of colonial settlers to Australia. In the 150-plus following years, African Americans visiting the region included jubilee singers, vaudevillians, sports stars and general entertainers. This book provides the only comprehensive history of more than 350 African American entertainers in Australia and New Zealand between European settlement in Australia in 1788 and the entry of the United States into World War II in 1941. Famous names covered include boxer Jack Johnson, film star Nina Mae McKinney and jazz singer Eva Taylor. Background stories provide a multidimensional view of the entertainers'' time in a place very far from home.

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Book Synopsis Cripples ain''t supposed to be happy sings Anita Hollander, balancing on her single leg and grinning broadly. This moment--from her multi-award-winning one-woman show, Still Standing--captures the essence of this theatre anthology. Hollander and nineteen other playwright-performers craftily subvert and smash stereotypes about how those within the disability community should look, think, and behave. Utilizing the often-conflicting tools of Critical Disability Studies and Medical Humanities, these plays and their accompanying essays approach disability as a vast, intersectional demographic, which ties individuals together less by whatever impairment, difference, or non-normative condition they experience, and more by their daily need to navigate a world that wasn''t built for them. From race, gender, and sexuality to education, dating, and pandemics, these plays reveal there is no aspect of human life that does not, in some way, intersect with disability.Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsForeword (Calvin Arium)PrefaceIntroduction (John Michael Sefel)Part One—First Person SingularSTIFF (Sherry Jo Ward)The 2018 Invisible Man (Leroy F. Moore, Jr.)An Open Letter to the Usher at the Theatre Who Asked Me if I Was "the Sick Girl" (Amy Oestreicher)RPM (Graham Bryant)Whack Job (Kate Devorak)I Come from Hoarders (Carly Jo Geer)A Performer's Monologue (Connor Long)Why This Monologue Isn't Memorized (A True Story) (Kurt Sass)Tinted (Amy Bethan Evans)Invisidisability (Anonymous)Crooked (seeley quest)Last Train In (Adam Grant Warren)Part Two—Past Is PresentThe Last Reading of Charlotte Cushman (Carolyn Gage)Tales of My Uncle (Monica Raymond)Gramp (Mandy Fox)Dyscalculia (Katrina Hall)Part Three—Alone, TogetherThe Brechtones (Billy Butler)Hiccups (Ben Rosenblatt)Ex/centric Fixations Project (Bree Hadley)The Plague Plays (Bradley Cherna)Still Standing (Anita Hollander)Afterword (John Michael Sefel)About the ContributorsIndex

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Book Synopsis The entertainment world lost many notable talents in 2019, including television icon Doris Day, iconic novelist Toni Morrison, groundbreaking director John Singleton, Broadway starlet Carol Channing and lovable Star Wars actor Peter Mayhew. Obituaries of actors, filmmakers, musicians, producers, dancers, composers, writers, animals and others associated with the performing arts who died in 2019 are included in this edition. Date, place and cause of death are provided for each, along with a career recap and a photograph. Filmographies are given for film and television performers.Trade ReviewA one-stop resource summarizing the deaths of all major individuals in the fields of television, film cartoons, theater music and popular literature throughout the world. Each obituary is well written and concise...a great resource...recommended." - Choice"A solid reference work that deserves inclusion in all public libraries. Recommended." - ARBA"An absolute must...indispensible...informative, thorough, and interesting...most highly recommended." - Examiner.com"Indispensable reference sources for obit information." - Classic Images"Magnificent research tools...invaluable...value packed with data, and written in an engaging, interesting manner that never becomes dull and statistical." - James L. Neibaur, writerTable of ContentsAcknowledgments viIntroduction viiReference Bibliography xiiiThe 2019 Obituaries 1

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Book Synopsis The great nineteenth-century stage actor Edwin Booth began his long career in 1849 as a young teenager, following in his father''s footsteps. This biography traces his life and career as a tragic actor, including his childhood; his early acting tours of California, Australia and Hawaii; his rise to fame as a touring star; his two marriages; his relationship with his brother John Wilkes Booth; his disastrous management of Booth''s Theatre in New York City; and his death in 1891. The book includes an extensive performance history detailing every known Edwin Booth performance during his more than 30 years on the stage, with reviews and other supplementary materials.Trade ReviewWork of impressive biographical scholarship and a strongly recommended addition"—Midwest Book Review"This biography of 19th-century American stage actor Edwin Booth goes beyond Edwin's relationship with his infamous brother John Wilkes Booth to describe the witty yet melancholy Edwin's career on stage and his relationships...contains a wealth of historical photos"—Reference & Research Book NewsTable of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: Biography One. 1833–1849: "Born to the stage" Two. 1849–1852: "A long legged stripling … awkward as a young duck" Three. 1852–1856: "Full of promise … and Bowery rant" Four. Professional and Family Life, 1856–1860 Five. 1857–1860: Booth, Mary Devlin and Adam Badeau Six. America and England, 1860–1862: "At a larger circumference" Seven. 1862–1863: "Tell Molly I'm coming" Eight. 1863–1865: "If it goes a year, keep it up!" Nine. Edwin and John Wilkes Booth: "Life's too short to spend in grieving" Ten. 1865–1867: "Something to keep us above the surf" Eleven. Mary McVicker: "The best actress we've had for a century" Twelve. Booth's Theatre, 1867–1869: "A temple to art" Thirteen. Booth's Theatre, 1869–1871: "The currency of good intentions is not bankable money" Fourteen. Booth's Theatre, 1871–1883: "So much for high-old-art" Fifteen. Family Life, 1870–1880: "My house has been a hospital" Sixteen. England, 1880–1881: "The verdict of foreigners" Seventeen. 1881–1882: The Death of Mary McVicker Eighteen. Europe, 1882–1883: "The most important engagement of my life" Nineteen. 1883–1886: Touring and Family Life Twenty. The 1886-1887 Season: "It is time to harvest all I can" Twenty-One. 1887–1888: Booth and Barrett Twenty-Two. "The Booth and Barrett Social Company" Twenty-Three. 1888–1889: The Second Booth and Barrett Tour Twenty-Four. 1889–1890: Touring with Modjeska Twenty-Five. 1890–1893: Illness, Last Tour and Death Part II: Performance History Notes Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis This edited collection of essays details a wide-ranging selection of some of the most sensationally successful theatre productions of the long Victorian era, the real blockbusters of the age. Ranging from the world of operetta and music hall to spectacular drama and sensational melodrama, the productions included provide the reader with definitive proof that the phenomenon of the smash hit show is not restricted to modern Broadway. This is a world that encompassed the ground-breaking stage technology of Ben Hur, the wide political impact of Uncle Tom''s Cabin and the sheer creative originality of L''Enfant Prodigue. Supporting the star system, productions featured some of the greatest names of the period - Sir Henry Irving, Sir Johnston Forbes Robertson, James O''Neill and Dion Boucicault. This was the very dawning of a new media age, which saw many of the productions transfer to the new world of silent cinema for the very first timeTable of Contents Introduction - Paul Fryer A "Vilely Stupid" Play: The Success of The Passing of the Third Floor Back - Hannah Unwin Mr. Blue Beard: A Show So Spectacular - Danny Devlin "Can a playwright ask for better material?" Bringing Trilby to the Stage - Helice Koffler "A British tar is a soaring soul": Framing the Process of H.M.S. Pinafore Through the Diaries and Correspondence of Gilbert and Sullivan - Scott M. Hayes The Shaughraun by Dion Boucicault - Nesta Jones The Sweet Smell of Success: Florodora as Victorian Megamusical - Ben Macpherson From Best Seller to Box Office Sensation: The Phenomenon of Mrs. Henry Wood's East Lynne - Amy Lehman The Faust of Henry Irving: A "Dazzling Emptiness"? - Stephen A. Schrum L'Enfant Prodigue: A Prodigious Production - Tony Lidington What Price Success? The Blessing and the Curse of Monte Cristo - Cecilia J. Pang Princess of the Pearl Island at the Britannia Theatre, Hoxton, 1866–7, in the Context of Nineteenth-Century London Pantomimes - Deborah Jeffries From Matinée to Long Run, from "Dearest" to Ibsen: The Revelatory Success of The Real Little Lord Fauntleroy (1888–1891) - Heather Jeanne Violanti Uncle Tom's Cabin: A Cry for Freedom - Kathy Dacre The Klaw and Erlanger Ben-Hur: The Definitive Victorian Blockbuster - Howard Miller About the Contributors - Index

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Book Synopsis Best known for her roles in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It''s a Wonderful Life, and Make Way for Tomorrow, Beulah Bondi (1889-1981) had a 60-year long acting career and an interesting on-screen life. Despite starting her professional acting career at 30, she made her mark on the film industry as a character actress. Before making a name for herself on-screen, she worked at the Stuart Walker stock company and performed on Broadway. This biography is the first to unpack Bondi''s life before and throughout her film career. This work also explores Bondi''s early family life in Indiana with a Jewish underwear salesman and a Presbyterian poet for parents.Table of ContentsPreface1. Valparaiso, Indiana: Early Life and Career2. From Stock to ­Stock-in-Trade: 1919–19243. Broadway Baby: 1925–19304. Miss Bondi Goes to Hollywood: 1931–19355. Glory Days: 1935–19396. Bondi's War: 1940–19457. Bondi's Peace: 1945–19498. It Was a Wonderful Life: Later Career and Final YearsChapter NotesBibliographyIndex

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Book Synopsis This volume is the seventeenth in a series dedicated to presenting the latest findings in the fields of comparative drama and performance. Featuring eleven essays from the 2021 Comparative Drama Conference in Orlando, it includes new research on contemporary plays by Anne Washburn, Will Arbery, Matthew Lopez, Anna Deveare Smith and Qui Nguyen. Chapters also present new research for classic plays such as Measure for Measure and Cyrano, arguments for teaching science through drama, changing approaches for training actors, and using the insights of neuroscience to lure audiences back to live theatre. This year''s volume also features a new interview with playwright Anne Washburn and seven book reviews centered on drama and theatre studies.

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Book Synopsis In a career that spanned 57 years, Dan Mason (1853-1929) went from performing German dialect routines in variety halls to appearing in Broadway musicals to playing character roles in silent films. Along the way he also wrote, produced, directed and starred in his own plays. Best remembered for his role as the irascible Skipper in the Toonerville Trolley silent comedies, Mason created dozens of unique and colorful characters on stage and screen. This first-ever biography of the American comedian explores the roots of his craft and the challenges he faced navigating the rapidly changing world of popular entertainment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Table of ContentsAcknowledgments viiiPreface 1Part One: Dan Mason on Stage 1. The Dutch Boy from Syracuse 5 2. The Trouper 11 3. The Traveling Family Man 24 4. The Two Dans 37 5. Broadway 43Part Two: Dan Mason on Screen 6. The Pictures 57 7. The Toonerville Trolley 70 8. Plum Center 81 9. Hollywood 9110. "Characters, Comic or Otherwise" 10111. The Idle List 121Appendix A. Afterpieces, Plays and Scenarios by Dan Mason 129Appendix B. The Crowded Hotel by Dan Mason and Dan Sully 131Appendix C. Dan Mason, Raconteur 135Filmography 141Chapter Notes 173Bibliography 185Index 189

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Book Synopsis A reflection on one of Broadway''s most iconic flops, this memoir follows a musical that featured one of the silver screen''s most powerful personalities. Bette Davis was nominated for twelve Academy Awards and twice won the Best Actress award, starring in classics like Jezebel, The Letter, The Little Foxes, All About Eve and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, among many more. In 1974, the living legend agreed to star in Miss Moffat, a musical adaptation of Emlyn Williams'' The Corn in Green. Expectations were high, but Miss Moffat opened and then abruptly closed, leading theatre gossips to speculate on what went wrong. Early in his career, Kevin Lane Dearinger, a young actor who had recently relocated to New York, landed a minor role in Miss Moffat. Inexperienced and unsure of himself, he kept a journal of his observations and experiences throughout production. He observed the older and more seasoned Miss DaviTable of Contents Acknowledgments Apologia One. The ­Warm-Up: Auditions Two. ­Warm-Up at an East Side Brunch Three. Rehearsals: Round One Four. Rehearsals: Round Two Five. Philadelphia Rehearsals: Round Three Six. Into the Ring Seven. Tending the Bruises Eight. Total Knockout Epilogue. A Brief Rematch: One Night Only Miss Moffat Facts Select Biographies Index

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