Performer Training for Actors and Athletes
What goes on in the body and mind of an endurance athlete at the limits of performance? How do they relate to the world around and prepare for the task ahead? Offering a refreshing perspective on training in the cross-lighting of aesthetic and athletic processes, this book focuses on the learning, mastery and creative adaptation of technique in performance. From traditional and physical actors to runners, boxers and other sports practitioners, it is about performers: their bodies, trainings and experiences. It interrogates what it means to prepare and train as a performer in the early 21st century.Writing from extensive experience in physical theatre and long-distance running, the author combines insights from both disciplines along with theatre history, sports science and perspectives like embodied cognition and affective science. From the kind of thoughts that go through the mind of an actor or a runner, to the economy and aesthetic of their movement and to how they feel about it, this book sheds light on the performing body and its capacities for action.Topics covered include attentional focus and distraction, affordances and equipment, 'choking' and stage fright, physiological regulation and effort perception, pacing and play, optimal flow and creative improvisation, and intentionality and automaticity in expert performance. The volume presents an informative and thought-provoking account accessible to readers interested in theatre, dance, performance, running, athletics, and sport.
History Hiding Around Broadway
Go behind the scenes of the Great White Way with this illustrated guide to the Theater District's hidden history--an essential book for your explorations of the district from a seasoned Broadway guide. Broadway is one of New York's greatest treasures, and where there is treasure, there is a backstory. When it comes to Broadway, that backstory is fittingly juicy, dramatic, and unexpected. And no one knows these hidden histories like Teale Dvornik, who has been leading Broadway fans on tours of the theater district since 2017. With her immense knowledge and passion for the theater, Dvornik now takes readers on her one-of-a-kind tour of Broadway, "stopping" at each of the 41 theaters to tell us fun facts, lesser-known history, ghost tales, and interesting stories about actors, performances, stage flukes, blunders, and more, involving the biggest names and productions in theater history. Learn about the Tiffany chandeliers of the Belasco Theater, the trove of hidden jewels at the Gershwin (which houses years of history from the beloved musical Wicked), and the impresarios and players who influenced Broadway. Readers will also learn the fascinating back stories of theater myths, legends, and traditions. Where did the stage ghost light come from? What started the tradition of intermissions? Which theaters have secret connecting hallways? And much, much more! Along the way, Teale takes detours to explain stage lingo and dives into some of Broadways most popular shows, including CATS, Hello, Dolly!, and Rent.
It Chapters One and Two
Drawing on critical analysis of film, the horror genre, the Gothic, and Stephen King scholarship, this book considers Andy Muschietti's IT Chapter One (2017) and IT Chapter Two (2019) on multiple levels: as film (both as individual films and through their interconnected narrative), as adaptation, and as a barometer of the horror film's popularity among fans. Key points of consideration include the significance of the fictional town of Derry as a traditionally Gothic "bad place," the role of 1980s nostalgia in these two films, the complex navigation of memory and trauma, gender representation, queer representation, and the return of the repressed. The terrifying figure of Pennywise the clown is central to this analysis, including consideration of performance, costuming, and significance within the larger landscape of the "scary clown" popular culture trope, and through comparison to Tim Curry's iconic performance in Tommy Lee Wallace's 1990 miniseries. This Devil's Advocate contextualizes Muschietti's films within the larger landscape of King's literary and popular culture influence, as well as the debate surrounding "elevated" horror and the "horror boom" of the late 2010s.
Late Star Trek
How Star Trek's twenty-first-century reinventions illuminate the unique challenges and opportunities of franchise-style corporate storytellingLate Star Trek explores the beloved science fiction franchise's repeated attempts to reinvent itself after the end of its 1990s golden age. Beginning with the prequel series Enterprise, Adam Kotsko analyzes the wealth of content set within Star Trek's sprawling continuity--including authorized books, the three "Kelvin Timeline" films, and the streaming series Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds--along with fan discourse, to reflect on the perils and promise of the franchise as a unique form of storytelling. Significantly including the licensed novels and comic books that fill out the Star Trek universe for its fans, Kotsko brings the multiple productions of the early twenty-first century together as a unified whole rather than analyzing them in their current stratified view. He argues that the variety of styles and approaches in this tumultuous era of Star Trek history provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on the nature of the franchise storyworlds that now dominate popular culture. By taking the spin-offs and tie-ins seriously as creative attempts to tell a new story within an established universe, Late Star Trek highlights creative triumphs as well as the tendency for franchise faithfulness to get in the way of creating engaging characters and ideas. Arguing forcefully against the prevailing consensus that franchises are a sign of cultural decay, Kotsko contends that the Star Trek universe exemplifies an approach to storytelling that has been perennial across cultures. Instead, he finds that what limits creativity within franchises is not their reliance on the familiar but their status as modern myths, held not as common cultural heritage but rather owned as corporate intellectual property. Retail e-book files for this title are screen-reader friendly with images accompanied by short alt text and/or extended descriptions.
Summers in Prague
While visiting Prague, Mara decides to do something crazy and hire a male sex-worker. Enter Valcav. Over the course of many years, Mara continues to visit Vaclav and an unorthodox friendship blossoms.
Exit Stage Riley
The Tammy Awards. Every drama student dreams of attending. But to win a Tammy Award, is the ultimate goal. The coveted GOAT Acting Award comes with a full scholarship and eternal glory. All eyes are on the elusive and charismatic Riley Thane to win for her one-woman show Thane's the Thing. Meanwhile, the devastatingly shy Janet has a big secret: she is Riley Thane. To accept the GOAT Award would mean her college career is set, but it also risks exposing her true identity. Add to the mix an aspiring playwright, desperate to meet Riley, a couple of senior divas, two drama coaches battling it out for domination, and more! Can Janet and her cohorts keep her secret safe? Find out in this over-the-top farcical romp.
Mayhem at Camp Marigold
Kat was led to believe that she was heading to space camp (which is totally cool), but when a snafu in registration occurs, she's off to craft camp instead (which is totally lame). Between pottery classes, crochet lessons, and overly perky counselors, Kat is sure that this is going to be the worst week ever. But when a storm blows in and campers go missing, Kat and her cohorts are going to need every crafty skill they've got to survive the night. Cast Kat, she/her/hers, 10-15 Emily, she/her/hers, 20s-40s Mrs. Marigold, she/her/hers, 20s-50s Peter, he/him/his, 20s-30s Viola, she/her/hers, 20s-30s Jenny, she/her/hers, 10-15 Tucker, he/him/his, 10-15 Dalia, she/her/hers, 8-10 Mike, he/him/his, 8-15 Ava, she/her/hers, 8-15 Luis, he/him/his, 8-15 Hannah, she/her/hers, 8-12 Yara, she/her/hers, 8-15 Zoe, she/her/hers, 8-15
Gesammelte Trag繹dien
Aischylos (525 v.Chr./456 v. Chr.) ist vor Sophokles und Euripides der 瓣lteste der drei gro?en griechischen Trag繹diendichter. Von seinen sieben erhaltenen St羹cken werden vor allem die Perser und die Orestie weltweit gespielt. Zur Inhalt: Agamemnon: "Agamemnon" opferte seine Tochter Iphigenie. Die Mutter von Iphigenie, Klytaimnestra, t繹tet deshalb ihren Mann Agamemnon nach dessen R羹ckkehr aus dem Trojanischen Krieg, und ebenso dessen Geliebte Kassandra. Der Sohn Orestes t繹tet daraufhin seine Mutter Klytaimnestra und deren Geliebten Aigisthos. Orestes - und das ist neu - wird daf羹r nicht mit dem Tod bestraft; die Rachegeister (Erinyen) k繹nnen in einem Gerichtsverfahren bes瓣nftigt werden. G繹ttin Athene spricht bei Stimmengleichheit das Urteil (Freispruch). Der Fluch der Familie wird durchbrochen. "Die Perser" sind eine der gro?en Trag繹dien des griechischen Dichters Aischylos. Das St羹ck gilt als das 瓣lteste erhaltene Drama der Welt. Die Perser behandeln den Untergang der persischen Flotte in der Seeschlacht von Salamis aus der fiktiven Sicht des persischen K繹nigshofes. Das St羹ck beginnt mit einem Monolog des Chorf羹hrers, der als Vertreter der persischen Edelleute ausf羹hrlich erz瓣hlt, wie sich das gewaltige Heer des Perserk繹nigs Xerxes I. auf den Weg nach Griechenland macht, um die Niederlage seines Vaters Darius I. bei Marathon zu s羹hnen und die griechischen St瓣dte seinem Reich anzuschlie?en. Darauf f瓣llt der restliche Chor ein und f羹hrt die Erz瓣hlung weiter, berichtet dabei nicht nur von ersten Siegen, sondern auch von der Unterjochung des Meeres selbst - gemeint ist der Bau einer Br羹cke 羹ber den Hellespont, der die Erdteile Asien und Europa voneinander trennt."
Customer Service
While awaiting news about his ailing wife, Sol Green gets a visit from a most unexpected visitor.From Customer Service: Sol: Yes. I learned how to reason and to think logically . . . to have faith in myself. If others want to believe in . . . in their mythologies, well that's their prerogative, but I'm not buying into them. And why should I? If G-d ever existed, he's certainly dead now. He's been dead for a long time.Sol: (Angry, Iam touched a nerve.) I most certainly am not. To suggest I could believe in some fairy tale about, about an old man with a long gray beard who looks down on us, who gives a damn about us, who cares if we live or die, if we feel joy or pain is . . . I'd sooner believe in the tooth fairy.Iam: Even when you were a child he sensed your cynicism. When you got older, you made no attempt to hide it. He knew you didn't like him, didn't respect him, and that he embarrassed you. Right Sol? You couldn't understand how, why, a hunchback--a physically broken man--could, should receive the respect he was given, let alone your mother's love. He was, how did you put it, Sol, "nothing more than a snake oil salesman whose only stock and trade was lies and superstition."
Horror's New Wave
Celebrate legendary horror studio Blumhouse's legacy with this lavishly illustrated visual compendium that takes you behind the scenes of the films that have reshaped the horror genre, from The Exorcist to the Paranormal Activity and Halloween franchises. With Blumhouse celebrating its 15th anniversary throughout 2025, Horror's New Wave captures the company's journey to become a powerhouse in the horror and thriller film genres--taking you through the process of conception to premiere for films like Five Nights at Freddy's, Sinister, Split, Get Out, M3GAN, now-classic franchises like The Purge, and so much more. This definitive "Blumhouse book" delves into the behind-the-scenes processes that shaped Blumhouse's iconic films and is perfect for cinephiles, pop culture enthusiasts, and lovers of horror. Featuring an introduction from CEO and founder Jason Blum, it also includes interviews with key filmmakers and writers like M. Night Shyamalan, Leigh Whannell, James Wan, and Mike Flanagan; actors, such as Allison Williams, Ethan Hawke, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Octavia Spencer; and Blumhouse executives like head of film Couper Samuelson and head of casting Terri Taylor. These interviews explore how each project came together, offering stories and insights into the creative process, such as directing, musical score, makeup, acting, cinematography, and more. You will get a birds-eye view at the triumphs and challenges of some of the most beloved and iconic horror films of all time. This book also includes film stills, on-set photographs, storyboards, creative briefs, and title treatments--giving you a true backstage pass to the making of your favorite films.
Documentary Vision
This book is a collection of personal essays that address critical elements involved in the production of nonfiction films. Written by an experienced documentary filmmaker and cinematographer, the book draws upon practical wisdom to explore the nuances and challenges faced by filmmakers and viewers alike.
Unsettling Acts
Analyzing contemporary theater and performance works about Korean transnational adoption, Jieun Lee's Unsettling Acts: Performing Transnational Adoption challenges longstanding ideas about adoption. Lee contends that in staging adoptees' birth family searches and reunions, theater and performance artists unsettle dominant discourses that have essentialized adoptees through ethnonationalist, gendered, and postwar humanitarian narratives in both birth and adoptive cultures. In doing so, Lee reveals how these performances engage in acts of disavowal of and resistance to mythologies of adoption and adoptee experience. Lee examines twelve works-from South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Denmark-including plays, musicals, solo performances, community-based theater, and performance art. Through her analysis, theater and performance become a means for reimagining adoptees' identity, kinship, and sense of belonging. Further, these pieces encourage critical exploration of the history, politics, and social impacts of Korean transnational adoption. These works thus nurture a countermemory to engender redressive accountability and transpacific justice, pointing a way forward for remaking the transnational adoptee experience in the twenty-first century.
The Darkroom
"One must make films with this knowledge: there's no point anymore. Let film meet its end, that's the only cinema." The Darkroom contains the script for Marguerite Duras's 1977 radically experimental film Le camion (The Truck). Between images of a truck in motion, juxtaposed voiceovers, and cutaways to Duras in conversation with G矇rard Depardieu, Le camion turns the art of film into a means of enabling the viewer to engage multiple faculties--not only the visual and the aural, but also memory, imagination, and desire. Also included here is a series of short essays in which Duras makes provocative connections between film and textuality, as well as a fascinating dialogue with Michelle Porte. Together amounting to a crucial contribution to the field of film theory, these texts make brilliantly apparent the depth and integrity of Duras's aesthetic, philosophical, and political thinking.
Mercy Machine
Mercy Machine tells the story of Morgan Fenster, an idealistic Nurse Practitioner who takes a job in a nursing home and finds herself immersed in a challenging and chaotic world. She befriends Agnes Jones, a patient struggling to maintain her autonomy. When Agnes's condition suddenly declines and she is placed on a ventilator, Morgan finds herself torn between remaining true to her own ethical code and upholding Agnes's last wishes.
Teachers' Day
In honour of wisdom, a grand seminar on 'Man and Divinity' unfolds revealing the absurdity of existence. Inside a lecture hall, professors Max, who stands for knowledge, and Kim, a sceptical spirit judging the same, are pinned against each other in a duel of ideas. Several other teachers are also participating in the seminar. As they ponder over the nature of being and await the arrival of their current-day "KNOW ALL", the ferocity of human frailty comes crashing down. A plane crashes. As the voice of wisdom falls silent, indeed, our constructs become monuments of vacuity. In this tragicomic play, Teachers' Day, contemplates the existential crisis of a world adrift, struggling with futility amid the chase for meaning in a universe indifferent to our grand designs, a testimony to the poignant human wish for purpose amid absurdity.
Projection Design
Projection Design: The Basics explores the concepts of visual elements in live entertainment. It provides a conversational view of the fundamentals of projection design, from production meetings and the elements of visual design to the equipment necessary to make it all happen.This text examines the themes and theories universal to a wide range of topics, to provide a foundation for anyone interested in using video for their live production or those who are looking where to start as a designer. Topics covered include: Methods of extracting visuals from a script and communicating them to production staff Basics of visual design Understanding human perception and how this influences design How to choose the right equipment to build a system With a detailed glossary, basic formulas, and comprehensive explanation from start to finish, Projection Design: The Basics is an ideal primer for Projection Design courses, and will be of interest to anyone entering the field of projection and media design for the first time.
The Anime Archives
Embark on a voyage through a chronological history of anime that explores both the marquee cinematic touchstones and enduring series that have shaped the medium. The Anime Archives celebrates it all, from the Studio Ghibli films that fans queued for at the cinema to the eagerly anticipated Dragon Ball Z episodes, and Demon Slayer's enormous cultural footprint. No icon will be left out.Discover more about the creators - and creative processes - that gave life to these worlds that defined childhoods while capturing imaginations. Composed of thoughtful essays and insights into key artists, dive into the inspirations, philosophies and techniques integral to these timeless masterpieces.Featuring interviews with and retrospectives of renowned names from the history of anime, including: Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy, Diary of Ma-chan, New Treasure Island) Leiji Matsumoto (Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999) Hidekazu Ohara (Mobile Suit Gundam 0080, Night on the Galactic Railroad, Chocobo Racing) Koji Morimoto (Robot Carnival, Children of the Sea, Noiseman Sound Insect) Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump) Rumiko Takahashi (Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha) Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, Angel's Egg) Isao Takahata (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Panda! Go, Panda!, Grave of the Fireflies) Hayao Miyazaki (Nausica瓣 of the Valley of the Wind, Future Boy Conan, Porco Rosso) Rintaro (Metropolis, Galaxy Express 999) Makoto Shinkai (Your Name, Suzume, Weathering with You) Mamoru Hosoda (Wolf Children, Belle, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion Gunbuster, Shin Godzilla) Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Tokyo Godfathers, Millennium Actress) Hiroaki Yura (Safe House Studios, Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance)
Marvel Studios' the Infinity Saga - Thor: Ragnarok - The Art of the Movie
The official art book for the movie Thor: Ragnarok, the 16th title reissue of the 22-book Marvel Studios' The Infinity Saga series published as a resized matching set. The 16th of the 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe Infinity Saga film titles being published as a complete set. Thor's sister Hela, the all-powerful Goddess of Death, threatens the destruction of Asgard, but Thor is trapped on the other side of the universe and must race against time to save his civilization. Featuring exclusive concept artwork, behind-the-scenes photographs, production stills, and in-depth interviews with the cast and crew, this deluxe volume provides insider details about the making of the film. Discover everything you need to know about the making of the movie from all the key players--including Director Taika Waititi, Visual Development Supervisor Andy Park, Visual Effects Supervisor Jake Morrison, the talented cast, concept artists, and other talented individuals who worked on the set and behind the scenes to create the art of Marvel Studios' Thor: Ragnarok.
Let's Put on a Show
The Ultimate Guide to Producing a Play or Musical-- From Concept to Curtain CallWhether you're stepping into the world of theater production for the first time or you're a seasoned professional looking to refine your process, this comprehensive, reader-friendly handbook has you covered.Renowned Broadway producer and six-time Tony Award-winner Stewart F. Lane takes you behind the curtain, guiding you through every stage of bringing a production to life-- from the first spark of an idea to the final standing ovation. With insider expertise and real-world solutions, Lane provides practical strategies to navigate challenges big and small, ensuring a smooth and successful production. Inside, you'll find expert advice on: Choosing the right play or musical to match your vision and audienceSecuring a venue that fits your creative and budgetary needsBuilding your dream creative team, from directors to designersAuditions and casting: finding the right performers for your showRehearsal logistics, from scheduling to troubleshooting common issuesMarketing and promotion to fill seats and generate buzzTechnical production essentials, including sets, lighting, and soundWhether you're launching a production at a school, community theater, or professional stage, this book equips you with the knowledge, tools, and industry secrets to make your show a success. Packed with valuable resources, expert insights, and practical solutions, this guide is an essential addition to any theater producer's bookshelf.
Unsettling Acts
Analyzing contemporary theater and performance works about Korean transnational adoption, Jieun Lee's Unsettling Acts: Performing Transnational Adoption challenges longstanding ideas about adoption. Lee contends that in staging adoptees' birth family searches and reunions, theater and performance artists unsettle dominant discourses that have essentialized adoptees through ethnonationalist, gendered, and postwar humanitarian narratives in both birth and adoptive cultures. In doing so, Lee reveals how these performances engage in acts of disavowal of and resistance to mythologies of adoption and adoptee experience. Lee examines twelve works-from South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Denmark-including plays, musicals, solo performances, community-based theater, and performance art. Through her analysis, theater and performance become a means for reimagining adoptees' identity, kinship, and sense of belonging. Further, these pieces encourage critical exploration of the history, politics, and social impacts of Korean transnational adoption. These works thus nurture a countermemory to engender redressive accountability and transpacific justice, pointing a way forward for remaking the transnational adoptee experience in the twenty-first century.
Marvel Studios' the Infinity Saga - Black Panther: The Art of the Movie
The official art book for the movie Black Panther, the 17th title reissue of the 22-book Marvel Studios' The Infinity Saga series published as a resized matching set. The 17th of the 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe Infinity Saga film titles being published as a complete set. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa returns home to Wakanda to take his place as king. But when two new enemies conspire to destroy the country, the Black Panther must team up with members of the Dora Milaje, Wakanda's special forces, and CIA agent Everett Ross to protect his home from being dragged into a world war. Go behind the scenes with stunning concept artwork and in-depth analysis from the filmmakers in this collectible volume. Discover everything you need to know about the making of the movie from all the key players--including Director Ryan Coogler, Executive Producer Nate Moore, Production Designer Hannah Beachler, the talented cast, concept artists, and other talented individuals who worked on the set and behind the scenes to create the art of Marvel Studios' Black Panther.
Funny Stuff
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection The National Comedy Center and Smithsonian Institution hold unparalleled collections of artifacts that illustrate the vitality and importance of comedy in American life, from vaudeville, silent films, and TV sitcoms to stand-up, sketch, and cartoons. Now, for the first time, these collections are brought together in vibrant photographs and illuminating essays that tell the story of how comedy shaped American history. Written by historians responsible for safeguarding these cultural treasures, the book takes readers behind the scenes to uncover the stories behind American heirlooms like Groucho Marx's tailcoat, George Carlin's joke files, Carol Burnett's "Went with the Wind" dress, Johnny Carson's monologues, and the very first Saturday Night Live script, alongside materials from cultural touchstones like The Simpsons, The Muppet Show, In Living Color, All In the Family, and I Love Lucy.With a foreword by comedy legend Mel Brooks, this dynamic work offers pop culture aficionados, history lovers, and comedy nerds alike a new perspective on America's past and who we are as a nation through our comedy.
Broadway Dreamer
Have you ever dreamed of going into show business? Lynette Bennett did, and discovered joy, heartache, and danger along the way. This is the story of her struggle to break into show business during the tumultuous 1960s-lessons, auditions, and revving up her nerve to compete with hundreds of actors for each role. In time she finds success with commercials, jingles, and on the Broadway stage appearing with the new sensation-Barbra Streisand. She not only appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, she had to turn down a request for a repeat performance. She appeared in Funny Girl, Once Upon A Mattress, Anything Goes and many other shows, becoming a Broadway baby who lived her dream. "While Lynette Bennett's BROADWAY DREAMER is essentially an engaging memoir of a hardworking actor, singer, and dancer steeped in the heady cauldron of 1960s and '70s Broadway, it's also something more than that. In addition to the numerous celebrity encounters and fascinating insights into such arcane entertainment-biz pursuits as "business theater" stage musicals, the book also has something to say - about the choices we make, the trials we face, the opportunites we miss, and the bracing power of true love, which transcends all those things." - John Wooley, TWENTIETH-CENTURY HONKY-TONK
Beautiful Doom
Dennis Kelly's award-winning plays have been translated into over thirty languages and produced on six continents. His endlessly inventive vision has produced a diverse body of work for a variety of audiences across a range of forms, genres, and media, from the Olivier and Tony Award-winning Matilda the Musical (2010), to the Channel Four cult-classic series Utopia. His 2008 play DNA, written for National Theatre Connections, is a set text on the AQA GCSE English Literature syllabus. This collection of essays written by leading scholars, teachers, and practitioners of theatre provides the first multi-authored study of Kelly's critically acclaimed oeuvre. Featuring an original interview with Kelly himself, this volume captures the full range and scope of his writing for stage and screen, from the quirky fringe debut Debris (2003) to the globally-distributed film adaptation of Matilda the Musical (2022).
Great American Sitcoms of the 1950s
With a unique definition of the classic situation comedy television genre as developed out of its history on radio, this critical study highlights the best American sitcoms from the 1950s, TV's first decade as a household medium. Everything from I Love Lucy to Dobie Gillis is covered with a rigorous evaluation that seeks to find this formative era's finest episodic samples that most prove the sitcom's inherent artistry.
Nautanki
Drawing on more than 4 decades of experience working in Nautanki as a writer, director, singer, and actor, Sharma's book is the first major study to analyse Nautanki not only through its literary bases, but also through live performances, considering it both in a historical vein and as contemporary theatre on the ground. What entertained India's masses and elites before the arrival of cinema in India? When did "modern" theatre begin in India and how did Nautanki contribute to its rise? In this book, renowned theatre scholar and 7th-generation Nautanki artist Devendra Sharma examines the theatrical form of Nautanki-its history, organisational structure, narratives, poetics, musical structures, artists, and performance spaces-which flourished in North India in the 19th and the 20th centuries, and is still popular now. In a concise format, Sharma explores how this socially and politically relevant theatre, full of beautiful music, swashbuckling heroes, magic, romance, and contemporary themes, once charmed audiences throughout India's cities and countryside towns and served as the continuation of elements of ancient Indian theatre. This book unravels a critical shift in the history of Indian theatre, the move from unbounded performance spaces to proscenium stages in big cities, and how this changed the meaning of theatre in India. It examines how forces of globalization and modernization have profoundly changed India's theatrical landscape, arguably side-lining one of its most robust theatre forms of the 19th and 20th centuries. It also discusses the future of Nautanki, and how it is now being performed globally. Nautanki is essential reading for anybody interested in Indian theatre, world theatre, musical theatre, opera, and Bollywood.
Theater, War, and Memory in Crisis
Theater, War, and Memory in Crisis explores how French and Algerian dramatists have engaged with two traumatic events that continue to haunt France: the German occupation and Vichy government from 1940 to 1944 and the Algerian War from 1954 to 1962. John Ireland's investigation is guided by one central question: can theater take on issues of violence, war trauma, and conflicted memory in a fundamentally different way from archival forms of culture such as memoirs, narrative fiction, and film? Throughout the twentieth century, French cultural anthropologists, classicists, and social scientists repeatedly revisited links between archaic religious ritual, the practice of sacrifice, and Greek tragedy as attempts to understand, regulate, and mitigate the violence of human conflict and war. Ireland argues that contemporary French playwrights dealing with war trauma and contested memory were influenced by aspects of this research that foregrounded the core virtues of oral culture: presence and the present, the "here and now" that also regulate theatrical performance. That connection to the present encouraged dramatists and performance artists to make "live" historiographical contributions to reverberating, unresolved history but also revived perennial therapeutic values of oral culture that evolved in ancient Greece. Theater, War, and Memory in Crisis brings original readings of canonical authors like Jean-Paul Sartre, Jean Genet, Bernard-Marie Kolt癡s, and Kateb Yacine into dialogue with non-canonical dramatists such as Armand Gatti, Liliane Atlan, and Noureddine Aba.
Stanislavsky and Gender
Stanislavsky and Gender explores the intimate and complicated relationship between the enduring influence of Konstantin Stanislavsky and the evolving phenomenon of gender. It provides new insights through historical research, unpublished and newly translated materials, and contemporary insights from diverse scholars and practitioners.
Slags on Stage
Slags on Stage weaves cultural analysis with poetry and art criticism to explore the concept of the 'slag' and its place in contemporary British-English culture. The book traces the etymology of the word slag through the 20th and into the 21st century, thinking through the ways 'slag' speaks to issues of class, sex and desire.
Kubrick and Race
Kubrick and Race investigates race and racism in Stanley Kubrick's oeuvre. At first glance, Kubrick's films are very white, but his work with race is complex. Sometimes he addressed race covertly, indirectly, in hidden ways, or in the background, so that race becomes a palimpsest that is visible through the foreground story. Did Kubrick repress and deny racial inequities? Do his works condone and participate in racism, or did he represent it as a lived reality? This volume asks these questions, opening a discussion that is long overdue. Operating from a clear understanding of the contemporary context, the book spans past, present, and future, offering readers a chance to witness - afresh - ways in which Kubrick and his prolific work allow one to criss-cross academic disciplines as varied as communication, literature, psychiatry, media, film, and Black studies. This collection of essays opens new routes to and from Kubrick, in and out of the academy, convincingly and exhaustively.
Ultimate Anime
Anime is one of Japan's greatest cultural exports with its films enchanting audiences across the globe. Ultimate Anime celebrates the medium's most incredible achievements and indelible moments to date. Packed with film stills and essays on directors and Japanese pop culture, Ultimate Anime is an irresistible "way in" to the art form for newcomers as well as an essential purchase for even the most hardcore followers of the medium.Whether looking at the ephemeral arthouse tragedy of Belladonna of Sadness, the iconic legacy of Cowboy Bebop, or the genre--busting touchstone of Suzumiya Haruhi, there are worlds beyond worlds worth exploring once a new fan has finished their first Studio Ghibli binge. Written by anime expert Joe O'Connell, Ultimate Anime takes readers on an exciting tour of the finest examples of the art of anime by its greatest creators.O'Connell writes in--depth commentary on each featured film and recommends other films that have similar themes and subjects. He also profiles each film and illustrates them with stunning stills from the movies themselves. This volume celebrates the achievements of the genre's most transforming films, explores each film's creation, the minds that brought them to life, and the thoroughly Japanese culture and themes woven throughout, all while breaking down what makes each of them an enduring classic. Bringing the world of anime to life on the page, this book will help fans old and new quickly find a new masterpiece to discover and enjoy.The defining work on the subject, it is a treasure trove full of surprises for the expert while also serving as an intriguing introduction for the newly initiated. The best single volume on the genre, Ultimate Anime is the book for anyone interested in the worldwide phenomenon that is anime.
The Vatican Versus Horror Movies
Since public audiences were first introduced to the medium of film in 1895, the Catholic Church has sought to impose its will on the distribution and exhibition of movies. These activities include the fortnightly publication of the Segnalazioni Cinematografiche, which passed Catholic moral judgment on every film released. In this pamphlet and in other settings, no set of filmmakers has invited the ire of the Vatican as much as those working in the genres of horror and exploitation. At times, filmmakers have responded in kind, attacking the Catholic church directly and indirectly, presenting clergy as outright antagonists and shining a light on the Vatican's crimes past and present, including its collusion with fascism. Translating the judgments of the Segnalazioni Cinematografiche into English for the first time and juxtaposing them with film content and social and historical context, this book presents in full the cultural conflict between the Vatican and horror movies.
Monsters and Monstrosity in 21st-Century Film and Television
In its entirety, this volume endeavors to examine how 21st-century media presents and contends with the body and mind of the monster. What do monsters reveal about us as a cultural community?
The Way of the Actor
For thousands of years, in traditional societies around the world, actors were seen as the guardians of intuitive wisdom, and the way of the actor was a path to knowledge and power. Brian Bates believes that this is still the case today -- that actors and actresses fulfill an important function in our culture as modern-day seers and shamans. He portrays the actor as a creator of visions who transports spectators out of their habitual ways of being and leads them on a journey of self-discovery. Personal magnetism and charisma, intense body awareness, and psychic sensitivity are among the special powers that contribute to the actor's mystique.Citing the observations and experiences of over thirty famous performers -- including Meryl Streep, Marlon Brando, Glenda Jackson, Liv Ullmann, Jack Nicholson, and Shirley MacLaine -- the author also draws on extensive research in science, psychology, parapsychology, and Eastern and Western mysticism to explore the significance of the dramatic art. He not only shows how the magical world of stage and screen mirrors our lives, but also reveals how actors and actresses point the way to self-transformation for everyone. For, as he writes, "the way of the actor is not an esoteric discipline divorced from everyday life. It is everyday life, heightened and lived to the full, with an awareness of powers beyond understanding."
To the Hilt
To the Hilt is a riveting exploration into the mysterious and dangerous world of sword swallowing, charting its history from ancient rituals to modern-day performances. Cowritten by world-renowned sword swallower Dan Meyer and celebrated sideshow historian Marc Hartzman, this volume delves into the lives of over 100 sword swallowers. Meyer, with his numerous world records and vast experience, provides an insider's perspective that is unmatched, while Hartzman adds depth with his historical knowledge and engaging writing style. Key Features: Definitive compendium of historical biographies Highlights the captivating lives of historical sword swallowers from the 1700s to the present, many of whom have never been profiled in other books. Behind the scenes with modern performers Provides an inside look at the wild stories and experiences of modern sword swallowers, who account for one out of every 300 million people alive today. Expert perspectives Readers will learn from Dan Meyer, the world's leading expert on sword swallowing and viral TEDx presenter, as he shares his unique life experiences and relatable life lessons in his introductory essay. Rare imagery Contains a treasure trove of rare photographs and ephemera that bring the history of sword swallowing to life. Medical insights Outlines the medical risks and implications of sword swallowing through a doctor's essay included in the book, which serves both as a warning and an elucidation of the phenomenon. To the Hilt is a journey into a world where danger and artistry intersect. Perfect for sideshow enthusiasts, history buffs, or those interested in pushing human capability to its limits in any domain, this book will leave readers both enlightened and amazed.
Ventriloquism made Easy & an exposure of Magic and the Second Sight Mystery
