Performance and the Culture of Nationalism
This book studies the intersection of performance and nationalism in South Asia. It traces the emergence of the culture of nationalism from the late nineteenth century through to contemporary times.
Object Performance in the Black Atlantic
By looking at the whole performance complex surrounding African performing objects, Object Performance in the Black Atlantic asks whether there a traceable connection between traditional African puppets, masks, and performing objects and contemporary African American puppetry.
Verbatim Theatre Methodologies for Community Engaged Practice
Verbatim Theatre Methodologies for Community Engaged Practice offers a framework for developing original community-engaged productions using a range of verbatim theatre approaches.
Toward a Just Pedagogy of Performance
This book is a compendium of resources largely by and for artists and scholars interested in engaging in conversations of justice, diversity, and historiography in the fields of theatre and performance studies.
The Simpsons Secret
The Simpsons Secret is a book that will appeal to both hardcore, and casual fans alike. There is no other Simpsons related book that focuses entirely on predictions and theories.
Eastern Heroes Vol No2 Issue No 1 Jackie Chan Special Collectors Edition Softback Edition
After the first successful volume of Eastern Heroes Magazine, it's great to announce the New Volume 2. Issue No1. Softback Edition. InsideJackie Chan the Lost Interviews Back in 1879/80, Jackie made two appearances on The Dinah Shore show, where an up-and-coming Jackie Chan was showcasing some behind-the-scenes of his movie "The Young Master" Along with Raymond Chow and some of his stunt team. He made a second appearance in 1980 to promote his starring role in "Battle Creek Brawl". These episodes were only transmitted once and have since been lost. Darren was fortunate enough to see have seen these in a bad quality archive tape and transcribed both interviews.Also insideFrom Stunts to Laughter Jackies Chan's latest offering is "Ride On". a full movie review from Simon Pritchard.Thorsten Boose will look at The History of Jackie Chan with Horses after the success of "Ride On".The Art of Dubbing: How Jackie's Voice Was Brought to Life Paul Dre looks at the man behind the dubbing.Collecting Jackie Chan Japanese Movie Pamphlets - Mike Nesbitt showcases some of the rare Jackie Chan Movie advertisements.Five Fingers of Discs Johnny Burnet looks at all the new Jackie Chan release.Jackie Chan his top ten cameos - Paul BramhallPlusFans of the 36 Chambers Alan Donkin interviews Paul Bramhall
The Godfather and Philosophy
The Godfather and Philosophy is comprised of twenty-eight chapters by philosophers, who reflect upon the ethical and metaphysical issues raised in The Godfather novels and movies, beginning with the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo and the 1972 movie by Francis Ford Coppola. The Godfather saga has had a profound impact on American cinema, storytelling, thinking about crime, and popular culture. Aimed at thoughtful fans of The Godfather franchise, among the questions tackled in these provocative philosophical chapters are the immigrant experience in America, the relation between ethics and the law, the nature of moral corruption, private justice and vigilantism, organized crime and the American Dream, betrayal and forgiveness, religion and family values, the difficulties of breaking out of a dysfunctional way of life, and the uncertain consequences of vice laws.Joshua Heter teaches philosophy at Jefferson College, Missouri. He co-edited Punk Rock and Philosophy (2022).Richard Greene teaches philosophy at Weber State University, Utah. He wrote the definitive and highly acclaimed book, Spoiler Alert! (It's a Book about the Philosophy of Spoilers) (2019).
Multilingual Dramaturgies
Multilingual Dramaturgies provides a study of dramaturgical practices in contemporary multilingual theatre in Europe. Featuring interviews with international theatremakers, the book gives an insight into diverse approaches towards multilingual theatre and its dramaturgy that reflect cultural, political, and economic landscapes of contemporary Europe, its inhabitants, and its theatres. First-hand accounts are contextualized to reveal a complex set of negotiations involved in the creative and political tasks of staging multilingualism and engaging the audience, as well as in practical issues like funding and developing working models. Using interviews with practitioners from a diverse range of theatrical backgrounds and career levels, and with various models of financial support, Multilingual Dramaturgies also offers an insight into different attitudes towards multilingualism in European theatres. The book illuminates not only the potential for multilingual dramaturgies, but also the practical and creative difficulties involved in making them. By bringing the voices of artists together and providing a critical commentary, the book reveals multilingual dramaturgies as webbed practices of differences that also offer new ways of understanding and performing identity in a European context. Multilingual Dramaturgies sheds light on an exciting theatre practice, argues for its central role in Europe and highlights potential directions for its further development.
Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS(英文版)
#1 New York Times Bestseller THE FIRST EVER OFFICIAL BOOK--Published in celebration of BTS's 10th Anniversary, stories that go beyond what you already know about BTS, including unreleased photos, QR codes of videos, and all album information. After taking their first step into the world on June 13, 2013, BTS will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut in June 2023. They have risen to the peak as an iconic global artist and during this meaningful time, they look back on their footsteps in the first official book. In doing so, BTS nurtures the power to build brighter days and they choose to take another step on a road that no one has gone before. BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes stories of their journey so far through interviews and more than three years of in-depth coverage by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and other Korean pop culture in various media. Presented chronologically in seven chapters from before the debut of BTS to the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a sincere, lively, and deep story. In individual interviews that have been conducted without a camera or makeup, they illuminate their musical journey from multiple angles and discuss its significance. In addition, portrait photos that show BTS as individuals and artists open the book, and throughout there are concept photos, tracklists of all previous albums, and over 330 QR codes. As digital artists, BTS has been communicating with the world through the internet and this book allows readers to immediately access trailers, music videos, and more online to have a rich understanding of all the key moments in BTS history. Complete with a timeline of all major milestones, BEYOND THE STORY is a remarkable archive--truly everything about BTS in one volume.
Diana Dors
Diana Dors became one of Britain's most successful sex symbols in the 1950s and remained a major celebrity until her death in 1984. This book examines both her acting method and her celebrity. It provides a detailed analysis of Dors' performance in a number of her films from across different periods of her career, investigating her versatility by paying close attention to her voice, facial expressions and looks, body poses and gestures in specific moments from her movies. It also discusses the performance of gender and age, as well as considering her later role as a gay icon.
The Contemporary Circus Handbook
The Contemporary Circus Handbook: A Guide to Creating, Funding, Producing, Organizing and Touring for the 21st Century is a guide to creating theatrical performance shows, built on interviews with dozens of creators who have made shows-big and small-throughout their careers. The author's circus background is used as an example to practical steps for any freelance company's operations: from applying for funding, building a team, planning workshops and residencies, to characteristics of successful shows. These lessons are applicable to circus, dance and theater as well as most performing arts. Whether it's your first foray into creating your own major endeavor-or you've got a couple of creations under your belt-you're sure to find advice to improve your process and bring your dream show to life. Includes a foreword by Shana Carroll, co-founder of Les 7 doigts de la main (The Seven Fingers).
Directing the Play
Numerous books have been written on the art of directing from the classical to contemporary times. Many of these works have concentrated on different facets of the discipline of directing such as the definition, history, and development of directing, as well as the qualities, functions, and types of directors. However, areas of directing that have not received much scholarly attention include works that serve as manuals for budding directors and studies that reflect the theory and practice of directing in Africa, especially from Nigerian theatre practitioners. While studies on directing, such as Wainstein's 'Stage Directing: A Director's Itinerary' (2012), Dean and Carra's 'Fundamentals of Play Directing' (2009), and Johnson's 'Visions Towards a Mission: The Art of Interpretative Directing' (2003), provide general insights on the art of directing plays, Emasealu's 'The Theatre of Ola Rotimi: Production and Performance Dynamics' (2010) and Uwatt's 'Playwriting and Directing in Nigeria: Interviews with Ola Rotimi' (2004), document the directorial practice of the Nigerian director, Ola Rotimi. Aside from documenting the directing techniques of key Western directors, this book's advantage over existing works is that it documents the directorial styles of Ola Rotimi and other West African directors, as well as the directorial techniques of directors from South, North, and East Africa. It also traces the evolution of the theatre stage, examines the directorial implications of the arena, proscenium, thrust, traverse and African traditional theatre stage orientations, and engages the notions of blocking, movement, directorial concept and directorial approach.In particular, this book aspires to contribute to the discourse on play directing with perspectives from African theatre. It also fills gaps in previous studies by delving into the notions of theatre and directing, the director's history, qualities, and tools. It examines types of directors, functions of the director, directing principles, and key Western and African theories of performance. It also evaluates the history of the theatre stage, the characteristics, benefits and drawbacks, and directorial implications of the arena stage, proscenium stage, thrust stage, traverse stage, African traditional theatre stage, the use of blocking, movement, and the meaning of directorial concept and directorial approach.
Casablanca
From Simon & Schuster, Casablanca: Behind the Scenes is Harlan Lebo's behind-the-scenes look at the making of the classic movie that continues to enchant viewers 50 years after its release. Published to coincide with MGM's rerelease of the video, this stunning photographic retrospective captures all the glamour and excitement of a true film classic.
An Anthology of Contemporary Bengali Plays by Bratya Basu
This anthology of six selected plays, written between 2000 and 2020 by Bratya Basu, winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award 2021, is the first collection of Bengali plays that blends avant-garde, pop and traditional cultures with contemporary dramatic themes. The six plays, freshly translated into English, each bring a uniquely Bengali and Indian perspective to the intermingling of past and present, global and local, and magical and real in a postmodern pastiche about India today. The collection is divided into three thematic sections: 1) 'Poignant Challenges, Soulful Remorse' examines power in Indian politics, religion, and family. 2) '(In)visible Boundaries, (Un)democratic Choices' explores the relationship among democracy, nation building, and the role of women in intergenerational political struggle. 3) 'Intimately Political, Politically Intimate' navigates queer identity, mental health and the fabulation of modern Bengali life in a 21st-century India straddling the progressive politics that removed section 377 and Hindu nationalisms that stoke new conservatisms.
Writing for Stage and Screen
" Reading and digesting the lessons in this book can be of greater value to an aspiring dramatist than years in an MFA program. Whether you are writing for the stage, screen or audio, this book is an invaluable teacher and guide to have by your side throughout the development and revision process."Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig"This book does what no other playwriting book in my experience has done, it offers a new way of seeing and conceiving how theatre makes meaning and carries emotional impact in performance."Suzan Zeder, Professor Emerita and former Head Of Playwriting at University of Texas at Austin, USACombining a step-by-step analysis of the technique of writing for stage and screen with how the mystery, poetry, and emotional momentum is achieved for the audience, Sherry Kramer offers an empowering, original guide for emerging and established writers. In this structured look at the way audience members progress through a work in real time, Sherry Kramer uses plain-spoken vocabulary to help you discover how to make work that will mean more to your audiences. By using examples drawn from plays, film, and streaming series, ranging from A Streetcar Named Desire to Fleabag to Pirates of the Caribbean, this study makes its concepts accessible to a wide range of artists who work in timebound art. The book also features multiple exercises, developed with MFA writers in The Iowa Playwrights Workshop and The Michener Center for Writers, where Kramer taught for the past 25 years, which provide entrance points to help you consider and create your work.
Broadcast Voice Performance
Broadcast Voice Performance (1989) incorporates the insights and experience of more than 100 successful practising voice performers to succinctly and realistically examine the techniques, equipment and criteria of announcing within the context of major types of radio and television productions and programming formats.
Global Broadcasting Systems
Global Broadcasting Systems (1996) provides a comprehensive look at broadcasting throughout the world. It discusses how new technology and political, social and economic factors influence the global media, and shows how increasing privatization has changed patterns of control and access.
Ernie in Kovacsland
Best known for his wildly imaginative, gleefully absurdist television show in the 1950s, Ernie Kovacs (1919 - 1962) was also a notorious illustrator, novelist, essayist, newspaper columnist, and poet. In celebration of this cockeyed genius and his prolific creative output, Fantagraphics presents a career retrospective featuring never-before-seen photos from Kovacs's archive; excerpts of his magazine articles, columns and books, hand-notated TV scripts: a smattering of his "illustrated profuselies," the wacky improvisational sketches he drew on air; and more. Curated by Josh Mills (son of Edie Adams, Kovacs's wife and a performer on his show), Edie/Ernie archivist Ben Model, and counterculture historian Pat Thomas, the book offers a unique glimpse into the mind of a pioneering comedian. The first Kovacs book to be published in 30 years, this impressive collection features previously unpublished Ernie photos, drawings and writings, vintage 1960s magazine articles reprinted for the first time, and new essays by Ann Magnuson and Ron Mael of Sparks.Kovacs inspired countless comedians, musicians, humorists, and writers in the latter half of the 20th century and beyond. He is cited as a direct influence by the creators and stars of such innovative comedy series as Saturday Night Live, Monty Python, and Mystery Science Theater 3000. An award in his name has been granted to uproarious humorists like Amy Sedaris (Strangers with Candy) and Harry Shearer (This is Spinal Tap). A true visionary, Kovacs's iconoclastic approach has forever made its mark on the world of comedy.
Character Creation
Create Larger-than-Life CharactersReaders and audiences love larger-than-life characters. Think of Hannibal Lecter, Captain Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Bennet, Holly Golightly or Sherlock Holmes. But how do you create memorable story people like this?90% of a character, like an iceberg, exists below the surface. But you have to create that submerged content so that the part an audience sees can shine in the sunlight. Or spotlight.Character Creation is not a 'how to write' or 'how to act' book - it is about doing the background work that enables you to bring a character to life. Here you will find three fundamental character personality archetypes - the primary colours of your character palette: the Warrior, the Thinker, and the Carer. And three 'hybrid' personalities that blend those three - the Crusader, the Artist, and the Adventurer. These six types are all you need to understand to create any character - including psychopaths, antiheroes, and rebels.To guide you in creating the three-dimensions of character - the physical, social, and psychological - each of the archetypes are explained in terms of a dozen key features.To help you create heroes and villains there is detail about the dark and light side of each of the types - and why individuals end up on a particular side.To allow you to develop conflict or romance, friendship or feud, there is advice on which personality types attract one another and which ones will fight.And there is a step-by-step framework for a character development arc that you can use to take your 'flawed hero' character towards a happy-ever-after or a tragic ending./p>These tools can be used to improvise a new character from scratch or to explore an existing character and fill in the 'missing pieces' of their background.Character Creation draws on the work of Stanislavski and Laban, combining this with modern theories of human psychology and mental health to provide a detailed and complete framework for creating larger-than-life characters.
Make People Laugh
Sure, you might be funny; but looks aren't everything! This guide offers an in-depth look at laughter, humor, and comedy. Do you want to be more humorous? Have you ever watched someone effortlessly make a group laugh and wished you knew their magic? Well, wonder no more. The mystery of charisma is finally unveiled, the fallacy of "you either have it, or you don't" has been laid bare. Anyone can learn to make people laugh, and it is not as hard as you think. Observing a couple of surprisingly simple rules, the 7 EASY STEPS take us on a comedic tour-de-force as they explore all the facets of laughter. The lessons and techniques found within this guide will let you write your own jokes as you learn about the how's and why's of wordplay, slapstick, conversational, and beyond. On the quest for a belly laugh, no grin is too tiny, no joke left behind. Understanding the biological imperative to laugh and social desire will give you a leg up when you try to get them going. Humor is one of humanity's genuinely universal expressions, and learning how to tap that emotion and elicit it in others will go a long way toward improving your communication skills in general. YOU'LL LEARN: - Timing isn't an important thing- it's the only thing; How to practice, improve and master the perfect time and place for any joke.- Why jokes work; the universal commonality that almost everything you might laugh at has in common- Why more than 50% of laughter you hear is not in response to intended humor; how to take advantage of that fact- The power of silence and the unspoken joke; physical humor beyond slapstick and props- And so much more! No other guide dares to deconstruct humor itself, look at why we laugh and when, then seek to put those pieces to use, giving the reader the tools they need to pull laughter out of even the driest temperament. Learn to "read the room" and cut the clowning, or crank up the crazy if the mood is right. When you have every style of humor available, you are accessible to fine-tune your sense of humor your personality. Whether your delivery is a bone-dry deadpan or flamboyant, gushy tirade, this book contains all the information you need to take your jokes from stale to hale. Follow these 7 EASY STEPS today and start making merry tomorrow! With easy, practical lessons and simple, fun homework, you will be the life of the party in no time, or at least capable of consistent comedy. When you laugh, the world laughs with you, so start improving your sense of humor today. Like any sense, it will atrophy if you neglect it or thrive when you focus on it. Turn your lazy bones into funny bones, and you will have made the world a better place. Let's get started!
Horror on the Stage
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 Invisible Man, the Phantom of the Opera, and the Woman in Black. More than 500 plays are documented, accompanied by dozens of photographs. Entries include plot synopses, existing production data, and evaluations by critics and scholars.
The Post-Cinema Theater
The problem of art synthesis has been a burning issue for art theorists and practitioners alike for decades. With the emergence of cinematography, the latter's influence on theater was a matter of time. And the first experiments in the synthesis of the two arts confronted stage directors with previously unknown theoretical and practical problems of interaction between the technogenic and "live" components of the production. As a result, there was an objective need to study the conceptual interrelations in a theatrical work based on the interaction of the artistic codes of the two spatial and temporal arts. For a synthetic production to be viable, the process of its creation requires the translation of the "language" of art, from which the borrowing is made, into the "language" of art in which the borrowing is incorporated. This, summarizing the problematic field, means that it is necessary to adapt and transform the borrowings produced, which leads to the question of the importance of understanding and working out the interdisciplinary connections within synthetic productions.
Fireburn the Screenplay
Vigilantes, heroines, or criminals? Inspired by the violent labor revolt of 1878 on the island of St. Croix, Fireburn weaves a tale of passion, purpose, and revenge. "...a visceral experience that would translate beautifully to the big screen...a taste of Caribbean history, drama, and romance," writes Julie Kendall, television and film actress. "...a remarkably identifiable 'hero's journey' filled with the good, the bad, and the ugly of a pivotal time in the history of the US Virgin Islands. Her vivid descriptions, humor, and historical references make this a must-read for young and old alike. As a former teacher for seventeen years on St. Croix, USVI, I can say that Fireburn would create an entertaining experience for any student curious about Caribbean history..." said Gloria Ayot, PhD, Professor Emerita, Eastern Washington University, author and illustrator of children's books.2022 Library of Congress adult book selection for the US Virgin Islands' Great Reads from Great Places
Acting In Chicago, 4th Ed
The NEW complete guide to making a living as an actor in the Midwest.For over a decade, actors looking to launch or grow their careers have trusted Acting In Chicago to guide them.Interested in making your love of acting your primary source of income?Feel like you could be doing much more with acting, but aren't sure how?Live in the Midwest and want a vibrant career without the cross-country move?Considering a transition from LA or NY and curious about the Midwest?Acting In Chicago, 4th Edition is the answer.Recommended by agents and acting coaches, Acting in Chicago, 4th Edition demystifies the question of how to build a rewarding, sustainable, and profitable acting career. Everything you need to make a full-time living as a Midwest-based actor is at your fingertips in this updated edition. You'll just need to bring your talent. Specific information is presented logically so you can lay your path of least resistance through the industry.What if you knew: The seven ways actors in the Midwest make money actually acting.How local casting works, what relationships are needed (and which aren't), and what to expect when you book every kind of job.The right way to get an agent.The best places to get training.How much you'll earn for every job.The real details about the actors' union: when, how, and if you need to join.Veteran actor, voice talent, and teacher Chris Agos shows you a way of building a career that matches the lifestyle you imagine for yourself. No fluff or useless information, just solid, practical guidance written by an actor, for actors. Here's what you'll get: An organized big-picture look at the industry in the Midwest and all the opportunities it holds.Over 300 pages and 18 chapters full of specific, actionable advice applicable to any actor, regardless of experience level.Clarity on where to invest your time to build the kind of career you want to have.Strategies for putting yourself in the best position to explore every chance to act and get paid for it.Proven tips and tricks for self-taped auditions.Learn about creating and maintaining your online casting profiles.Unbiased details on the role SAG-AFTRA plays in an actor's career.Detailed salary information for every type of union and non-union job.An introduction to the ear prompter.Info on smaller Midwest markets, like Milwaukee.Learn how to avoid rookie mistakes with simple (but important) dos-and-don'ts.BONUS #1: Have a child actor?Get answers on getting them into the business. Hello college fund!BONUS #2: Thinking of moving to Los Angeles?Learn how to make the most of your time in the Midwest to make LA actually care about your work history.BONUS #3: Frustrated by self-taping?Get all the answers you need, complete with specific product recommendations.Praise for Acting In Chicago"Just shot my first national commercial and couldn't help but think of all the things I learned from Chris Agos."-Lauren Lapkus, actor, podcaster and improviser."I bought this book when I was a teen in high school. I recently stepped onto an HBO set for my very first co-star. All in all it's a dream come true, and Chris' content helped so much."-Kathy Dorn, actor"Acting In Chicago, 4th Edition is a dream for actors."-Sam Samuelson, agent, Stewart Talent"For an actor new to the business, one who has been around but is trying to up their game, or one who's trying to break in, this book is all you need."-Kurt Naebig, actor, director and teacherPick up your copy of AIC today!
Problem in the Middle:
Ben Jonson and Inigo Jones enjoyed one of the most successful theatrical collaborations of Renaissance England with their spectacular court masques. But their relationship soured over a dispute as to what was most important in the masque: the poetry of the former or the set and costume design of the latter. Wilson argues that the masque is in a perpetual state of liminality, existing in the margin between performance and an observing audience. The masque is more than historically interesting; it negotiates the space between possibility and reality. This book searches for that intervening ground and the resolution of the "problem in the middle."
The Red Letter at the Music Hall
This book reprints and analyses reviews of music hall acts from the family magazine The Red Letter, which was published by the Scottish based firm D C Thomson from 1899 to 1987. The articles under review range in date from 1902 to 1914, covering theatres all over Britain and acts from around the world. The reviews are uniquely detailed and shed light not only on the early acts of comics who would later go on to achieve wider fame, such as Will Hay and Robb Wilton, but also reveal the acts of long forgotten performers. These so-called 'wines and spirits' acts--acts that would never top the bill but who nevertheless toured the halls, sometimes for years on end, such as female impersonator Albert Letine, comedy magician Chris van Bern and female stand up Anna Dorothy amongst many others--deserve to be remembered every bit as much as the top of the bill acts. The articles are arranged in sections, covering race, gender, character comedy, physical comedy, male comedy and specialty or 'spesh'acts. The reviews reveal not only the contents of the acts but also the audience reactions to those acts and prevailing contemporary Edwardian attitudes. The articles are accompanied by their original illustrations, some of which are unique and, like the articles themselves, unseen for over a century.
Billy Rose Presents . . . Casa Ma簽ana
In 1936 as Texas prepared to celebrate its centennial--100 years after the Battle of San Jacinto--Dallas was chosen as the site of the official exhibition. Plans were under way for a modest Frontier Days Celebration in Fort Worth--until Star-Telegram publisher and civic booster Amon G. Carter stepped in. Carter considered the naming of Dallas as the official site a gross miscarriage of justice and was determined to get even by mounting a show that would directly rival the official event--and pull tourist dollars into Fort Worth. To put his celebration together Carter hired flamboyant Broadway producer Billy Rose. The result was Fort Worth's Frontier Centennial, an improbable conglomeration of agricultural exhibits, sideshow nudes, an old-time Wild West show, Rose's musicalized circus Jumbo, and a parade of Broadway and vaudeville talent led by feature artiste, stripper Sally Rand. The centerpiece for this extravaganza was the dinner theater, Casa Ma簽ana, with the world's largest revolving stage surrounded by a tank of water on which it seemed to float, over twenty fountains, and geysers of water that shot into the air at strategic intervals. The building featured over thirty Spanish-style arches, was 320 feet in length, and contained the world's longest bar, a fact of which Rose was inordinately proud. But it was the revue on this magnificent stage that truly made theatrical history. On opening night, Paul Whiteman raised his baton and two bands swung into the fanfare. There were interpretations of the St. Louis World's Fair, the Paris Exposition of 1925, and Chicago's 1933 Century of Progress Exposition. Texas "Sweetheart Number One" wore a $5,000 gold-mesh gown, and Sally Rand wore only a huge opaline balloon. On opening night when the orchestra played "The Eyes of Texas," the audience rose to its feet singing, whistling, and cheering. "Texans," wrote one critic, "are not given to polite applause." The Frontier Centennial and its sequel, the Frontier Fiesta, closed after only two brief seasons (1936 and 1937), the second season cut short by controversy and lawsuits. Rose left Fort Worth under a cloud, informed by city fathers that his services were no longer needed. Undaunted, he went on to become a multimillionaire with almost legendary status as a theatrical producer. But Fort Worth was never again the same after the Frontier Centennial . . . and memories of that festival linger today, even though the buildings were long ago razed. Today a permanent theater-in-the-round, appropriately named Casa Ma簽ana, is located on the centennial grounds. Popular with Fort Worthians, it can only echo the splendor of the original.
Real Boy
After moving to yet another new school and unexpectedly making friends with a hypermasculine trans ally, a gender-questioning teenager must fight back against bullies, friends, and his mother to finally embrace his identity as a trans boy. Content warnings: transphobia, conversion therapy, detransition, drugging, drug abuse"A gem of trans joy in this increasingly transphobic landscape... Real Boy isn't just trans inclusive, it's trans-first. " - Jesse Smith, Transwrites"A close and sympathetic look at the difficulties and rewards in the life of a trans child... particularly useful to parents of young people starting to find that their gender identity is not what is expected of them." - Julian Swainson, Norwich Eye"Rings painfully true. Real Boy follows in the path of traditional fairy tales; it is not pretty, nor is it kind - but it holds a vital message that it would be foolish to ignore." - Robyn Holdaway, Actor
Billy Rose Presents . . . Casa Ma簽ana
In 1936 as Texas prepared to celebrate its centennial--100 years after the Battle of San Jacinto--Dallas was chosen as the site of the official exhibition. Plans were under way for a modest Frontier Days Celebration in Fort Worth--until Star-Telegram publisher and civic booster Amon G. Carter stepped in. Carter considered the naming of Dallas as the official site a gross miscarriage of justice and was determined to get even by mounting a show that would directly rival the official event--and pull tourist dollars into Fort Worth. To put his celebration together Carter hired flamboyant Broadway producer Billy Rose. The result was Fort Worth's Frontier Centennial, an improbable conglomeration of agricultural exhibits, sideshow nudes, an old-time Wild West show, Rose's musicalized circus Jumbo, and a parade of Broadway and vaudeville talent led by feature artiste, stripper Sally Rand. The centerpiece for this extravaganza was the dinner theater, Casa Ma簽ana, with the world's largest revolving stage surrounded by a tank of water on which it seemed to float, over twenty fountains, and geysers of water that shot into the air at strategic intervals. The building featured over thirty Spanish-style arches, was 320 feet in length, and contained the world's longest bar, a fact of which Rose was inordinately proud. But it was the revue on this magnificent stage that truly made theatrical history. On opening night, Paul Whiteman raised his baton and two bands swung into the fanfare. There were interpretations of the St. Louis World's Fair, the Paris Exposition of 1925, and Chicago's 1933 Century of Progress Exposition. Texas "Sweetheart Number One" wore a $5,000 gold-mesh gown, and Sally Rand wore only a huge opaline balloon. On opening night when the orchestra played "The Eyes of Texas," the audience rose to its feet singing, whistling, and cheering. "Texans," wrote one critic, "are not given to polite applause." The Frontier Centennial and its sequel, the Frontier Fiesta, closed after only two brief seasons (1936 and 1937), the second season cut short by controversy and lawsuits. Rose left Fort Worth under a cloud, informed by city fathers that his services were no longer needed. Undaunted, he went on to become a multimillionaire with almost legendary status as a theatrical producer. But Fort Worth was never again the same after the Frontier Centennial . . . and memories of that festival linger today, even though the buildings were long ago razed. Today a permanent theater-in-the-round, appropriately named Casa Ma簽ana, is located on the centennial grounds. Popular with Fort Worthians, it can only echo the splendor of the original.
Livecasting in Twenty-First-Century British Theatre
This significant contribution to the study of the live and recorded broadcasting of stage plays focuses on National Theatre Live a decade after its launch in 2009. Assessing livecasting through the concepts of spectacle, materiality and engagement, it examines the role played by audiences in livecasting. Illustrated by in-depth analyses of recent NT Live shows, including A Midsummer Night's Dream (2019), Antony and Cleopatra (2018) and Small Island (2019), the book is complemented by insights from practitioners involved in the making of the livecasts. Finally, livecasting is contextualized within recently emerged forms of Covidian (virtual) theatre during the pandemic in order to offer some thoughts on the future of the genre of theatrical performance. Combining lively analyses of recent theatre performances with auto-ethnographic accounts, Heidi Lucja Liedke turns to 20th-century thinkers such as Walter Benjamin and Bertolt Brecht in order to understand livecasting's place in a continuum of developments taking place on the borders of media, film and performance for the past 100 years. As well as embedding livecasting in its historical context of 19th-century electrophone technology, Liedke assesses its position in contemporary discourses on the meaning of theatre for spectators in the pre- and post-pandemic moment, and points towards the form's future.
Performing Left Populism
This interdisciplinary volume offers new insights into the connections between populism and performance. As a driving force of the contemporary left, the populist logic offers a way for progressive politics to radicalize actions against the elite, fostering greater democratization of societies at a time of socio-political and environmental crisis. Exploring the populist roots of a number of performances, the contributors to this study analyze the potentials and limits of the new forms of left populism for more democratic ways of living together. Combining performance studies and political theory, Performing Left Populism demonstrates how various performance practices give rise to populism. It shows how both civic performances (including grassroots, civil movements, political speeches, state policies and media campaigns) and artistic performances (such as theatre, dance, music and artistic activism) contribute to these processes. By these means, the book examines the processes of constructing 'a people' through both the real/civic and imaginary/artistic perspectives. Offering scholars and practitioners a thought-provoking analysis of the ways in which performance can be viewed politically, as a social practice capable of mobilizing alternative ways of living and invigorating democracy, this study expands the debate about left populism towards strategies of mobilization, collectivism and democratic politics.
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.
An Anthology of Contemporary Bengali Plays by Bratya Basu
This anthology of six selected plays, written between 2000 and 2020 by Bratya Basu, winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award 2021, is the first collection of Bengali plays that blends avant-garde, pop and traditional cultures with contemporary dramatic themes. The six plays, freshly translated into English, each bring a uniquely Bengali and Indian perspective to the intermingling of past and present, global and local, and magical and real in a postmodern pastiche about India today. The collection is divided into three thematic sections: 1) 'Poignant Challenges, Soulful Remorse' examines power in Indian politics, religion, and family. 2) '(In)visible Boundaries, (Un)democratic Choices' explores the relationship among democracy, nation building, and the role of women in intergenerational political struggle. 3) 'Intimately Political, Politically Intimate' navigates queer identity, mental health and the fabulation of modern Bengali life in a 21st-century India straddling the progressive politics that removed section 377 and Hindu nationalisms that stoke new conservatisms.
Writing for Stage and Screen
" Reading and digesting the lessons in this book can be of greater value to an aspiring dramatist than years in an MFA program. Whether you are writing for the stage, screen or audio, this book is an invaluable teacher and guide to have by your side throughout the development and revision process."Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig"This book does what no other playwriting book in my experience has done, it offers a new way of seeing and conceiving how theatre makes meaning and carries emotional impact in performance."Suzan Zeder, Professor Emerita and former Head Of Playwriting at University of Texas at Austin, USACombining a step-by-step analysis of the technique of writing for stage and screen with how the mystery, poetry, and emotional momentum is achieved for the audience, Sherry Kramer offers an empowering, original guide for emerging and established writers.In this structured look at the way audience members progress through a work in real time, Sherry Kramer uses plain-spoken vocabulary to help you discover how to make work that will mean more to your audiences. By using examples drawn from plays, film, and streaming series, ranging from A Streetcar Named Desire to Fleabag to Pirates of the Caribbean, this study makes its concepts accessible to a wide range of artists who work in timebound art. The book also features multiple exercises, developed with MFA writers in The Iowa Playwrights Workshop and The Michener Center for Writers, where Kramer taught for the past 25 years, which provide entrance points to help you consider and create your work.
The Theatre of Paula Vogel
In this volume, Lee Brewer Jones examines Paula Vogel as both a playwright and renowned teacher, analyzing texts and early reviews of Vogel's major plays-including Indecent, Desdemona, How I Learned to Drive, and The Baltimore Waltz-before turning attention to her influence upon other major American playwrights, including Sarah Ruhl, Lynn Nottage, and Quiara Alegr穩a Hudes. Chapters explore Vogel's plays in chronological order, consider her early influences and offer detailed accounts of her work in performance. Enriched by an interview with Lynn Nottage and essays from scholars Ana Fern獺ndez-Caparr籀s and Amy Muse, this is a vibrant exploration of Paula Vogel as a major American playwright. By the time Paula Vogel made her Broadway debut with her 2017 Rebecca Taichman collaboration Indecent, she was already an accomplished playwright, with a Pulitzer Prize for How I Learned to Drive (1998) and two Obie Awards. She had also enjoyed a brilliant career as a professor at Brown and Yale with students such as Sarah Ruhl, a MacArthur "Genius" Grant winner, Pulitzer Prize winners Nilo Cruz, Quiara Alegr穩a Hudes, and the only woman to win two Pulitzers for Drama, Lynn Nottage. Vogel's theatre draws upon Russian Formalist Viktor Shklovsky and uses devices such as "defamiliarization" and "negative empathy" to challenge conventional definitions of protagonists and antagonists.
Boom Chicago Presents the 30 Most Important Years in Dutch History
"It's kind of crazy, the impact on culture so many Boom Chicago alums have had. Boom was where I became my best comedic self: the excitement of Amsterdam, the freedom of that environment, the letting loose--it's magic. There's no better training ground." --Jordan Peele "Boom Chicago should have ended up on the scrap heap of 'Terrible Ideas Americans Have While Stoned in Amsterdam.' But when you stubbornly love one thing (comedy) as much as another thing (Amsterdam), you just believe they should be together. And here we are--thirty years later, Boom Chicago is alive and kicking." --Seth Meyers "Working at Boom Chicago was an unbelievable experience. Thank goodness someone was smart enough to write it all down! You're lucky 'cause you get to read about THE most exciting, fun, and illegal time I've ever had!" --Amber Ruffin Featuring interviews with Meyers, Peele, Ruffin, Jason Sudeikis, Ike Barinholtz, Greg Shapiro, Kay Cannon, and many more; and a sixteen-page, full-color insert with both behind-the-scenes snapshots and images from live performances. What do Ted Lasso, Get Out, Late Night with Seth Meyers, 30 Rock, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Breaking Bad, Saturday Night Live, Girls5Eva, The Colbert Report, Inside Amy Schumer, Pitch Perfect, Key & Peele, The Daily Show, MADtv, Rick and Morty, The Amber Ruffin Show, Horrible Bosses, Portlandia, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Suicide Squad, Superstore, How I Met Your Mother, Wicked, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Broad City all have in common? They all feature writers, creators, directors, or stars who got their start at Boom Chicago. Having risen roughly to the middle of Chicago's cutthroat comedy scene, Andrew Moskos and Pep Rosenfeld decamped the Midwest for Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1993 to start their own improv comedy troupe, Boom Chicago. In a foreign land with zero tradition of English-language humor, Moskos and Rosenfeld unwittingly created the finishing school for some of today's most groundbreaking comedic talents. They (along with coauthors Matt Diehl and Saskia Maas) document this journey in the definitive oral history Boom Chicago Presents the 30 Most Important Years in Dutch History. From its stages, Boom Chicago went on to launch cultural game changers like Seth Meyers, Jordan Peele, Amber Ruffin, Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Ike Barinholtz, Kay Cannon, and Tami Sagher (and that's just a partial list). At Boom, these young upstarts honed their craft in front of unsuspecting foreign audiences and visiting dignitaries like Burt Reynolds, Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay, Dutch royalty, and the Netherlands's prime minister--all while navigating a world with legal weed and prostitution, annual holiday celebrations involving blackface, cookies with weird racist names, and football that has nothing to do with the NFL. From this culture shock, this collective created a more topical, inclusive, tech-savvy humor that would become the dominant comedy style of our time.
Decentered Playwriting
Decentered Playwriting investigates new and alternative strategies for dramatic writing that incorporate non-Western, Indigenous, and marginalized storytelling techniques and traditions while deepening a creative practice that decenters dominant dramatic methodologies.
Blithe Spirit
"Some of [Coward's] most sparkling dialogue ever... This play is about something substantial - the way past relationships come back to haunt us - but it's the gossamer-like nature of the piece, its sheer levity of spirit, that makes it such an enduring achievement" - The Telegraph When socialite and novelist Charles Condomine attends a s矇ance hosted by eccentric medium Madame Arcati, he's only hoping to gather material for his next book: he never expected to be haunted by his temperamental ex-wife, Elvira. Can Charles keep this willful spirit at bay, or will his new marriage to his second wife, Ruth, come to an untimely demise? With unforgettable characters, witty dialogue and farcical situations, Blithe Spirit ran for decades on the West End, becoming one of the most well-known plays in the British canon. This new edition is published in Methuen Drama's iconic Modern Classics series to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Coward's death and features a new introduction by Arianne Johnson Quinn.
Private Lives
"Noel Coward's glittering gem" - The Times Elyot Chase and Amanda Prynne, recently divorced from one another after a five-year marriage, coincidentally arrive at the same French hotel... where they are both honeymooning with their respective new spouses. Jarred by this encounter, Elyot and Amanda realise that they still very much horrified and fascinated by the other. Frequently performed and revived in the West End, Private Lives is comedy of manners that remains one of Coward's most popular plays. This new edition is published in Methuen Drama's iconic Modern Classics series to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Coward's death and features a new introduction by Simon Stephens.
Netflix and the Re-Invention of Television
This book deals with the ways Netflix influenced the contemporary television landscape and built the infrastructures of streaming. It focusses on various ways Netflix reconceptualises television as part of the process of TV IV. As television continues to undergo a myriad of changes, Netflix has proven itself to be the dominant force in this development, simultaneously driving a number of these changes and challenging television's existing institutional structures. This comprehensive study explores the pre-history of Netflix, the role of binge-watching in its organisation and marketing, and Netflix's position as a transnational broadcaster. Netflix and the Re-invention of Television illuminates the importance of Netflix's role within the processes of TV IV. This Second Edition highlights the role Netflix plays in the so-called streaming wars and incorporates recent research in television studies. It also re-evaluates the companies' incorporation of issues of diversity in its focus on middlebrow television. The book also includes a new chapter on the transnational streaming franchise, networks of texts developed internal to platforms to build infrastructures of transnational streaming.
Motherless Children
When his wife dies young, Canadian immigrant ironworker, Jim Fulton, is left with four children he hardly knows and a neighborhood of relatives willing to help raise them. But his stubborn independence keeps getting in his way as he grapples clumsily with a world changing fast and sometimes violently. Set in the Long Island suburbs and up on the girders of the Manhattan skyline in the early 1970's, Motherless Children is both a riotous family saga and a sobering confrontation with the 20th century white American working class as it struggles to overcome inherited prejudice.
Conrad Veidt, Demon of the Silver Screen
This book depicts the life of Conrad Veidt (1893-1943), the defining German actor of Expressionist cinema in the 1920s. His legendary performance in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1919/20) earned him the epithet "Demon of the Screen" and made Veidt an international star. To this day, Veidt is considered an icon of early horror film. He showed his acting range in more than a hundred films, among them masterpieces such as The Indian Tomb (1921), Orlac's Hands (1924), The Man Who Laughs (1928), The Thief of Bagdad (1940), and Casablanca (1942). Conrad Veidt used his acting career to become socially and politically involved, starting with the film Anders als die Anderen, the first film to advocate homosexual rights, in 1919. After the Nazis came to power, he left Germany to protest anti-Semitism and Nazi rule. Along with his biography, this book provides insights into the development of filmmaking from its beginnings through the 1940s, an epoch of cinematic art marked by technical innovations like sound and color film and by world-shaking events, including two world wars.
Acting and Directing Shakespeare's Comedies
Acting and Directing Shakespeare's Comedies: Key Lessons is an accessible book for actors, directors, students of Shakespeare, and those who want a fuller, richer awareness of the possibilities within Shakespeare's comedies and a clear, pragmatic process for creating those performances.
Contortion and Practices of Body Flexibility in East Asia
This compendium comprises three individual research studies that examine contortion and practices of body flexibility in East Asia, namely China, Mongolia and Japan. It explores the performance art forms Chinese contortion, Mongolian contortion and the Kakubei Jishi lion dance of the Niigata prefecture in Japan which utilizes body flexibility. Common points of discussion in these research studies are the investigation of the history and genesis of these art forms and how they developed in various political and social dynamics. This work further offers vast knowledge about crucial elements such as the artist's training processes, their training environment, the development of aesthetics, symbolism in costuming and body movements, religious themes, mythology and natural phenomena, and costume designs. This compendium includes data from a wide range of literature, material evidence, oral history, current media reports, and considers recent work in anthropology, archaeology, and political history. It, therefore, offers the interested reader, the scholar, the contortionist and contortion practitioner a substantial treatise about contortionism and practices of body flexibility.
I'll Take Spaghetti but Hold the Mayo!
"I'll Take Spaghetti but Hold the Mayo!" is a lighthearted comedy about a young woman named Emma who is a foodie at heart and has an insatiable love for pasta. One day, Emma discovers that her favorite Italian restaurant has closed down, and she sets out to find a new place to satisfy her pasta cravings. Along the way, she meets a charming Italian chef named Giovanni who has a passion for cooking but has a secret aversion to mayonnaise. As Emma and Giovanni work together to create the perfect spaghetti dish, they realize they have a lot in common, and a quirky romance begins to blossom. Filled with delicious food, laughs, and heartwarming moments, this book is a celebration of love, friendship, and the joy of cooking.
50 Hand Puppet Techniques
A Master Class in PuppetryTeachers, parents, actors and students can now learn 50 professional puppetry techniques from a hand puppet master. Learn ancient puppet secrets and skills while playing and having fun! Your puppet will breathe, think, walk, emote and much more after reading this fun and easy to understand manual on hand puppet technique. Puppeteer Chad Williams has performed thousands of hand puppet shows and studied under some of the most prestigious names in American puppetry. Combining techniques from European, Chinese and Modern hand puppet styles, he developed his own system and has taught it to actors, puppeteers, teachers, parents and others at universities and international festivals.
