Showing titles in Theater

Had I become disenchanted with the form I had once fallen so madly in love with as a pubescent, pimple-faced suburban homo with braces? Maybe theatre was like an all-consuming high school infatuation that now, ten years later, I saw as the closeted balding guy with a beer gut he’d become. There were of course those rare moments of transcendence that kept me coming back. But why did they come so few and far between?

For more than 50 years Michael Green's The Art of Coarse Acting has been essential reading for anyone with a passion for theatre, both amateurs and professionals alike. This acerbic yet affectionate work remains one of the funniest books about acting ever written. It's a "[W]ickedly irreverent" (The Stage) exposé which ridicules pretentiousness, pokes fun at incompetence and disaster and generally lays bare life backstage. Even after all this time it remains true that however much the theatre may change, coarse actors don't.

The History of Clowning: From Ancient Fools to Modern Day Circus and Culture For thousands of years, clowns have made us laugh, think, and even cry. From sacred fools in ancient rituals to the circus stars of the 19th century and the pop culture icons of today, clowns have always held a unique place in human history. The History of Clowning explores their complete evolution, showing how these performers have reflected society’s joys, fears, and contradictions across time. Inside this comprehensive and engaging guide, you will discover: The origins of clown-like figures in ancient Egypt, ...

Many Indo-Malay martial arts are kept private, taught in secluded areas away from the public. These are arts of the older tradition, developed when combative knowledge was valued for its use in protecting the sanctity of life. This two-volume anthology brings together a great collection of writings by authors who dove into the deepest realms of Indo-Malay combatives. They offer readers a rare viewing of martial traditions that is usually hidden behind social shrouds of secrecy and a clannish quest to preserve their own martial art. For the lead chapter in Volume 1, Dr. Philip Davies ...

In this world premiere play, written by and featuring Shakina Nayfack, a vibrant, international group of transgender women band together at a hotel in Thailand to confront the challenges and joys of gender confirmation surgery. Despite the group’s warm welcome, Kina (Nayfack) prepares for her life-altering operation all alone. But a caring nurse (Ivory Aquino), a wise couple (Kate Bornstein and Annie Golden), and a karaoke-loving bellhop (Telly Leung) may be exactly who she needs to ignite her truest sense of self.

In the world of Fringe (or off-off-Broadway) theatre, a strong debate has been raging for years - when you're producing a low/no-budget production, how on earth can you make it happen and still treat everyone involved in an open, honest, and ethical manner? Open Book Theatre Management is the first audiobook ever to show you exactly how to mount a theatre production without losing either your integrity or your shirt.

L'Avare est sans doute la pièce la plus célèbre de Molière. C'est l'un de ses chefs-d'œuvre les plus joués, qui s'est imposé comme l'un des piliers du répertoire de la Comédie-Française. Ce coffret propose en complément : L'Étourdi ou les Contretemps (inspirée de la commedia dell'arte) et Le Dépit amoureux (une étude des sentiments et des malentendus mondains).

Now in a second edition, Theatre Studies: The Basics is a fully updated guide to the wonderful world of theatre. The practical and theoretical dimensions of theatre – from acting to audience – are woven together throughout to provide an integrated introduction to the study of drama, theatre...

Beware the gossips! Lady Sneerwell and her hireling, Snake, are certainly up to no good in this timeless send-up of hypocritical manners. Thanks to their scandal-mongering, the comely Lady Teazle must fend off the slanderous barbs that have caught the ear of her elderly husband - as well as every other gossip in London! What follows is a torrent of mistaken identities and sex-crazed scheming in which the upper classes have never looked so low class.

Embark on a captivating journey through the works of William Shakespeare with "Shakespeare in Brief." This indispensable companion offers a fresh and accessible approach to exploring the timeless plays that have captured the hearts and minds of audiences for centuries. This edition has been updated with enhanced accuracy and corrected errors. Key Features: 1. Succinct Synopses: Each play is distilled into a clear and concise synopsis, allowing you to grasp the core elements of the story quickly. 2. Character Connections: Uncover the intricate web of relationships between Shakespeare's ...

Burlesque: A Living History captures the spirit of this unique art form through hundreds of photographs and stories from many who were a part of America's most colorful past. This audiobook highlights the careers and contributions of selected artists, many of whom were the nuts and bolts of burlesque. It also acknowledges just some of the young performers of today who are diligently working to remember the days of old. When burlesque theatres and clubs went dark, a whole world went dark with them.

From the acclaimed author of The Map Thief comes the true story of a self-taught Shakespeare sleuth's quest to prove his eye-opening theory about the source of the English language's most famous plays. A work of gripping non-fiction, North by Shakespeare presents the twinning narratives of rogue...

The quiet porch of a rest home for the aged explodes with emotion when prim Fonsia Dorsey sits down to play gin rummy with the cynical Weller Martin. Fonsia is drawn to Weller, but she just can't stop winning at cards, while Weller bemoans the bad luck that is ruining his game and has dogged him throughout his life. Tragic yet uproariously funny, this Pulitzer Prize-winning drama examines themes of individual responsibility and society's mistreatment of the aged. A co-production with The Smithsonian Associates and Voice of America.

Whether you’re just starting out or leveling up, this book unlocks your inner instructor and helps you deliver memorable, effective, and fun improv classes. Discover the essential tools and insider tips that will take your improv teaching from unsure to unforgettable!

No one was sure if America was ready for a show featuring nuanced, thoughtful portrayals of Black characters―and the potential fallout was terrifying. But from the first jazzy, syncopated beats of composers Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, New York audiences fell head over heels. This is the story of how Sissle and Blake, along with comedians Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles, overcame poverty, racism, and violence to harness the energy of the Harlem Renaissance and produce a runaway Broadway hit that launched the careers of many of the twentieth century’s most beloved Black performers.

It’s the middle of the night in Tehran when Michael arrives at the apartment of his ex-girlfriend, Shima. He finds her anxiously awaiting a mysterious visitor and fears he’s interrupted a tryst, only to gradually learn that the truth is much stranger and more sinister. What follows is a series of cunning detours in this atmospheric and elusive odyssey that challenges expectations and assumptions at every turn.

Leaving behind a wife and three young children in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare moved to London for its thrilling theater scene, where everyone mixed freely across ages, classes, and ranks. It was through their mutual passion for the theater that the handsome twenty-seven-year-old playwright first met and fell deeply in love with the effeminate seventeen-year-old earl who beguiled men and women alike and avowed that 'desire and pleasure [should] sometimes triumph over reason.'

Kiss me, Kate, we will be married o'Sunday - Petruchio A Shakespeare Society Production. The complete play in five acts...

Acting & Auditioning for the 21st Century covers acting and auditioning in relation to new media, blue- and green-screen technology, motion capture, web series, audiobook work, evolving live-streamed web series, and international acting and audio work. Listeners are given a methodology for changing artistic technology and the global acting market, with chapters covering auditions of all kinds, contracts, the impact of new technology, and issues relating to disabled actors, actors of color, and actors who are part of the LGBTQIA community.

Carey Perloff, Artistic Director of San Francisco's legendary American Conservatory Theater, pens a lively and revealing memoir of her 20-plus years at the helm and delivers a provocative and impassioned manifesto for the role of live theater in today's technology-infused world. Perloff's personal and professional journey - her life as a woman in a male-dominated profession, as a wife and mother, a playwright, director, producer, arts advocate, and citizen in a city erupting with enormous change.