Dramas Books

I'm not a fan of politics, and I really enjoyed this book! The part with the aliens was my favorite because it, like the rest of the book, took a serious political issue and made it into something more accessible to the average reader. I really enjoyed the way that the author turned even the most boring (or so I always thought) political issues and turned them into a fun, entertaining story that easily keeps your attention from beginning to end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, most especially those who think that politics can't be interesting--give this book a chance to prove you wrong!

I thought this book was going to be about serious politics, and I was surprised to find out it's a lot more than that. I think the younger generations have no interest for what's going on with our government because it's so hard to understand. But this book simplifies everything so it's easy to understand, and also brings up issues that should be more of a priority to our people and our government. There is also a lot of humor throughout the book that makes you laugh out loud, well at least I did. Lastly, it's easy to read because it is in diary form, so if you have to put the book down for a little bit, it's easy to get back involved from where you left off. Great job Patricia Favaron - I hope to read more of your future writings!!

I enjoyed reading this book. The author's thoughts are conveyed in a simple way. Her ideas are seen from another perspective, our very own: a citizen willing to make many changes.I can relate to this great book, and Im sure many thoughts just like her's have crossed the reader's mind at some point or another.

Favarone's book really makes you think how complicated the government has become, and how simple life would be, if we, the american people paid more attention to what's going on around us. I really liked her ideas and found the book hard to put down.

This thought-provoking little book comes packed with big ideas presented in a kind of dreamy way. The details are obscured, but the big concepts punch through, as if through a mist, or in a half-awake dream.

If you're at all centrist, you'll draw back in horror at the possibilities presented by this scenario. Mao Tse Tung had nothing on this girl. It's a lesson in what could happen if we lose our freedom - if the checks & balances in our system are eliminated and we become centrally controlled. We could all become the faceless "Average Person".

If you're far left or right, you'll relish the thought of an enlightened dictatorship, like Singapore only better. One with leaders who are the smartest, wisest, and who's good & pure intentions are realized. After all, who cares about the "Average Person", when the best people can run things so well that everybody is content.

History won't really play out as depicted in the book for 2 reasons:
1) Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
2) The "Average Person" is smart enough to screw up the best-laid and most well-intentioned plans (as economics shows us).
It could play out as a disaster though, rather than the utopian outcome presented.

A very scary book. Read it if you can!

American playwrights aren't good at creating a career of playwriting. Why, I can't say. They write dynamically for a given period and then off they go into putting the holy bible on stage or some such epic. They become mystics, like Allen Ginsberg. Shepard wrote plays for a while and then, I think, Hollywood put the zap on him and he was gone. His occasional pieces today are weak imitations of his former self. Money and fame may be responsible. Who knows? Here gathered in a single anthology are the key works, on which his life's reputation rests. "True West" sets the stage: we have real dramatic conflict, exciting dialog (of the sort last heard in Albee's "Zoo Story"), and high theatricality. The rest of the anthology is well worth reading, but for my money Shepard wrote a fine short play but his long and longer pieces are less interesting. Shepard has said in interviews that he sees plays as an outlet for ideas. The problem as I see it is that he has none.

I like to call this collection Best of Shepard Vol. 1. This collection belongs in any actors collection. Sam Shepard is a true, unique American voice. His eccentric characters, sparse writing and classic plays. I've seen "Buried Child" on-Broadway and scenes from "Buried Child", "Curse of the Starving Class", "Savage Love" and "True West" in countless acting classes. One of America's greatest writers.

This collection of plays is extraordinary. Shepard threads tales of cartoonlike characters bound by the direst of circumstances excellently.

The basic text of the most exciting playwright of recent decades. The place to start when discovering the American drama as reader, actor, or teacher!

11th grade English Essay
Phillips Academy, Andover

"True West"

The play is about the struggle between modern society and more traditional ways of life. Lee and Austin represent two disconnected brothers with drastically different upbringings who have come to accept different norms. Against the growth of the city and the suburb, their spirit of the Wild West, though diminished, still exists. They steal and fight just like cowboys and highway robbers. Yet, both Lee and Austin are scared and frustrated. Lee doesn't know if he should try to blend into the new ways, and Austin doesn't know if he should go back to the old ways. And this play about two writers writing about the West is in itself a Western story. It has all the excitement and violence of a rider's life.

Who else would steal a dozen toasters and TVs? Austin and Lee were lawless and wild, daring enough to do anything. Austin's car is like a horse, and driving out is like going for a raid. "Lee enters abruptly into kitchen carrying a stolen TV set." The sentence has such an air of ease as if Lee entered with a Shopping bag. Stealing is no more than a normal part of Lee's life. He lives off of it, like those high-way riders who plunder by-passers in the old days. The wholesale raid of the toasters shows the wilder side of Austin." It was toasters you challenged me to. Only toasters. I ignored other temptation." He says to Lee after the thievery. These words make Austin sound like a warrior who has just beaten his rival in some major battle. The only irony is that the major battle was about stealing a dozen toasters. Austin is bragging about his lawlessness, and that is a very cowboy thing to do. Not only are these brothers such "professional" thief, they also are more than violent. From Lee "ax-chops(ing) at the typewriter using a nine-iron" to Austin trying to choke his brother with a telephone cord while their mom is standing on the side. It is hard to get worse than that. It is like a misplaced scene from a Old Western movie. Not only do these pair of thief like to kill each other, they also have that independence and individualism that Western heroic images render so forcefully. On top of living on the desert by himself, Lee also says "I don't sleep." , and does not seem to eat breakfast. "Do you Eat Breakfast?" "Look, don't worry about me pal. I can take care of myself." When Austin asks him if he needs any help with money, "Lee suddenly lungs at Austin, grabs him violently by the shirt and shakes him with tremendous power." Lee wants money, but he is going to get it by himself, not through his little brother. Lawless, violent, and independent, Lee and Austin are depicted in the play as the "True Western Heroes" borne at a wrong time. This, however, is only the first layer of the play. It makes the story entertaining, but not meaningful.

"Yappin' their fool heads off. They don't yap like that on the desert. They howl. These are city coyotes here." The deeper meaning of the play is about the difference between the city "coyotes" and the country "coyotes". The country "coyote", Lee, is older, lives on a desert, use to catch snakes, and uneducated. The city "coyote", Austin, is younger, writes screen plays, does not remember having ever caught snakes, and has an Ivy League education. The brothers grew up together, but went onto totally different paths of life. But they don't merely represent two disgruntled brothers, but the struggle between the different ways of life. In Austin's eyes, the place where they used to live is "built up", but in Lee's eyes, the place has been "wiped out". But the struggle is not that simple. At the same time of feeling deep nostalgia, and refusing to adapt to the new way with help from his brother, because "it is too cold up there." , Lee also says the new houses that he saw were "like a paradise" with "Blonde people movin' in and outa' the rooms." Lee is deeply rooted in the old way of life and very unprepared socially and mentally for anything other than roaming around and stealing things. He likes comfort like anyone else, but the life of those living in those houses is like "paradise". They are far and aloft, and are not in his reach. Lee wants to write something to change his life, and Austin tells him that he can really turn things around and buy a ranch. Lee's excitement was obvious, " (laughs) A ranch? I could get a ranch?" We can see that it is very clear that even when Lee tries to change, he is only trying to change back to the old ways. Austin at the end of the play suddenly made a deal with Lee asking his brother to bring him to the desert. This shows the conflict at the other end of spectrum. Austin has more money, and has a seemingly good life. But is he really happy? Is his frustration with life any less than Lee's? No. The society that he has so well adapted to is of little comfort to him. He tries for years to get a screenplay to production, but at the whim of an executive, the deal goes to his brother. Austin is frustrated, and though he types betters, suffers as much. Lee asks Austin "maybe we're too intelligent..... One of us has even got a Ivy League Diploma. Now that means somethin' don't it?" But no, it doesn't mean as much as it seems.

The truth is, the old West as it was disappeared long ago. It is no longer filled with rugged mountains, uncharted rivers, cowboy hats, and one does not have the freedom to roam around for thousands of miles with only wild animals as his companion anymore. The untamed natural world went away a hundred years ago with the railroads, and has been changing even more ever since. It is sad to see the past go by for those who grew up as a part of it. Faced with new situations, some of these people try to adapt, some have no chance to adapt, and some don't even want to adapt. And for those who have adapted, they wonder if the decision to change in the first place was valid after all. They wonder if they should go back. That poor Lee had no chance to adapt. He was left out by progresses, and envies dearly the seemingly much more comfortable life that others have. Austin at the same time is in the mainstream of modern life, but he is just as troubled and depressed by commercialism. However, within all these confusions and fightings, all these differences and changes, there is something that has always stayed the same, and that is the true spirit of the West, the "True West". The motivation for people to go to the West in the first place is also the motivation that made the world more modernized. The struggles that the first settlers of the West faced were no different from the struggles that people now face as they move into new ways of life. That spirit is not limited to time nor place, it is about the fundamental human eagerness for new and for more, and at the same time, the unquenchable ties to the past.

the product was received promptly.

i needed it for my class and had 2 business days before my next class, and it arrived on time.

Ten years later, this book still comes in handy! Everything from accent reduction to improving the quality of your speaking voice is covered in Dr. Crannell's text. I highly recommend this book to anyone who uses his/her voice often- particularly for work. Voice and Articulation would also be extremely useful for a person studying English as a second language. This is one book you need when it comes to the voice and how it is used/misused.

This text has become the guide and standard that other authors are using in updating their books on the same subject! Crannell's analysis and exercises for accent reduction have been especially helpful to me in my work with international clients. The additional material on voice and presentation is of great value for everyone looking to improve their oral skills. The format of the book provides "lectures", vocal exercises, listening skills and practical homework to habituate new skills. This is a real gem for educators, performers or business communicaton professionals.

If there is any one book that can help anyone improve the quality of sound and articulation of the spoken word,this is it!If you apply yourself to practicing along with the tapes you will notice a difference in making your communication more effective. If your in any college studying voice and articulation and do not have this book go and purchase this text and share it with your classmates and professor. You will be glad you did!

If there is any one book that can help anyone improve the quality of sound and articulation of the spoken word,this is it!If you apply yourself to practicing along with the tapes you will notice a difference in making your communication more effective. If your in college studying voice and articulation and do not have this book go and purchase this text and share it with your classmates and professor. You will be glad you did!

Good read for anyone that wants to see what can keep a marriage together for a few decades. Also, great perspective on why they are both of historical significance and should be more praised as icons.

I love Ossie and Ruby. Their story is inspirational. They are true survivors. I loved hearing them tell their story in their own words. It was funny, touching and at times heart wrenching what they went through. They are true icons of not only African American history, but American history.

I am so glad I read Ruby Dee's biography on the internet or I would have never known that she and her (late) husband, Ossie Davis, had written memoirs together, recounting their 50(+) year relationship. This book is a combination of genuinely warm and humorous passages, as well as insightful, deeply profound and moving chapters. They literally have a dialogue together, at some points of the book, even gently (and not so gently) correcting each other on stories and minute details that the other omitted.

Not only is this book wonderful from an historic point of view (it delves into the Civil Rights Movement and Dee's and Davis' role in that, as well as their experiences with racism, discrimination and the struggle to succeed in their craft, as actors of color--particularly African-American actors), but we also get a sense of how these two great individuals came to be the amazing actors/writers/producers/directors that we know today. While Dee always knew she was going to be on stage, Davis was initially going to become a playwright (though, fate had different plans). Together, they had children, grandchildren, and multitudes of life adventures (with plenty of bumps and u-turns along the way). Some may be surprised (and shocked) by the fact that Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis had an open marriage, when their jobs took them on the road and away from each other. Surprisingly, this brought them closer together. This was unexpected, to me, and it was intriguing to read their take on that (controversial) marriage choice that they made mutually.

I really reccomend this book, and I think more people should know about it. These people are legends in their craft, and they are not only wonderful actors, but very talented writers. I look forward to reading Ruby Dee's "My One Good Nerve" from which she adapted a touring show by the same name, in 1996.

I just had the pleasure of reading this marvelous book. This book is done with class and shows celebrities do not have to write memoirs that are full of trash. I have always loved Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. I have always said people who have been married for many years usually have had many ups and downs in their relationships. It just goes to show if you have faith and are not willing to give up easily you can have a relationship of longevity and is an inspiration to others. An excellent book. They may have made mistakes but in the end they are truly role models. My heart and prayers go out to Ruby Dee in the loss of her lover, friend and colleauge Ossie Davies. Ossie Davis and Ruby together were a class act and they have written a celebrity memoir with class.

Legendary husband and wife actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee tell, with much seriousness, whimsy and candor, their respective humble beginnings, their ultimate meeting and romance in the theater, and the struggles they faced as actors, as well as African-Americans in a time of civil and political change. Though they both sought success on the stage and screen, they were also influential in achieving rights for actors, as well as African-American during the Civil Rights Movement.

The pair mingled with the powerful on the Broadway stage (Howard da Silva, Lorraine Hansbury, etc.), rising stars of the movies (Sidney Poitier, Marlon Brando, John Cassavettes, Richard Widmark, to cite a few), and political powerhouses like Paul Robeson, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Never afraid to voice their political views, the pair even became "persons of interest" during the Communist "witch hunts" of the fifties.

Davis and Dee also reveal interesting tidbits about their married life. Speaking of their "open marriage" is quite a surprise but as one reads on, it is discovered that "infidelity" was not something that was not the norm, just an understanding that should something occur outside the bonds of marriage, it would be honestly admitted.

The book's format allows each of the actors to reveal his/her take on common events in their lives. Both come across as truly unique yet complimentary and complementary of the other.

An informative appendix at the book's end provides the reader with all the theatrical, television, and stage productions, along with audio performances, made by them individually or together. Of course, it is incomplete, considering that that book was published six years ago, and both have had additional performances to add to their lengthy career.

Even though Ossie has since passed on, this reminiscence is a fitting tribute to him, as well as homage to both their marriage and their talents as thespians.

This is an excellent CD. Mary Oliver's reading voice is very interesting and adds an addition dimension to her wonderful poems. They also don't mess up the simplicity of her reading voice with background music or any other distractions. It's about 40 poems, drawn from various books.

The DVD itself is technically a little wanting -- the recordings of the poet reading clearly come from a variety of different events and are patched together with varying levels of care. However, the poems are beautiful and it is a joy to hear Oliver's voice speaking them.

Listening to Mary Oliver read her own poetry is a joyful, serene experience. "Wild Geese" is one poem that I could hear several times each day. I am grounded by listening to Mary Oliver.

A wonderful collection from a wonderful career - and hopefully there are many more collections to come.
Sound quality is generally extremely good, 'though one or two tracks seem to be down on level, but hearing the poet read her own work gives the listener/reader that added benefit.
Essential listening.

Mary Oliver is certainly one of our finest contemporary poets. Her terse and sparse use of language in effect widens our horizons as we readers are able to expand our vision through her creative work.
This CD has ample examples of her poetry, from several different volumes, and the listener can accompany the readings with personal copies of the published works. Oliver's ability to use the natural settings of her New England environment to state something profound about the human condition is one of her gifts. To see in the ordinary what is unforgettable, is another. Her language is visual, so that we see what she describes in new ways. This collection of poems, read by the poet, is a classic and one to be treasured and listened to over and over.

This is a great read especially for people who LOVE espresso. This book makes me want to live in the mountains of Washington and open an espresso/gift shop. The journal entries are simple, funny, and fun to read. I highly recommend this book and am looking for a similar read since I am 3/4 done with this book.

What an INCREDIBLE read!!!! Gals and guys alike will enjoy this book!! I even gave it to my husband to read after I was finished and he's been laughing with it and sharing some of these fabulous stories with his co-workers (all male by the way). Truly an amazing, wonderful, joyful read -You will not want it to end - I surely didn't!! When you start reading this, plan on spending a great deal of time because you're going to be HOOKED!!

To all (men & women) everywhere. You will relate to this laugh a minute book about the Barista challenges/stalkers, hilarious male/female issues.
Real life, honest to a fault, too funny for words. You don't want to put down and you can't wait to see what antics the next day holds.
Recommend recommend recommend.
This would make a #1 top selling MOVIE! Sandra Bullock is the ONLY one who could do it justice.
Fun fun fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A good beach read! Christy is a survivor who has faced life's challenges and the many colorful characters she has encountered with honesty, self-reflection and humor. What a gal!

It's a chick book, but if your not to thin skinned it's funny and a lot of fun for a guy too. Christy tells it the way she sees it and I'm sure the gals love it and if you just look at the humor in it a guy can laugh at what she has to say also.

I remember in the film "My Dinner With Andre," the character played by Andre Gregory puts to his dinner guest the question of what it is that these grim, depressing plays actually do for the modern audience. His take was that they merely confirm the meaninglessness of life that the audience already knows, recognizes and suffers helplessly. "Bash" is exciting and breath-taking in the sense that it is exhilaratingly grim, thoroughly and, therefore memorably, shocking in the sense, perhaps, that one doesn't normally see in the theatre such gruesome acts. But in life they happen everyday - just read the local paper. And so one wonders what such "art" does for the people who watch or read. I don't have the answer. My guess is that we may be horrified by what has been said or shown or described, but I am pleased by the artfulness with which it has been depicted. I like the acting, the lighting, the sets, the music. That gesture, that moan, that cry: it all gives me pleasure. It pleases me to see the horror shown in the theatre because I know it is not real. I suspect that the author gets a kick out of it, too.

Never had a play truly made my stomach turn, but in the first act, in the first small play, it did just that, and pretty much continued at that rate and speed throughout. This interesting understanding of suffering and sacrifice for corporate America, for idealism, for religion, it's the plays that nearly got it's writer, excommunicated from the church. I don't see why, but I do see a great playwright, whose plays are not getting the attention they truly deserve.

Labute in these three vignettes is remarkably daring, but in ways that in critical discussion are generally ignored. His negativity or "depressing," non-cheery outlook is all that's usually singled out. What is missed is the continuity he establishes between seemingly "cool," emotionally minimalist, postmodern Americans and those anarchic passions of vengefulness, monstrous ambition, and macho rage which motivated the characters in Greek tragedies.
The necessary adjustments being made,the murderous Medea comes back to life in the first of these short pieces, and the equivalent of the daughter-sacrificing Agamennon does the same in the second. The third, perhaps the most shocking of all, features a mad Ajax-like murderer filled with macho rage who's hidden under the sweet-faced normality of the boy next door. Unlike the safe, conventional "American Beauty," whose gay basher was an over-the-top, stereotypical Marine, in "Bash" Labute really does "push the envelope" by making his violent homophobe an otherwise nice,comely, seemingly ideal young Mormon.
Each week, new plays appear which are described in the papers as truly provocative, daring pieces which challenge stale convention. Most of them, however, are only meant to challenge viewers in some mythical Midwest hick town while complacently reasserting the shared assumptions of with-it audiences in the big cities. Labute, on the other hand, actually calls such procedures into question, writing works which really are subversive of complacency. It's no wonder he's currently undervalued.

This is an incredible play. I think that the Mormon culture is fascinating--actually, I think that any sub-culture that is quirky and not accessible to everyone is fascinating. I live in Utah, and I've noticed that there isn't much media out there that develops the quirky Mormon culture. Most of the stuff available is either "faith promoting," or "bashing," and neither of those extremes really gets into any of the interesting parts of the culture.

Enter Neil Labute--he sets some very interesting stories in the quirky Mormon culture. They aren't faith promoting--they aren't negative toward Mormons...they're just stories set in a quirky Mormon culture.

This isn't a "slice of Mormon life." It is, as I've heard people say, "Good people who happen to do bad things," even though that grossly oversimplifies these stories. The stories are fantastic, and they have the typical Labute macabre.

I suspected that Labute could do Mormons well after the interesting discussion of pornography that he included in "The Shape of Things." But, I was pleasantly surprised by how well he wrote Mormons in a book dedicated to them.

Technical stuff--The book is tiny: 96 pages, and small. Two of the three plays are monologues, and the other is a two-person play. It doesn't have your typical play notes, like "[The lights dim....a bottle breaks in the background]." These "plays" are 100% dialogue.

I knew it would be good, but after reading this book, I'm going to buy all of Labute's plays that are available on amazon.

Bash is three short pieces, two monologues separated by a two hander. All three are surprising in their evolution, as each involves a gradual revelation from the characters in confidence with their "audience." The first piece, Iphigenia in Orem, is about a business man who confides in a stranger a terrible secret. This piece left me shocked and mining the logic of action and the susceptability one has to suggestion. The second piece, A Gaggle of Saints is a disturbing tale of a weekend trip to Manhatten by several Bostonians for a party, which culminates in a vile violent "night cap." The third, Medea Redux is a heart breaking story of young woman's spun world, as she speaks into a recorder inside a mental institution/asylum.
Each piece evokes the violence and sacrifice and desparation of Euripedes plays in a modern sense. The shock and unbelievability of these peoples actions are not lost on them, as they struggle with reason or in A Gaggles of Saints case, bask in it.

Not being an avid reader or attender of stage plays, I had never heard of Christopher Durang until five or six years ago, when I stumbled upon a cable-produced adaptation of his play "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You." Irreverent humor lampooning religious belief systems is a favorite genre of mine, along with gun-wielding nuns, so I wasted no time in picking up this collection of short plays.

While Durang is basically a humorist, many of his plays involve the lampooning of other plays. This can be a detriment to a reader who, like me, is unable to pick out the subtle stabs at the set design and dialog patterns of other well known playwrites. But it is a minor stumbling block, and not a mjor obstacle to enjoy Durang's offbeat sense of humor.

If you aren't hip to the stage scene, but still enjoy humor with an edge, do what I did. Pick up this collection for "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You", then peruse the rest with an open mind.

After reading this book, I fell in love with it and am determined to be the proud owner of every single thing Christopher Durang has EVER written! I think he is the most brillian playwright alive, I absolutely idolize him, I'm applying to the college he is a professor at in the hopes of getting a class with him. His plays are so amazing and clever and witty and insightful, I'm directing 'Wanda's Visit' next year and am so enthusiastic about it that I've already blocked and lighted the entire thing. Would be an absolute dream for anyone to direct or perform in any of his works, I highly recommend anything he's ever written. Ever.

Christopher Durang was the playwright of choice for my high school speech team when it came to picking pieces for ensembles or duos. Many will most likely see why after reading some of the one-acts in this brilliant collection. These one-acts include:

A Stye of the Eye- Jake is a hillbilly in his thirties. He is, in the words of Durang, a "rage-a-holic". Infuriated by his actress wife's latest play, Agnes is Odd, where she plays an insane nun who babbles incoherently in Latin, he freaks out and supposedly kills her, only for his "good" brother Frankie to find out that she's not really dead, and then she falls in love with him. Jake finds out, explodes and kills his brother for cheating with his wife. The only catch is, Frankie and Jake are not really brothers, they are two sides of the same person.

Naomi in the Living Room- Naomi is an eccentric woman, who likes to give tours of her house, even to her son John, who used to live there, and his wife Johnna.

Business Lunch at the Russian Tea Room- Melissa is a Hollywood agent with a lot of outlandish ideas. She's heard from others that this guy named Chris is a great writer, and she tries to sell him on the idea of writing a screenplay, either a remake of Cruising/Bugsy Malone, or a story about a priest and a rabbi who fall in love, and then, both get sex changes, unbeknownst to each other.

DMV Tyrant- James Agnes' temporary license has expired so he must pay a visit to the Division of Motor Vehicles, where he comes face to face with a DMV lady from Hell.

Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All- Sister Mary is a crazy nun (insanity and eccentricity seem to be a running motif for Durang) who gives lectures on Heaven and Hell, and fires guns in church.

Other one-acts in this collection are 1-900-Desperate; Mrs. Sorken; Funeral Parlor; John and Mary Doe; For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls; Medea; Nina in the Morning; Canker Sores and Other Distractions; The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From; Wanda's Visit; The Book of Leviticus Show; Woman Stand-up; Women in a Playground; Phyllis & Xenobia; Desire, Desire, Desire; One Minute Play; Diversions; The Nature and Purpose of the Universe; 'dentity Crisis; Death Comes to Us All, Mary Agnes; Titanic and The Actor's Nightmare.

When I was a senior in high school (way back in '97), I took a class called "Dramatic Text and Performance." In previous years, the class had read and performed morality plays and classical drama, but our professor picked this book as our text for the semester. Never before or since have I laughed so hard in any class. I just wish I had stolen the textbook when I had the chance!

I loved this book. It is a wonderful collection of Durang's plays, though not my absolute favorites. I loved Beyond Therapy, and I think some of these plays could be worked into longer ones, though I'm not sure whether they'll be very funny then. If you liked this book, I also recommend Take Ten: New 10-Minute Plays, edited by Eric Lane. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

As a beginner in the world of theatre and stage combat, this book has helped me more than any other text out there. Anyone who hopes to stage a fight in ANY production should read this first AND THEN keep it around throughout rehearsals! Its insightful tips are like having someone there to help you along your way, keeping you focused on what is important : safe and effective dramatic storytelling through combat. Balancing level-headed practicality with clear artistic vision, it can be understood and enjoyed by any theatre practitioner. From the shop to the director's chair, it is a must have.

"Fight Directing" is a great resource for directors and acting teachers. When directors ask me about a combat resource I tell them to pick up this book and a copy of Swashbuckling.

Whether you are an experienced fight director or just getting started (I'd suggest a high level of proficiency in stage combat first), fight master J. Allen Suddeth's book is packed with useful, practical, and creative information on directing stage combat sequences. Best of all, he offers numerous approaches to comabt choreography and encourages the reader discover what works best for him/herself. Directors should also be encouraged to read this, as it will assist in the collaborative process between director and fight director. Incredibly useful and absolutely necessary!

I bought Mr. Suddeth's book a year or so ago simply looking for some pointers on choreographing a fight. What I found was an invaluable guide to directing, not just a fight, but the entire scene in which it was contained. I also found that FDftT had much to offer for experienced fight directors and novice stage combatants alike. The language was clear, the writing engaging and the content comprehensive. The issues addressed in this book transcend the mere basics of staged violence and focus instead on the scene and its integral relationship with the fight. If you are looking to "brush-up" on stage combat technique I would suggest that you get out and enroll in a stage combat class, not try to hone a hard earned skill by reading a book. If you are looking for insights on how to go about safely and effeciently directing a scene or play that contains staged violence, put up your feet, relax and open Fight Directing for the Theatre by J. Allen Suddeth.

This book is an excellent guide to what the Society of American Fight Directors preach--Safety! Fight Master Suddeth details the many traps and common practices that put actors in harms way, then shows us the safe alternatives. It is a guide that should be kept in every theater as a reference for actors, stage managers, directors, etc. It doesn't pretend to teach you how to direct fights--this only comes with intense training--but rather teach you how to protect yourself and fellow artists. Included are details of weaponry and how to maintain them, tips, pointers, tricks, etc.

With decades of experience under his belt, this book is an extremely valuable tool if you are participating in any form of staged violence. Don't leave your safety to trial & error.

Took a workshop with a teacher of the Linklater method. I was hooked. A former singer and actor, a car accident left me with a permanent trach and very little speaking voice. These exercises are helping me to recover volume and expression in my voice. I watched the effects of the exercises on "normal" participants and was blown away.

Don't try to reinvent the method- give it a real try as is. I think it would be extremely valuable when working with new actors. Teaching projection can be tough but this leads right to it.

While nothing can compare to the real deal of a professional Linklater voice instructor, this freshly updated and expanded 2nd edition (from the 1976 inaugural printing) brings with it 20 years of Kristin honing her voice exercises, and it truly shows in the meticulous explanation, improved illustrations and the careful word choice.

And when the book cover says expanded, it isn't kidding. Many warm-ups have been extended with additional exercises, and one useful feature is the commentaries at the end of exercises, which manage to put the exercises into a real world perspective that makes easy sense.

This book's language never gets caught up in intellectual logic. Instead, the text is so well laid out that exercises move from explanation to actual practice, and then to the next exercise before you realize it. The text is a definite improvement from the 1st edition, and that says a lot considering that when it first came out in the 70s, Freeing the Natural Voice became a staple in the voice acting industry and in many American acting curriculums.

When read, the text feels like Kristin is there having a conversation with you, and that is impressive considering that it is an exercise book, though so much more than that. It should be used as a helpful reminder and refresher for every instructor and student of acting (not just voice), as I myself intend to refer back to it on a regular basis.

Another thing that should be said that the text and exercises make the whole warm-up purpose simple by breaking down the body-emotion-voice connection to its most basic level. If you pay half-attention, you'll learn more that you could possibly be prepared for about not just your voice, but more importantly about your body, and how common habits of tension and emotional restraint truly affect everything you are.

This book is about the deconstructing of the physical and mental self-made blocks that inhibit the natural voice and the natural body - seeking to instead rebuild a direct emotional impulse essential for great acting.

This new and expanded second edition is a gem. Hundreds of pages of clear, easy to follow exercises and commentary are presented in a step-by-step format that allows actors (and speakers in general) to progress at their own pace no matter what their level of experience. The vocal exploration is made even more enjoyable by the lighthearted and effective drawings found throughout. This is required reading for anyone interested in developing a more free and expressive vocal instrument.

As a teacher, I
find this new edition invaluable for students of all levels. It is complete, available and thorough. After working with many different books on voice, this book is the one I keep coming back to. My students love it.
The exercises are specific and continually return the student to the purpose of developing their voice- communication and the revelation of thought and feeling.

As a theatre director, I have read a lot of books about other directors and stagecraft, and far fewer about the intimate work of the actor. I never got around to making a close study of voice until now, and FTNV has been a wonderful revelation for me.

Not only is Linklater's work imagistically strong and physically clear, but the thoughtful and careful way she approaches "release" seems a metaphor that extends well beyond the borders of the voice. It has inspired me in all facets of my artistic work. Wonderful, insightful, highly recommended.