Play Groups Books

Bogosian's work just keeps getting sharper and wittier. That may be an overstatement - I think I prefer Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll - but as is his norm, he's got funny characters living great little stories. I love his work, and this is no exception.

Eric Bogosian is a very funny and probing writer. This book is not the best example of that talent. "Pounding Nails" is a collection of monologues that work together as a one-man show. The monologues are funny, and, at times, pretty good social commentary. Unfortunately, the monologues get tiresome. The characters are all unique, but that is primarily because they are all extreme characterizations. If you create enough outlandish caricatures, you are sure to avoid having them overlap.

If you're interested in Bogosian, I would suggest "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee." This collection would be a good second choice.

An Excellent read. I'm using some parts of this book for several two minute monologues (For contemporary parts). My favorites is the Molecules read, I've lived and met that guy.

These monologues are his best that i have read. He has sharpened his skill beyond what it was in "Sex Drugs, Rock & Roll" while maintaining his energy and cutting insight.

Read this book, buy it for yourself and for friends

"Blow Me," the final piece of writing in this book, sums up my entire exsistence. For a long time after buying this book, I read the monologe daily. It seems to confirm every negative thought I've ever had about American life. And the strategies that Bogosian offers to survive it don't seem that irrational. Who doesn't long to feel something real for just two or three seconds? Bogosian's work as a whole seems to pin point the reality in America's superficial facade. You might find his work extreme or offensive. But you can't hide from the awesome truth of it. And if you don't agree with me, well, BLOW ME.

If you are interested in narrative therapy, and especially working in a fun way, then this book is a must. Not only does it cover play therapy, but ways to include fun into any type of therapy when appropriate.

I became interested in Narrative Therapy at a conference for gifted children. I bought this book after it was recommended to me by one of the presenters who has used this therapy for several years. I have found it very clear to understand and have begun using the techniques that are described in the book. I would highly recommend this book to any therapist who is interested in exploring a different way to work with children, not only gifted but typical children as well.

This is a great book for counselors and therapists who work with children. It has both a narrative and solution focused approach to helping children overcome their problems. I like the way it helps adults relate to children on their level - the level of play. A book all school counselors should have on their shelf.

Provides original solutions to tough and common problems. I found that I was able to apply the concepts and suggestions, both personally, and in my practice, effortlessly. I bought it for every therapist I knew.

I would be more than happy to give this book a five star review but for a few key, significant complaints about narrative therapy. The main one is that no therapeutic failures are ever presented in narrative texts (including this one). This leads me to wonder if the authors' political, or politically correct, agenda is not more important than the clinical aspect of the work.

An example is the situation here where the therapist feels she must confront a client's racist remarks. It is presented as an imperative - that the therapists' needs at that point in the session are of supreme importance, given the context of the therapists' socio-political righteousness. I agree that racism should be challenged, and I am sure I am in accord with the therpaists' views here. But this is not the point.

After Ms. Freeman confronts the client about the racism the therapeutic relationship evolves to an epiphany in which all are blissfully healed - this is standard narrative mythology. In most psychodynamic literature (and real clinical practice) even skilled therapists sometimes suffer an empathic failure that leads to an adolescent leaving therapy. Young people are extremely sensitive to being judged, and it takes a very strong relationship, grounded in the clients' needs, to contain this type of intervention. Better still, the therapist should embody her/his beliefs in their being rather than by pontificating. A righteous stand like that presented here would stand at least a 50-50 chance of rupturing a therapeutic alliance. You won't find a book called "Failures in Narrative Therapy". This is not because failure is a 'construction' or some other bit of sophistry, or because therapeutic ruptures do not occur. It is because narrative therapy has yet to attain a level of maturity where it can admit that it, too, is an errant art that demands transparency and empathy, not preaching to the client out of the therapists' needs, no matter how noble.

All that said, many of the storytelling methods presented here are useful for working with children and their families. But please hold the self-congratulation, narrative enthusiasts.

This translation uses terminology appropriate for teaching the Poetics to beginning theatre students. It is an excellent version for use in a theatre (as opposed to philosophy) class, and the budget price and slim size of the edition make it a fine bargain for students with limited finances. As a theatre teacher of students from middle school to college, I strongly recommend selecting this particular edition and translation of the Poetics for use in discussing the parts of drama in an introductory course.

I have read many books in my time, and this not one of them. I have checked this book out of the library countless times and have never read it. Despite this, I feel that this book should be counted among the greatest books of our time. While I personally deplore Monsieur Aristotle and his mop people, this book is so wonderful that I can overlook my feelings and say "Whozaa!" and "Hallelujah". Anyone who looks at the pictures in this book and is not brought to tears is truly without feeling. My only issue with this marvelous piece of literature is that it is not longer. I could look at pictures forever.

Aristotle's Poetics is touted as a "Must Read Bible" for writers, and though it's core principles do warrant merit, they are hard to decipher because: they were written so long ago; they reference plays, instruments, even words, that are no longer in use - and sometimes the words are not even translated; they are spelled out with symbols.

I read it, and found it difficult to follow, but it is a quick read. At least I can tell people that I read Aristotle. That is definitely a conversation starter.

Aristotle's Poetics is hailed as the first systematic critical theory in the world. For centuries and centuries, it has inspired writers, critics, and philosophers alike. Aristotle, the father of critics, as many would exalt him, sets the rules for many key literary genres such as Tragedy, Comedy, and Epic. Through comparing and contrasting these classical genres, Aristotle convincingly argues for the highness and greatness of tragedy, as the most mimetic literary genre. Thanks to Aristotle, we are introduced to such eternally important critical terms such as mimesis(imitation), muthos(plot), anagnorisis(discovery), peripeteia(reversal),hamartia(misjudgment), catharsis(purgation). In other words, Aristotle's Poetics is the bible for critics, playwrights, and fans of tragic literature.

I read these works for a graduate seminar on Aristotle.
Poetry appeals to human passions and emotions. Powerful beautiful language and metaphor really appeal to emotion. This idea really disturbed Plato, who takes on Homer in the Republic. Plato thought that early Greek poetry portrays a dark world; humans are checked by negative limits like death. Tragedy has in it a character of high status brought down through no fault of his own. Plato says this is unjust. Republic is about ethical life and justice. It starts with the premises that might makes right and then moves onto the idea much like modern religions that justice comes in the afterlife. Plato hates the idea that in tragedy bad things can happen to good people. He wanted to ban tragedy because he found it demoralizing.

Aristotle's Poetics is a defense against Plato's appeal to ban tragedy. Tragedy was very popular in Greek world so Aristotle asks can it be wrong to ban it? Yes, it is wrong thus he decides to study it. Plato says Poetry is not a technç because the poets are divinely inspired. Aristotle disagrees Poetics is a handbook for playwrights. Mimçsis= "representation or imitation." Plato uses it in speaking of painting, thus art is imitation. Another meaning is to mimic, like actors mimicking another person. Plato and Aristotle use it to mean psychological identification like how we get absorbed in a movie as if the action were real, eliciting emotions from us. We suspend reality for a while. Aristotle says this is natural in humans; we do this as children, we mimic. If imitation is important for humans then tragic poetry is worthwhile for Aristotle to study.

Definition of tragedy- "Through pity and fear it achieves purification from such feelings. This is a famous controversial line. Katharsis= "pity and fear" thus the purpose of tragedy is to purge katharsis. Katharsis can also mean purification or clean. There is a debate if it means clarification, through which we can come to understand katharsis. Aristotle thinks tragedy teaches us something about life. Tragedy is an elaboration on Aristotle's idea that good or virtuous people sometimes get unlucky and in the end, they get screwed. Tragedy shows this so we can learn to get by when life screws us. The whole point of tragedy is action over character. Action is the full story of the poem like the Iliad. Character is only part of the action.
Aristotle distinguishes between poetry and history. Poetry is concerned with universals, history is concerned with particulars.

I recommend Aristotle's works to anyone interested in obtaining a classical education, and those interested in philosophy. Aristotle is one of the most important philosophers and the standard that all others must be judged by.

I love this book. I have written several children's shows for our local children's theatre, and reading over David Wood's text only helped me improve my scripts and fed my imagination. Yes, there are sections that I scimmed through, but most of it was very helpful. I highly recommend it.

Excellent book! Gives real specifics about playwriting for children, i.e., must have lots of action, lots of "suddenlies", clearly defined characters, etc. Also, how to incorporate audience participation. I was so inspired by Wood's book that I ordered his musicals from Samuel French and directed "Hijack Over Hygenia" for our elementary school production. He is far and away better than most of the stuff you find for children's productions. Since he has experience in writing, directing and acting these plays and musicals (he's written 40!), he brings tons of examples into his book. He's good, he's funny, and children respond to his material. Good section on writing a play snopysis before you write any dialogue. Here's a little dialogue: Rupert: Hello, Squirrel. How are you? Squirrel: Fed up. Rupert: Fed up? Squirrel: Me nose is froze, me teeth are chatter-chattering, me paws are freezing and I keep sneezing. Atishoo! Rupert: (handing her a hanky) Use my hanky. Squirrel: A hanky! Thankee! (She plows loudly into the hanky held by Rupert).

Walter Piston is a composer, but in his music theory textbook, he can bring in samples from the work of other composers. Why, then, can't David Wood bring in samples from the work of other playwrights?

Incidentally, don't buy this book if you are interested in theatre for children as actors. This book is about theatre for children as spectators.

I found the book to be essential to anyone who wants to go into playwriting whether or not Children's Theatre would be your major. It is clearly written, easy (and enjoyable) to read and just a great tool and reference.

Who is David Wood? "National Children's Dramatist" or not, I'd never heard of him. But I decided to give "Theatre for Children" a shot based on its subtitle (A Guide to Writing, Directing, and Acting) and positive reader reviews. I was looking for a book that would give me basic tips on getting started and avoiding the pitfalls of writing stage plays for children. There is that sort of information buried in "Theatre for Children", but unfortunately the reader has to wade through such a relentlessly pounding sea of personal anecdotes and name dropping (again, mostly of Mr. Wood's own works and of other people I'd never heard of) that one's ability to salvage such practical information is called into question. This is not a beginner's guide to children's theater, but rather a professional memoir thinly disguised as a "how to" book. The writing style is dense and stuffy -- not "highly readable" as claimed in the cover blurb.

If this book wasn't so darned expensive, I'd be tempted to let it slide. ...(!) I felt I had to give fair warning.

Wow! The play really drives home the raw and powerful sexuality of the Gods, and Venus the Queen of Sexuality plays nakedly amongst them all. Some may say pornographic, but the overall feel is of joyful fulfilment and erogenous excitement, transcending the everyday into an orgasmic, almost-orgiastic ritual society of rarified existence. Powerful physical interactions between players bordering on the overtly pornographic in places, definately phallic and in the best tradition of Greek theatre. Recommended for lovers and therapists!

"Early in the 19th century a poor wretched woman was exhibited in England under the appellation The Hottentot Venus. With an intensely ugly figure, distorted beyond all European notions of beauty, she was said to possess precisely the kind of shape which is most admired among her countrymen, the Hottentots."

The awesome Suzan-Lori Parks here tells of Saartjie Baartman, a historical person, famous as The Venus Hottentot. Parks style reminds of vaudville. Very stylized, fluid in the movement of actors from one character to another, in the direct connection with the audience, in the passage of time and in the presentational aspect of her stories. Through her style the play feels like a carnival show, with boasting and huckster cries, something that would work on a medieval wagon stage.

Venus is about a young woman taken from her home where she was a servant in Africa in the early 1800's to England to be exploited as a sideshow freak/savage/heathen particularly because of her large butt. From there her fame and in some instances, fortunes grow until her death in 1810 in Paris.

There is much in the way of historical referencing here, including what seem to be quotations from medical, literary and personal journals of the day. But it seems Parks created this, because no bibliographic references are made. This is all the more impressive then, because Parks' spot on medical language denotes an era and an attitude. While her dialogue which is written in a sort of simple, phonetic, colloqueal style flows easily from the uneducated Venus and those witnessing her life, from The Negro Resurrectionist and the Chorus, to the educated Baron Docteur, whose double fascination (medical/sexual) with her gets the better of him and the worse of her.

Truly a tale of exploitation and manipulation, about the European maligning of Africans for humorous, medical, fashionable, financial and sexual means. Venus is a tragic figure, representative of the social abuse of Africans by Europeans, whose human qualities become gross examples of a sub-species, the basest form of life, medical oddities and for the Baron Docteur, then surprisingly powerful and moving.

Writes Parks in her bio at the back of the play: "'Tell all the Truth but tell it slant,' as Emily Dickinson says. With Venus my angle is this: History, Memory, Dis-Memory, Remembering, Dismembering, Love, Distance, Time, a Show."

So who was the Venus Hottentot, anyway? And what is this play about? Not an historical play (although it includes archival material), Parks gets to the stereotype of black female sexuality, while asking questions about our complicity in our own oppression. This allegorical work raises questions about the use of Baartman (the real "Venus Hottentot") as an icon for contemporary black female sexuality, among other things. If nothing else, this play may well have you looking up other information on Baartman.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this play. It took several attempts, as I frequently became 'overwhelmed' due to the stimulating nature of the material - and you know how it is after getting 'overwhelmed'...you just don't want to read on any more. Anyway, this is very high-class stuff indeed, and compares favourably (on a purely artistic level, of course) with such luminaries of the art as Georges Bataille and (particularly) Russ Meyer.

Venus's terrifyingly ambivalent character is gradually exposed throughout the course of this short yet explosive piece of experimental erotica. It would be all too easy to write this off as a drugsploitation piece, but a deeper truth is revealed by the powerful combinations of peyote and yage which the Doctor administers to his (initially) unwilling young patients, turning them into voracious, yet compliant, sexual zombies.

I found this book powerfully arousing - the Doctor is the very epitome of the fin-de-siecle cult leader, with a monstrous sexual appetite to match his towering charisma - and yet a surprising intellectual challenge. I recommend it to broad-minded adults everywhere.

In my undergraduate studies, our final project was to produce a One Man Show of our own. I used this book to format my own. It has so many examples, all different. I highly recommend this for all acting students as there are many untapped monologues in here!!!

I'm not sure quite what I was expecting from this book, but I wish I hadn't bought it. One of the excerpts looked promising as a comedic forensics piece, but it is more biographical, really.

This is a fantastic compliation of some of the most innovative and passionate solo performances in recent history. For actors, artists, and writers, it is endlessly inspiring. For the casual reader, it provides an accessible means of understanding performance art and appreciating the form as art. Highly recommended.
And, remember, read these out loud!

This is a great book. Great. For anyone interested in solo performance, it's history and performers, this is the book. I do not know of a book as expansive, yet concise, which takes texts from early 20th Century performers like Moms Mabley and Ruth Draper to modern masters like the late-Spalding Gray and Dael Orlandersmith.
Edited by Jo Bonney, a director famous for solo productions, and featuring introductions to each performer's section, this becomes a theatre book unlike any I've come across.
Lenny Bruce, Andy Kaufman, Lord Buckley, Whoopi Goldberg, John Leguizamo, Anna Deavere Smith, Roger Guenveur Smith, Laurie Anderson, Lily Tomlin, etc., etc....
Works are featured in fragments, specific character pieces from larger plays, and many of the performers have multiple pieces, exhibiting their styles, poetry, innovation and skill.
This is a great book.

Extreme Exposure: An Anthology Of Solo Performance Texts From The Twentieth Century is a 423 page compilation of extensive excerpts taken from the works of more than fifty solo writer/performers, as well as prefatory material that situates their efforts into an historical context. A comprehensive introduction by editor and director Jo Bonney explores the roots and development of this distinctive performance art form, helping the reader to appreciate its richness, depth, diversity, and possibilities. Extreme Exposure is highly recommended reading for students and historians of the theatre, as well as an invaluable reference for writers, performers, and directors.

Genius,once in print, and funny as hell, to boot. Those younger than 50, have no idea what they missed. By and large, they don't get it, either. Too bad....." Heck no.....I'm thirty years old"!!!!

"The Big Book of Plays" is the first of two books put out by the legendary comedy troupe the Firesign Theatre (Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, Philip Proctor, and David Ossman) during their heyday (it was published in 1972). It is a collection of pieces from the troupe's first four albums. As such, it allows the reader to finally fully penetrate the oft-times impenetrable texts of the group's records. The pieces included are "Waiting For the Electrician or Someone Like Him" and "How Can You Be In Two Places At Once When You're Not Anywhere At All?" from the albums of the same name, and the titles "Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers" and "I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus" in their entirety. The plays are accompanied by a plethora of photos, a foreword from each member, and a chronology of the group's career to that point. Good luck finding a copy but, if you do, grab it! It's great.

As a Firesign Theater addict I can only say that it is imperitave that all other fans find this book. It will reveal word-for-word all the inticacies and nuances of the troop. By READING the plays one can truly understand their brilliance. I no longer have a copy, but I have been searching for one for a while now.

I have not read or seen this book since the early 70's, and by then I had committed FST's albums to memory. However, given that there was always multiple dialogs going on, at a variety of levels, it was great to see the dialog in print.

The dialog on the T.V. as Ralph Spoilsport sells the 1968 Narc Avenger is revealed, as it the censored newcast regarding the man-made baby Adam One-Three.

While I do have most of the material committed to memory, I highly recommend this book. Not only does it clarify certain passages in "How Can You Be In Two Places..." and "Don't Crush That Dwarf..." it also brings FST's broader vision into view.

Definitely a must have.

We need a term for all those expressions we utter so commonly these days: little soundbites, references drawn from films or commercial ads, that sum up so many situations, so perfectly, that they get used over and over again and enter common parlance. "Where's the Beef?" is an example. These references obviously don't just serve to succinctly express a sentiment; they reinforce our sense of belonging to the community of people who get the reference. I am a member of one such community, for whom the works of FT remains a mother load of these kinds of expressions; I literally use them daily. When I utter one of these expressions half-consciously at a party, and someone I don't know recognizes and riffs the next line out, there is a bond revealed, as strong as those between veterans of the Lincoln Brigade. Still, this is not even the central genius of FT.

Neither is it to be found in their unequalled mastery of the subtlest details of the aural landscape of the late 20th century, as filtered through it's various media: the distinct equalizations, dynamics compression and fidelities of various radio and TV talkshows, news programs and ads, the educational 16 mm film with its invariably bad framing loops. FT's ear for such textures, and their perfect mastery at reproducing them, is simply instrumental: this is a vehicle, as is their vaudville humour, for something much more important.

The legacy of this troupe will be how perfectly they realized the attitude of my generation toward its own culture: that we found (and still find) its reality and portend so surreal, so alien, and so odious, that the only way to adequately represent it was with social criticism in the form of psychodelic satire. FT brought precognition to that effort as well, although prophesy is not much appreciated by subsequent generations, because the world that was prophesied is now their context, their backdrop, and they find it unremarkable that their reality was once presented as just one disturbing, even improbable, possible future.

Given that during the late sixties, pop music defined (not expressed, defined!) the historical moment, the Record Album was the only possible medium for this literature. And yes, for many of us, FT played a significant role in that moment-definition.

These days, music rarely even truly expresses the historical moment, much less defines it. So if you manage to find and read a copy of FT's Big Book of Plays, and you've never heard the performance of these pieces, you may very well not get it. Instead, buy "Dwarf" or "Bozos", put on a good set of headphones, drop a hit of something clean, and enter their world. Later, when you're "grounded, safe and sound...trailing clouds of glory..." you can get out that Big Book and marvel at all the scripting that subliminally zipped right by you. By then, hopefully, you'll be changed forever.

I am not Chinese American, and I have never seen the play, television show, or movie, so this review is about the book only. Other works based loosely off this book could be excellent, but I can only evaluate what I know.

The book itself deals with two major characters -- The Old Master, Chi-Yang Wang, and his son Ta Wang. The title refers to an old traditional folk song sung by a servant they hire in the third portion of the book, and may be a contrast between traditional and modern in the overtheme.

I loved the irascible character of Old Master Wang, how he was stern with fulfilled ambitions, having lived a good fruitful life. How he enjoyed his cough and calligraphy, and how he expected filial discipline while loving his family drew me into the lifestyle portrayed in the novel. His son Ta struck me as a person with a good upbringing who drifted through life, not really knowing or attempting to discover his talents. Ta is only interested in getting married, and his scenes reflect this fruitless quest in a society with the pressures of six men to one woman.

In redux, Chi-Yang = awesome patriarch, Ta = wimpy prince with no horse.

Other characters were present in the novel, but by far they had less dimension than the Wangs, who the narrator followed the lives of nearly exclusively. Only about a third of the novel focuses on Chi-Yang Wang, and the rest of it isn't filled out enough for my tastes. Perhaps if Ta wasn't always in a never-ending angst over women, I might have found more inside the book.

Almost four stars, except the actual ending leaves much unresolved in the house of Wang. This made me like the novel much less. Books with as many loose ends as the Flower Drum Song, I don't even consider complete. Perhaps one of the musicals or dramas has a better ending than the book, which basically cuts off right after a life-changing climax and leaves the reader wondering what happened.

As a child, I saw the film "Flower Drum Song" and fell in love with the film. Though at the time, it was considered a no-no amongst the Chinese community. But none of those who scorn the film had even read either the book or seen the film. It was a beautiful made film that featured Asian actors who sing, dance, performed to a melodic score by one of the most creative song writing team. Therefore, I am so glad that this book is finally come to light and to be re-embraced into literary culture. Perhaps it will hopefully quail those critics who are as narrow-minded as those who thought we are just busboys and Charlie Chans. Be enlightened, and read this great piece of story-telling of a familial saga that we can all relate--regardless if we are Chinese or not. Enjoy, read and be enchanted. As well check out the film--it might change one's opinion.

Originally published in 1957, this poignant and charming novel tells of a young man's struggle to fit in. Love, family and all the ups and downs that go with them are told with bittersweet humor. Its re-release is a wonderful companion to David Henry Hwang's new theatrical book which revives the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical on Broadway this year. Hurrah!

My mother has always told me of a beautiful Rogers & Hammerstein musical called "Flower Drum Song". I bought the CD and found it simply splendid. However, my appreciation of the musical has only been enhanced by reading the novel it was based on by the author CY Lee. The story follows the intrigues of a Chinese emigrant family living in San Fransisco. It is romantic, in parts funny and a pleasure to read. I thoroughly recommend it.

I read this book many years ago and enjoyed so much that I have read everything I could find by Mr. Lee, and since then other Chinese American authors.

It is a shame that for so many years the book was rejected by young Asian Americans as being "too white face" or "Uncle Tom" as it is not so at all. C.Y. Lee was a Chinese immigrant and wrote of the society as he saw it at that time, which is not the way the younger generation, who did not live through the immigrant experience, want to see it. This is not unusual, many well schooled, well fed sucessful Americans do not want to know that their grandparents arrived in steerage with their belongings tied up in kit bag, unable to speak the language, and worked 18 hours a day in menial jobs so that their children could get ahead.

This is a poignant story of Chinese immigrant families in Southern California during the days of the Chinese Exclusion Act, and the difficulty the young American-raised men had in finding a wife. They were not allowed to bring women in from China, and they were not permitted to marry non Asians. Because of the Communist takeover, many Chinese who had dreamed of returning home to China when they retired after working all their lives were unable to do so. The situtation created an artifically stressed society. The book has tragedy and sadness, as well as hope and joy.

My only criticism of the novel, and a mild one at that, is that it frequently reads like a play script, especially in the last chapter, where there is a lot of dialogue, followed by descriptions of the action which read like stage directions. It is possible that the novel was orignally intended to be a play.

Warning, possible spoiler:

The musical version of the book which was also filmed was very loosely based on the novel, in fact one of the major characters was created for the musical. Apparently this has been done again with the new version playing on Broadway. Readers expecting to find a printed version of the musical may be disappointed.

Sondheim is "the one" clasic composer in musical theater. Like a dramatist with his pal George he recreate the genre, playing with the clasical "who done it" putting the answer before the act I curtain. The second act is a complicity game with the audience or the reader, are the authors capable to mantain our atention? are still surprises?. Yes they can and yes there are many surprises. I feel that this is is a lovable work. Is well written and superbly structured. adding new touches to this genre. A must read.

i'm a huge fan of sondheim's musicals and i quite like his and furth's collaboration on -company-. w/ that said, this play was quite disappointing. the play has the same type of new york characters as in -company-, but here they're much, much more like stereotypes and caricatures. as for the plot, i was expecting it to be a mystery which is quite untrue as the murderer is revealed before the act 1 curtain. the actual subtitle is "a comedy thriller" and although there are indeed some funny moments as well as some "horror" elements, there's just not enough of either. there are some attempts at social comedy, but those don't really go anywhere either. i'd recommend it only if you're a sondheim completist like i am.

"Getting Away With Murder" is great, I enjoyed reading it very much. Not only for the mystery, but the plot, the thrill, the way it was written. I'm not big on Murder mystery's, although I do enjoy reading some. When I read the script I thought, WoW! This is really a great story. I would have loved to have watched it on Broadway. I adore it, the storyline is great from begining to end. For those who haven't read the book, read it! For those who have read it, read it again!

I picked up a copy of "Getting Away With Murder" because I enjoy theatrical works that Terrence Mann has been in,and I figured this would be yet another that I liked. I'm really glad that I decided to get it.

Besides being a theatre fan,I love a good mystery. I couldn't put it down once I picked it up. Sondheim and Furth do such a wonderful job of establishing the setting and characters that I could vividly imagine what the staging of the play may have looked like. Each character clearly has dimension,and you really feel like you understand their motives and convictions.

"GAWM" is also filled with little plot quirks and devices that enhance the story. While it has a dark mood,there are some light comedic moments and caustic remarks that loosen things up. It is also interesting to see the slight difference in the alternate ending.

All in all,I recommend it. I'm not overly familiar with Sondheim's work,but I've found that his cerebral approach is a nice escape. As a closing note,I suggest paying attention to the names of the characters - you might learn something about them!

This is a very good, well-made play. A social commentary in one sense, and Sondheim's stab at the seven deadly sins. It is very funny to read all of the bitchy quips being tossed back and forth by each of the patients. A dark atmosphere, keeping you on the edge of your seat, and you are always kept guessing. Finding out who the killer is at the end of the first act is a very daring device, and you are left to wonder what would possibly happen in the second act. It is hard for me to say anything more that the other reviewers haven't said, so I just suggest that all intellectuals out there buy this book and prepare to enjoy yourself. (You might even need a cigarette when you're done with this book, if you know what I mean . . . )

I have worked with both Anne Bogart and Tina Landau and grew to appreciate their unique approach. It is good to see their way of working in print finally. The book is a great resource for all who have some appreciation for what goes into making a piece of theatre. It will especially pique the interest of those who see the physical nature of the theatre as paramount. The book outlines an way to replicate the work of these two great theatre artists in their own process. Dancers and choreographers will perhaps find a new perspective on what they do in this book.

This book is a must-own for actors looking to learn about the physical traning of Viewpoints.

It's great, and practical, and you'll find yourself learning.

A must for every actor's shelf.

I wanted a good, basic look at Viewpoints and this book has been exactly what I hoped it would be. It is to the point but still offers enough explanation to make sure the reader understands each viewpoint. If you want a good, basic background of the work this book does well.

This book was highly recommended to me by a dancer friend, and I've found it to be extremely useful for dance improvisation sessions I'm leading with a group of non-dancers. The authors offers numerous exercises that groups can build on, experiment with, and use to generate skill and teamwork. If you're looking for inspiration for your own performance project or creative ideas for group activities, you will find them here.

It took forever to finally arrive.. both in the sense that it kept getting delayed, but more importantly as a director who has trained with Viewpoints and wanted to impliment them into my work.

The book is very accessible to even those who have not taken any Viewpoints classes with a laid out ground plan for how to introduce each Viewpoint as well as how to use them in rehearsals and creating new pieces. The end of each section includes several options to eithe expand or replace, making the plan fit perfect for whatever you're doing. I read it cover to cover in a sitting and will be referencing it in the future as I direct those new to Viewpoints as well as those previously exposed.