Theatre Books

Growing up in Chicago in the late 70's I missed Bishop's Sven. I started out with the Ghoul and was hooked forever when Rich Koz opened his coffin on Ch 32. Since that time I've lost precious brain cells to the permanent memories of those classic parodies and skits. Mr. Robbers, 50 Ways to Blow Your Cover, and more.

So, I had to get this book. It is a quick read (nearly half is just a list of b-grade movies) and tells the tale of how Svengoolie came to be and where the whole thing started. If you are a fan of Svengoolie you owe it to yourself to take this fun trip down memory lane, or elm street...whichever.

I bought this book on a whim for my boyfriend who grew up watching Svengoolie on Saturday nights. He absolutely loved learning more about the show he adored as a child.

I grew up in Detroit, so I missed out on most of the programs covered here, except for the maniacal Ghoul (Ron Sweed, a Motor City favorite) and the wacky and still active Svengoolie, played by the talented Rich Koz. In spite of this, however, I loved reading this book because it captures the fun and the essence of what every monster movie fan of my generation experienced, from the happily demented horror hosts to staying up late to watch those glorious (sometimes gloriously awful) films we cherished so much. Remember, this was mostly before home video came along. The book is loaded with nostalgic advertisements for these movies, the kind of ads that made you drool in anticipation.

Some folks might question why there's an entire appendix devoted to a "100 Monster Movies" rating guide, but to me it's one of the most enjoyable sections of the book because it goes hand-in-hand with the overall history of this subject. How can you discuss monster movie programming without discussing the monster movies themselves? If anything, I wish they'd gone a step further and covered even MORE titles. A few of my favorite films were overlooked. Am I the only one who has fond memories of CREATION OF THE HUMANOIDS? (Maybe I am.)

The book is well researched, fun to read, and has lots of wonderful photos and graphics. It makes me sorry that I missed out on all the fun. But then again, I didn't. No matter where you grew up, watching monster movies on television was a universal experience. This book captures that experience beautifully.

Let me start by saying I am from Chicago and I am a Chicago History buff.

As a child and into my teens watching Creature Features on Channel Nine (the opening as a six year old terrified me), and then the Son of Svengoolie on WFLD, I loved local tv. Why do I say this? Simply put - I had high expectations for this book. The good news is that Ted Okuda and Mark Yurkiw exceeded them.

Looking for Elvira - you won't find her - but "Dear" clearly was a feast for the eyes. Now I finally know what my dad was talking about.

"From Shock Theatre to Svengoolie" is a needed part of the history of Chicago TV and Lake Claremont Press respectfully published a book others might take a pass on and remains a respected leader in local publishing of Chicago history. Well edited, designed and expanded in part by a solid and varied reference section which includes a solid list of films shown (and reviews), a heartfelt "Collector's Corner" with additional reviews, and a resource guide on where to find your horror needs - that alone would stand to qualify the book as a great resource; but yes - there's more.

The book is factual and warm about the subjects themselves - with wonderful chapters on characters such as Marvin and the curvacious and faceless "Dear" of Shock Theatre to Jerry Bishops "Svengoolie" concluding with the story of how Rich Koz's "Son of Svengoolie" became "Svengoolie" in his own right.

The book doesnt mince words. The Ghoul from Cleveland gets a chapter - and in that chapters lies the great story of the loyality of Chicago to it's city and to its broadcasters. That chapter alone made me smile - unfortuantely at an outsiders expense.

The book covers some obscure local attempts to compete against established programs as well - which goes to the detail the authors provided.

And then there was Sven.

While you can watch Jerry Bishop and Rich Koz on YouTube as Sven as a resource; the chapters on Svengoolie are detailed and worth the read.

I grew up and continue to watch Rich Koz as Svengoolie now in Chicago - and through this book you realize Sven's program not only entertains through horror but is also the last of the real local efforts to fight to keep local television creative, relevant and accessible. Koz is an important throwback to Garaway and other early Chicago broadcasters and deserves the praise and critical rsearch the book compiled.

In this book you can see why Koz is important as a local celebrity - and is up there with dare I say Studs Terkel and Oprah as important local personalities - even though Koz would likely deny this endorsement. WCIU should be credited for keeping a great program such as Sven on the air when others might just put an episode of "Night Court" on instead...yeech.

I particularly enjoyed the attention to detail; with photos of the old newspaper and TV Guide advertisements of the programs. If you loved those programs as a child - before there were so many options on cable; those ads were critical in promoting the programs and the movies we grew to love.

The book is lavishly illustrated and well written and referenced, footnoted and resourced. Time, effort and true affection for the material went into this tome.

In a book like this - there is room to be melancholy - and the authors avoid that trap. Lamenting on the fact local television is in most cases just the news; and all of TV's creativity is left to the networks would be an easy place to go - but the book is upbeat and most importantly a joy to read.

You want Creature Features? The book has it. Marvin and Dear - yep; its here too. Screaming Yellow Theatre and all of Sven? Yep - that too.

Clearly highly recommended.

I would write more - but my family is ready, the popcorn is popped and Svengoolie awaits .....

I bought this book at a book signing at "Horrorbles". The authors are really nice guys. The book is a must for anyone even remotely interested in horror, it discusses in detail the various TV horror hosts broadcast from the Chicago area. Its covers the inception of TV horror hosts to the present. It also does a good job of showing the evolution of the TV horror show. The book is well written and offers so much insight, there is a not only a wealth of information but resources for any fan of horror. There are plenty of photos that will surely evoke pleasant memories of sitting in the dark watching "scary movies". Makes a good gift.

This collection of stories, poems, myths, and Dr. Estes' interpretations will truly amaze you. I listened to the tapes while driving to and from work and also while doing housework. I could not wait until the next listen! Dr. Estes is an exceptional storyteller. Not only does her voice carry such wonder and awe, but it also builds suspense at the right bends and curves of each story. If you love storytelling and the world of the human imagination, you will cherish this collection. Listening to the tapes is nothing less than a celebration of being human. This collection should appeal to all, but especially to women who enjoy exploring spirituality and psychology.

I have used Clarissa Pinkola Estes' material in my psychotherapy practice for many years and have found that the stories help me clarify points and make connections in a rapid, yet heart-felt way. This collection of tapes covers a wonderful range of topics and includes stories that make you laugh and weep and shiver. Dr. Estes' voice is a remarkable gift and she uses it wisely and well. The live format is a wonderful surprise, showing her funny and spontaneous side, which is missing from her studio tapes. One tiny irritation for me was the opening music and narration, which was identical on all of the tapes. Because I consumed these tapes voraciously, one after another, this became annoying. That aside, I encourage anyone who likes a good story and, especially, anyone with some lingering issues to resolve, to sit back and enjoy an evening with Dr. Estes. She is one of a kind.

I had read Dr. Estes' book, Women Who Run With THe Wolves, several years ago. Listening brought back the disturbing and life-changing images and stories of the book. The 6 cassettes cover issues of intuition, body image, women's and mens experiences of sacred power, and much, much more. What I especially enjoyed was hearing Dr. Estes' voice and especially her laughter, which her books couldnt quite commuticate. I laughed, listened, cried, sighed from relief at truths spoken and wrestled with stories that poked at hidden places in my spirit. I highly recommend this,not as entertainment, but as soulfood.

Clarissa Pinkola Estes shares her stories in a lyric style. Her presentation of myths and tales are full of thought-provoking ideas and is presented in her soothing, poetic voice. I think the live audience is a great addition to the recording, it made me feel as though I were right there in the room. Needless to say, I love listening to the tapes, and I learn something new everytime.

This set is a must have! The warmth, humor and wisdom contained in these tapes will last you a lifetime. Dr. Estes is an unbelievable author and storyteller in print, but if you've never heard her voice - prepare to be mesmerized!!

If anyone knows where to find a video of "The Colored Museum" that was aired on PBS in 1991, any advice would be appreciated!
My email: carlahealy@aol.com

If anyone knows where I can by a VHS please email me at warnerbaker@hotmail.com. Thanx

I love this work and remember seeing a theatrical production of it on PBS' Great Performances. Does Anyone Know Where I Can Buy A Video Of This Production?

My email address is wtellis@nyc.rr.com

Thanks

George C. Wolfe's play details the African-American experience, shocking the reader more and more. This shock is meant to portray the outrage and sheer madness that the situation of blacks in America provokes. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes electrifying and political, this play is a masterwork that attacks various issues in African-American life.

The creative and imaginative pen of Geroge C. Wolfe "paints" a canvas of honesty through humor and reflection. How often do we get to laugh at ourselves while educating yourself and others? I have used The Colored Museum in teaching liturature to my urban students and it provided a vehicle that allowed them to express a deeper understanding of themselves. Very seldom does that happen.

I have the book and the DVD which I watch over and over again (great to do the dishes by.)

This is a must have for home libraries of all musical theater lovers and Sondheim admirers.

The score features three staves, piano and vocal with an added bonus of crucial instrument parts which are even labelled in separate font to help instrument recognition for the complete music of company down to the scene change and underscore music!
The musical notation and lyrics are clear to read in PC print format, none of that hand printed stuff. The only down side is the score does not have TAB or chord labels above the staves, just pure notation which in some cases not ideal for the modern musician. With the Music being Sondheim orientated most songs could be classed as grade 6 or 7. Very tricky rythms but the best complete Company score book on the market. If you have trouble reading though an easy play version would be advisable.

I own a copy of both the vocal score and the complete libretto and I should say it is worth owning both. The vocal score when played on piano gives lively music to make anyone dance to the beat. It never loses its Broadway touch. The notes when played by a skilled pianist would make it sound more like the orchestra accompaniment. I would highly recommend those of you who love Sondhei'm style to own one of these. This would definitely be a smash hit for your school or community theater.

I love Sondheim, and this show is the best of his works in my opinion. Full of challenging songs, and complex arrangements, it will surely please the pianist or singer who is looking for something a little outside the realm of Roger's and Hammerstein to sing. Go into your nest audition with "another Hundred People", or "Getting Married Today" and blow your director away! This book contains a lot of material that is not readily available in other volumes and it is definately worth the investment. songs of note "Being Alive" "Company", "Barcelona", "the little things you do togrther" and the immortal "Ladies Who Lunch"

When Mr. Sondheim and and Mr. Furth wrote the show they wanted to have something that would make the audience laugh all night and then stay awake the rest of the night thinking about it. And that is EXACTLY what they did! Mr. Furth developes his characters so well as does Sondheim. To fully get the show one might consider getting the cd (original cast album is the best and can be found here on Amazon.com as well) This is seriously the best libretto I own.. and I own MANY.

Of all the reference books for writers, I find the Dramatists Sourcebook to be the most complete. It doesn't have EVERYTHING, but it can tell you where to FIND everything.

Sources for production, contests, funding are updated each year (a couple of quibbles...I found one deadline date that was off last year), as well as useful service organizations for playwrights, and for those who haven't realized that a play is not a screnplay, always a lesson on formatting.

The Theater Communications Group puts out a lot of useful publications, but this one is at the top of my list.

Of all the reference books for writers, I find the Dramatists Sourcebook to be the most complete. It doesn't have EVERYTHING, but it can tell you where to FIND everything.

Sources for production, contests, funding are updated each year (a couple of quibbles...I found one deadline date that was off last year), as well as useful service organizations for playwrights, and for those who haven't realized that a play is not a screnplay, always a lesson on formatting.

The Theater Communications Group puts out a lot of useful publications, but this one is at the top of my list.

The title of this book is completely appropriate, though Dramtists Bible would also work. Every contest, every writers colony, every major theater company in America is to be found within these pages. It is perfectly mapped out and the details are wonderfully woven. I recommend this to the beginner playwright as well as the Tony winner. Bravo.

The Dramatists' Sourcebook is truly an invaluable resourse for anyone who writes for theatre. Hundreds and hundreds of entries for production, development, awards, and much more make this one of the most important books in my library. I highly recommend it for all playwrights, lyricists, and librettists.

This book is simply a must-have for anyone seeking the life of the working playwright. It's succinct, informative, and offers a wealth of information on grants, theatres, contests, and other opportunities.

My one minor complaint would be that the Sourcebook lacks almost any real information on proper play submission formatting (despite the fact that the book touts this assistance heavily on its covers).

As most theatres routinely point writers in the direction of the Sourcebook to answer such questions, it's a disappointment to find that the Sourcebook's _entire_ section on formatting consists of: one line of sample dialogue, followed by a somewhat confusing short paragraph which verbally describes formatting in vague terms as being essentially the same as those for screenplays -- and that's it. As I've been misled before on preferred formats for play (versus screenplay) submissions, a single sample page would have been an invaluable help.

But that's just one small complaint. And as a reference and information source, the Sourcebook is still a must-buy.

This collection of plays has the ability to satisfy both the comic and tragic needs of any dramatic reader. Silver's ability to write dark comedy is perhaps unparalleled by any living playwright. He has the skill to smoothly draw the reader into an entertaining story, and then to slowly put the reader off-guard until you find yourself wrapped up in the middle of a very dark narrative.

Silver uses many different theatrical approaches in the collection. Most of his plays are a mix of dialogue and monolgue, and he often takes modernist perspectives of staging. In any given play he will engage two opposing dramatic styles -- such as Noel Coward v. Berthold Brecht in Free Will and Wanton Lust -- to accentuate his message. The playwright's language flows easily and the dialogue is smooth. While some characters at times appear to have a forced three-dimensionality, the reader feels that Silver is doing this on purpose.

The greatest benefit of Silver's gift is that, through comedy and the guise of comedy, he is able to present otherwise difficult subjects to us, such as deeper meanings of love and hate, loneliness, self-denial, and spiritual needs. Recommended for all theatre fans.

This anthology is a good introduction to Nicky Silver. It provides the reader with a well-rounded overview of Silver's work, and I enjoyed reading the author's own comments on the plays in the introduction.

When I was a theatre student I rarely found plays that excited me to actually want to read, direct, or act in. I was on a crusade one year buying script after script after script. Usually I would be bored and put them down after the first scene. When I picked up Etiquette and Vitriol I think I almost died. Here was a gay playwright who didn't write your normal "I'm ok and I'm gay" play. He writes about the deconstruction of families and relationships. He has an amazing ability to give you something so horribly disgusting and then to make you laugh at it. Like in FAT MEN IN SKIRTS which is a dark comedy about a mother and son who are trapped on a desert island and their struggles to survive and their inability to acclimate back to civilized culture. At the end of the first act the mother is raped by the son and in the back ground you here Bali Hai from SOUTH PACIFIC, if you get the reference of the song there is almost no way you can stop from laughing but then you realize what you are laughing at. That is the brilliance of his writing. I highly recommend all of his works!

Nicky Silver's work will in time be noticed by the masses. For now, his plays will intrigue and entertain the relatively small number of people that pays allegiance to them. Etiquette and Vitriol is a well-shaped, fully engaging product. And it's funny. Extremely. It's hillarious really. And textured and smart. The work brings in characters of all sizes, and plants them together upon the stage, focusing on relationships -- familial, social, sexual... Each of the plays is hardly cluttered however. We are given a few figures to work with and thus these figures must be and are quite complex. They carry with them a certain authenticity often unrealized by many a playwright. Silver's work is impressive and sure to make jealous any aspiring artist. Buy the book. You'll love it.

if you buy no other anthology this year...you must own this one. nicky silver remains one of the american theatre's funniest, smartest, most exciting writers. if you like your comedy served up with the occassional gut-punch, you can't go wrong. exciting, viscerally engaging, challenging...i can't say enough. this is a collection of plays bound to endure.

This product was a pleasure to listen to as I was driving down the road. Light enough to listen to and not get each word. The stories were riviting to listen to.

Great mysteries! Had me thinking about who done it! Father Gilbert is great.

This is good mystery series by Focus on the Familly, as are most of thier Radio Theatre stories are!

This product is excellent. The quality is great and was shipped well. Great buy!

Focus on the family has brought back theater to radio. I remember listening to stories on the radio when I was a kid; it stirred my imagination. The stories weren't dramatized as these were. Focus on the family has done an outstanding job bringing stories to our ears with good production. There are two stories in this set: 1. The Play is the Thing and 2. The Grey Lady. All stories have a mystery (obviously!). The ending are not so predictable. They are very good stories though. I haven't found anything like it. Of course, you could listen to book on tapes, but they are just plain boring!

I absolutely love these mysteries on tape. They are very well written and superbly acted. I agree with the previous reviewer; books on tape are plain boring, but these draw you in and keep you guessing until the very end. My favorite is the Grey Lady; very creepy and suspenseful story telling at its best!

The book was in very good condition and shipped quickly. I paid about $20 less than my college's bookstore was charging for it.

Definitely a must-have in all drama classes. Don't recycle the same old exercises which have nothing to do with the world around us - the work of Boal is accessible and important to students of the theater of all ages.

This text is an essential publication for any drama practitioner, teacher, actor. It encloses many unique activities that vary in levels of ability that enable the participants to explore various facets within drama/ theatre.

A DEFINATE MUST HAVE!!!

This text represents a valuable introduction to the theories and practice of Augusto Boal. GFA, unlike its predecessor the Theatre of the Oppressed, contains practical exercises as well as an introduction to the important theoretical work of Boal. Boal's major innovations (such as Forum Theatre and Image Theatre) are introduced, discussed, and illustrated with examples, thus effectively allowing the reader to enter into the dialogue of using and refining the techniques. I would recommend this to any performer, artist, educator, or theatre worker who is unfamiliar with the work of Boal, and seeks new methods of understanding and transforming practice, and empowering both audience and participants.

This book has given me several tools to use in my Sunday School class on the gospel of Mark. It helped the group of college students and adults, really get a more embodied sense of the gospel story, human ethics and Christian theology. If you are looking to do something different in your church, buy this book!

I'll admit (and, probably, commit) the tediousness of many reviewers. Sanctimonious and certain, they often slash and burn their way across a landscape that they know only as outsiders. But now and then you find someone who understands a topic deeply, has experience in it, and a sharp and humane eye, all while being amusing. I'd place John Heilpern in this category if his work didn't do so itself.

Theater critic for the New York Observer, Heilpern is passionate about the topic, has seen his own plays produced, and has an unusually keep wit. Although his latest book is a biography of the British playwright, John Osborne, I came across How Good Is David Mamet, Anyway?, which came out in 1999, in a used book store. I'll confess to never having read Heilpern's work before - it was the title that got me, as I'm not the world's largest Mamet fan, at least in the non-fiction of his that I've read of late. And it's fairly unusual for someone in the theatrical community to take on a contemporary icon.

But take him on Heilpern did, as well as writers at the New York Times, American anglophilia, Disney Land (the new name for Broadway), and other topics. At the same time, he's anything but mean-spirited. Many of his pieces put praise where he thinks it's due and tries to analyze what is good and bad about productions. Many of his observations run from the droll to the uproariously funny. And where else can you get a delightful transcript of a lunch between Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson.

If you've any regard for theater, or for intelligent criticism of any sort, you should be tickled with this book. Now I'll have to get hold of a copy of his Osborne biography.

I read this book, found some of the most entertaining, informative and lively criticism I've ever encountered, and came to this page to see what others were saying about it. Reading the slams by Booklist and Kirkus made me wonder if I'd completely misunderstood "How Good Is David Mamet, Anyway?" But then I read the raves from Salon and Tony Kushner and other readers, and wondered who the heck is reviewing for Booklist and Kirkus. Booklist calls it "daily journalism," but then the NY Observer apparently is a weekly. It's amusing that Kirkus ends its review recommending a trip to the theater--if their writer got out more, he or she might notice on a theater marquee that it's NOEL Coward, not NOL. (Sorry, my keyboard can't make the little double dots to go with the correct spelling.) A howler like that basically nolifies the rest of the review. You won't be seeing the collected works of either of these critics appearing in bookstores anytime soon.

John Heilpern is without question the best critic of his generation, and his reviews in the weekly "New York Observer" can't be beat! Make plans to buy this collection from the most important living theater critic and England's best export since Archie Leach!

John Heilpern is without question the best critic of his generation, and his reviews in the weekly "New York Observer" can't be beat! Make plans to buy this collection from the most important living theater critic and England's best export since Archie Leach!

At last, readers beyond the subscription list of the New York Observer have the opportunity to read one of the most gifted--and funniest--writers around. As it happens, this book is a collection of his writing on theater (save for the non-theatrical, though rivetingly dramatic, account of Heilpern's struggle with a murderous roommate named Jack the Cat), but this work is a delight for anyone who appreciates finely tuned yet uproarious humor, a handsome prose style and a sensibility that is at once erudite, entertaining and inviting. How good is John Heilpern's "How Good Is David Mamet, Anyway?" anyway? Peerless.

If you're one of those people that think only of Kaye Ballard as one of the "Mothers-In-Law" from TV, or that funny album with the balloons on it, treat yourself to her wonderful autobiography, "How I Lost 10 Pounds in 53 Years.!" Not only a fascinating story of the lady herself, but a warm-hearted look at practically the history of show business (Vaudeville, Broadway, Night Clubs, movies, radio & television). She's done it all, and you'll meet your favorites (and a few not-so) as only someone who's been there and done it can tell. Best of all, Kaye is her honest and humble self (What? A star with humility?) Yup, throughout her illustrious career, she's still the star-struck kid in Cleveland's RKO Palace worshiping the idols on the silver screen, and dreaming of Hollywood. Haven't we all been there? Starting as a teenager, performing in a Chinese restaurant (it's funny already!), through to today's still very active cancer-surviving octogenarian, here's Kaye at her funny, loveable best, sharing her successes and disappointments in one of the best autobiographies in a long, long time! Read it, you'' love it!

Loved it. Wish she had written more, could read her stories forever!!!! She is too funny...

I recently read Ms. Ballard's memoir in 10 days while I was staying with my parents as my mother recovered from knee replacement surgery. It was the perfect book to read during this time--very funny and light--but also an honest, heartfelt tale. If you don't know who Kaye Ballard is, well, you should. She's a wonderful comic actress who's starred in films (The Ritz), on TV (Cinderella, The Doris Day Show, The Mothers-in-Law) and on stage (The Golden Apple, Carnival, The Pirates of Penzance, Follies). I saw her perform back in the '90s in a small cabaret called Toulouse in Chicago (now sadly closed). It was a horrible snowy night--and my friends and I were the only ones who braved the elements to see her show. And so Ms. Ballard--being the classy, talented dame that she is--performed for us. We all LOVED her--and you will LOVE her book. The lady knows how to write an honest, entertaining account of her fascinating life. So sit back, relax and let Kaye tell you all about her legendary 60-year career. You'll have a wonderful time--I know I did.

I enjoyed reading this book very much - it gave real insight into the life of a single woman in show business. Kaye is a fantastic personality and very honest in this book about her career and friendshiips. She is a real lady with a great sense of humor. Nice photos too of some old favorites when they were younger. I would definitely buy this book again. A+

Kaye Ballard's name is well known in show business: she's performed in burlesque, nightclubs, big bands, and stage and here provides a memoir packed with anecdotes from her career. Her upbeat memoir comes packed with anecdotes from her 50-year career and will prove a real treat for any familiar with either Kaye Ballard's career or the world of stage and TV.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch