Theatre Books

I bought this book after seeing the show, and decided to use some songs in auditions. This book is very good because they give you most of the songs from the musical. Most of the songs are in there but not all of the reprises are there. The confusing part of the book is the fact that they don't give the names of the characters singing the songs. Clear and easy to read music adds to the benefits of this book! Great for those just learning to read music. Would be challenging for a beginning pianist.

All the great songs needed to audition for the show!

Though I had read Eric Bentley's compilation of the HUAC hearings ("Thirty Years of Treason"), it was not as chilling as this dramatic reenactment of some of the more intriguing testimony. I wish it were on a CD instead of an audio tape, however.

Spy's? History? Real life? What could be better? Beautifully acted!!

The Art of Play is a marvelous tool to accompany any artisitic endeavor that involves actors dealing directly and intimately with their audience. I found the techniques in the book to be clear and useful. Nothing extraneous or difficult to understand. Suddenly the world of intereative improvisation makes sense to me. I would recommend this book and it's companion, "Acting Interactive Theater" to anyone who is at all involved with this very popular method of entertainment. This second book really lays out the entire rehearsal process, complete with 150 excercises to get your troupe into shape. Mr. Izzo knows what he is talking about and very obviously has the experience from which to draw his worthy opinions. I have told all of my contemporaries in the interactive theater community as well as teaching colleauges to purchase this book and put it to use immediately. Never before has a book been so clear on this particular area of theater and improvisation. Sincerely, Niomi Lundy, Artistic Director, Parade of Fools Improv and Dinner Shows, New York, NY

Yes, I'm biased. I've worked with Gary for several years. But, I have not found another book that states so clearly the goals and purpose of interactive theatre. The techinique is invaluable, whether you choose to follow as written or modify to your own style. Most importantly, the book stresses how INCLUSIVE interactive theatre should and can be. Extremely valuable to those interested in working Renaissance Festivals. I would also recommend the book to educators looking for a new, theatrical way to spark their students' curiosity.

"The Art of Play" should be the foundation upon which you build your approach to interactive theatre.

This production by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre was a great pleasure to listen to. The miles in car passed as I listened to this great production.

Again, Radio Theatre by Focus on the Family has exceeded our expections with "At the Back of the North Wind." We listen over and over again to all of their radio theatre productions. So much fun to listen to in the car! It's as if you're watching a movie, except you get to use a little imagination.

Whether you are an avid theater-goer, a Shakespeare fan, a playwright (or wanna be), Simon's experience and insight will engage your mind and offer new perspectives on how drama works - interactions back and forth between writer and audience, by way of live actors. Fascinating thinking about many ways that the theater experience is different than that of the big or small screens.
As a result, Simon has penetrating insights for authors working in ANY medium - and for all students of human behavior and relationships. To top it off, his personable, comfortable writing style makes the reader right at home -- like speaking with a companion (albeit a highly seasoned one) along for an entire theater evening.
In the course of the book, Simon helps the reader understand better why great theater grips (and moves and aggravates and CHANGES) us: drawing from Shakespeare, Chekov, Stoppard, Translations... and even back to Oedipus. Just about anyone in any stage of theater experience will benefit from Simon's grasp of the dynamic part that is played in theater by YOU. I'll be rereading this little volume numerous times to reflect on why and how these masterpieces work their wonders on me.

The writing is simple, candid and congenial -- the insights are extraordinary. Mayo Simon has explained how theatre works, and in doing so, articulates in fascinating detail all the intuitive feelings you may have had when going to a play. Understanding how theatre works is no small thing, and this book stands alongside Aristotle's Poetics in getting the job done... only THE AUDIENCE & THE PLAYWRIGHT is infinitely more engaging and entertaining. Mr. Simon weaves his perspective as if he's guiding you through an evening at the theatre, and illuminates his insights with dozens of examples from contemporary stage experiences. This book is a must read for anyone who loves theatre, likes theatre or just wants to know more. It would also be great for college and high school literature and theatre classes, indispensible to writers and playwights, and a fabulous addition to the bookstores and premium offerings of regional theatres around the world.

5 stars for one of the most significant literary/theatrical endeavors of the last century, August Wilson's cycle of ten plays, a decade-by-decade chronicle of ordinary African-American family life from 1900-2000, elevated to the extraordinary by some of the most powerful poetic diction ever to grace the American stage; Wilson was the successor and peer of Eugene O'Neill and Tenessee Williams, refracted through the sensibility of James Baldwin. The bars, the churches, the backporch, the white-picket fence front yard, the crack-vial strewn alleys, the jails, the recording studios, the ballparks, this was the terrain Wilson took us through, no place was alien to him, every character, old , young, male, female, upwardly mobile, downwardly spiraling, or just holding on, saint and sinner had their gospel and blues-drenched monologue/moment in the spotlight. These ten linked plays are essential reading, and bear in mind Wilson kept himself alive while through sheer force of will while in the throes of a terminal illness to make sure he finished the cycle. And for the first time ever, all ten have been housed in one volume.

So why oh why has the tome been priced in the three figures, beyond the scope of the very people who would most benefit by reading it? A sin and a shame...one star to the publisher, Mr. Wilson's estate, whoever thought this gouging was necessary.

Having read all these plays as they emerged in print, having seen many of them on stage over the past 23 years, and having just had the ecstatic experience of witnessing all ten plays in the cycle performed in chronological order at the Kennedy Center in Washington, I confess a strong bias in this review! I believe that every literate American should have this set on his or her bookshelf. It will provoke laughter and tears, stir the mystic chords that bind all people together regardless of race or status, and provide the satisfying recognition that -- while life is an inscrutable mystery -- it is also a rich and rewarding adventure.

I'm iterested in the book. I don't know how to get some information about it before buying it. If by this "rewiew" you can give me some, i will appreciate it. Thank you. I'm interested in everything connected with art movements before and after the world war I ( and II)

I'm iterested in the book. I don't know how to get some information about it before buying it. If by this "rewiew" you can give me some, i will appreciate it. Thank you. I'm interested in everything connected with art movements before and after the world war I ( and II)

Rivka Katvan, whose photography has been seen many times in many places, is honest, poigniant and natural. You see actors at their most natural and human, and the quotes the actors have provided are all great. I have also found a wonderful, inspirational poem on Christiane Noll's dressing mirror. I reccomend the book simply for that, if for no other reason.

The first thing I have to say is- I adore this book. I received it a few days ago, and it makes a lovely addition to my coffee table. Everyone who has come into my house since has commented on it. The photography is clever, as we often see numerous photographs taken of various productions onstage, but not nearly as many taken from the perpective of life backstage.

Each photograph has an interesting artistic viewpoint (one of Jim Dale putting on makeup for Barnum sticks on vividly in my mind), and they give you not only insight on the actor's personality, but also on the personalities that each actor gives his or her character. The book also contains interesting quotes from the actors represented, and insightful commentary on life backstage. All in all, this book is a really wonderful addition to anyone's theatre collection, one of the first I've seen to really dive into the actor's life backstage.

Barefoot In The Park is the complete and unabridged ninety minute audiobook presentation of a classic Neil Simon romantic comedy. Wonderfully performed by Laura Linney and Eric Stoltz, Barefoot In The Park is the flawlessly recorded production that tells the story of a new lawyer and his young bride, the adventures and foibles in beginning married life, complicated by an uptight mother-in-law and an eccentric gourmet chef who lives in a loft on the roof of their apartment (their window ledge is the only access to his padlocked premises). A superb choice for any personal, school, or community audiobook collection, Barefoot In The Park is also available in a CD format...

I first heard of this play from my good friend, who happened to see it performed in Central Park. I later saw this old copy of the play laying around my high school stage office, and picked it up, remembering my friends mention of it... upon finishing the play (within two days, I could NOT put it down) I realized I have NEVER laughed so hard outloud while reading any sort of literature.. it is witty, comical, and softly but lovingly expressing the hardships of the first days of marriage and living together with your beloved. I highly highly highly recommend picking this up for a mood-lifter, or just a good laugh. It is light and entertaining and very cute!

I cannot imagine my life without the influence of Jack MacGowran as a crucial part of it. Young does an excellent job of bringing this amazing actor's life and work to the reader. But, after reading the book, please take the time to discover what Jack did best: Bringing the works of Samuel Beckett to life.

My interest in Irish theatre brought me to this book. What a find! A fascinating look at a fascinating actor. The author brings alive the work and times of MacGowran. A well-researched and thorough work recommended for any student of theatre. I was especially impressed with the variety of interview subjects. Made me do a search for MacGowran's available work on video. While not a big fan of Beckett, I was impressed by the relationship between the playwright and this ultimate interpreter of his works.