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Broadway Bookshelf

Biographies, show books, musical scores, history, and must-read theatre books.
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The World of Theatre: Tradition and Innovation (11/29/2005)

The World of Theatre is the first introduction to theatre book to truly focus on diversity and globalism, integrating coverage of multicultural, international and experimental theatre throughout. Theatre is presented as a global and multicultural form that reflects both traditional and evolving world views. While the American commercial theatre and European forms are central to the text, alternative theatres are placed side by side for comparison and contrast in each chapter, thus avoiding the s... 		The World of Theatre: Tradition and Innovation Cover
The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama (6/25/2003)

Known through three editions as the boldest and most distinguished introduction to drama, William Worthen's pace-setting text continues to provide exciting plays usefully situated within their historical and cultural contexts. 		The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama Cover
Theatre World 1994-1995, Vol. 51 (1/1/2000)

Theatre World, the statistical and pictorial record of the Broadway and off-Broadway season, touring companies, and professional regional companies throughout the United States, has become a classic in its field. The book is complete with cast listings, replacement producers, directors, authors, composers, opening and closing dates, song titles, and much, much more. There are special sections with biographical data, obituary information, listings of annual Shakespeare festivals and major drama a... 		Theatre World 1994-1995, Vol. 51 Cover
Theatre World 1993-1994, Vol. 50 (1/1/2000)

Theatre World, the statistical and pictorial record of the Broadway and off-Broadway season, touring companies, and professional regional companies throughout the United States, has become a classic in its field. The book is complete with cast listings, replacement producers, directors, authors, composers, opening and closing dates, song titles, and much, much more. There are special sections with biographical data, obituary information, listings of annual Shakespeare festivals and major drama a... 		Theatre World 1993-1994, Vol. 50 Cover
The Social Significance of Modern Drama (1/1/2000)

Out of print virtually since its completion in 1914, Emma Goldman's pioneer work Social Significance in Modern Drama bridges modern drama and political philosophy, pointing out the road that remains to be travelled toward a theatre of social empowerment. Activist, feminist, philosopher and anarchist, Emma Goldman was a passionate thinker about all things modern when the 20th century was still raw and new. The emergence of her treatise on the theatre after years of obscurity is certain to arouse ... 		The Social Significance of Modern Drama Cover
Polaroid Stories (1/1/1999)

Naomi Iizuka’s 1997 play, Polaroid Stories, consciously uses stories, characters and themes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses to tell the stories of street kids living on the edge in a desolate, urban landscape. Because these characters are named after Orpheus and Eurydice, and Echo and Narcissus, or based on stories of Dionysus, and Ariadne and Theseus, and because scenes are entitled “The Story of Semele” or “Theseus in the Labyrinth,” Iizuka creates a world that has two dimensions: the g... 		Polaroid Stories Cover
Cymbeline (12/31/1969)

Surrounded by historical myth and intrigue, Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" weaves an elaborate tale of palatial envy and power. Cymbeline, King of Britain, commands the wedlock of his lovely daughter Imogen to Cloten, the son of the Queen by a former husband. With her passionate eyes set upon the poor yet heroic Posthumus, Imogen refuses. Disgusted at the prospect of his daughter marrying a lower class citizen, Cymbeline banishes Posthumus from Britain. With death and deceit between them, Imogen an... 		Cymbeline Cover
The Truth (12/31/1969)

While filling his pages with reports of local club meetings and pictures of humorously shaped vegetables, William accidentally discovers dark forces plotting to overthrow the city's ruler. 		The Truth Cover
It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here: My Journey Through Show Business [ (12/31/1969)

"In this ebullient, often rancorous autobiography, the stage, film and TV actor describes vividly the hassles that cost him the plum role in The Graduate and numerous other setbacks before he starred in The Heartbreak Kid . Instructive and entertaining, his story includes tidbits on Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Roman Po lanski, Ellen Burstyn, Simon & Garfunkel, and many other luminaries, none more intriguing than the un sinkable Grodin," said PW. Photos. 		It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here: My Journey Through Show Business [ Cover
The Studio (12/31/1969)

In 1967, John Gregory Dunne asked for unlimited access to the inner workings of Twentieth Century Fox. Miraculously, he got it. For one year Dunne went everywhere there was to go and talked to everyone worth talking to within the studio. He tracked every step of the creation of pictures like "Dr. Dolittle," "Planet of the Apes," and "The Boston Strangler." The result is a work of reportage that, thirty years later, may still be our most minutely observed and therefore most uproariously funny po... 		The Studio Cover
Luis Valdez Early Works: Actos, Bernabe and Pensamiento Serpentino (12/31/1969)

This collection is actually three books in one: 1) a collection of one-act plays by the famous farmwork theatre, El Teatro Campesino and its director, Luis Valdez, 2) one of the first fully realized, full-length plays by Valdez alone, and 3) an original narrative poem by Luis Valdez. 		Luis Valdez Early Works: Actos, Bernabe and Pensamiento Serpentino Cover
Junk (12/31/1969)

Tar loves Gemma, but Gemma doesn't want to be tied down - not to anyone or anything. Gemma wants to fly. But no one can fly forever. One day, somehow, finally you have to come down. Commissioned and produced by Oxford Stage Company, Junk premiered at The Castle, Wellingborough, in January 1998 and went on to tour throughout the UK in 1998 and 1999. 		Junk Cover
The Collected Works of Paddy Chayefsky: The Television Plays (12/31/1969)

A collection of six television plays by this brilliant writer: "Holiday Song," "PrinterÕs Measure," "The Big Deal," "Marty," "The Mother," and "The Bachelor Party." Includes an introduction and notes for each play by the author himself. 		The Collected Works of Paddy Chayefsky: The Television Plays Cover
The Best American Short Plays 2007-2008 (12/31/1969)

Applause is proud to continue the series that for over 60 years has been the standard of excellence for one-act plays in America. Our editor Barbara Parisi has selected the following 14 plays: A Roz by Any Other Name and Weird, by B. T. Ryback; Bricklayers Poet, by Joe Maruzzo; Laundry and Lies, by Adam Kraar; Light, by Jeni Mahoney; House of the Holy Moment, by Cary Pepper; The Disruptive, Discursive Delusions of Donald, by Michael Roderick; The Perfect Relationship, by Jill Elaine Hughes; The... 		The Best American Short Plays 2007-2008 Cover
Group Improvisation: The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games (12/31/1969)

Who would have thought that participating in group improvisation could be so enlightening and rewarding! Peter Gwinn has developed The Group Mind at Improv Olympic in Chicago to create a new awareness in the mind and spirit of acting students and professionals. Over forty improvisation games are included for developing group chemistry: creation, bonding, dynamics, energy, focus and more. Techniques are discussed for breaking the ice, agreement, listening and support, teamwork, quick thinking and... 		Group Improvisation: The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games Cover
The Contrast (12/31/1969)

The Contrast, written in 1787 by Royall Tyler, is an American play in the tradition of the English Restoration comedies of the seventeenth century; it takes its cue from Sheridan's The School for Scandal, a British comedy of manners that had revived that tradition a decade before. Royall uses the form to satirize Americans who follow British fashions and indulge in 'British vices'. Thus, the play is often concerned with portraying the contrast between Europe and America. The Contrast marks the... 		The Contrast Cover
Monologues for Actors of Color: Women (12/31/1969)

This collection features 45 monologues excerpted from contemporary plays and specially geared for actors of color. Robert Uno has carefully selected the monologues so that there is a wide-range of ethnicities included: African American, Native American, Latino and Asian American. Each monologue comes with an iintroduction with notes on the characters and stage directions to set the scene for the actor. 		Monologues for Actors of Color: Women Cover
Unmarked: The Politics of Performance (12/31/1969)

InUnmarked, Peggy Phelan examines the relationship between political and representational visibility and invisibility within both mainstream culture and the avant-garde. Her controversial study of the politics of performance uses theories of psychoanalysis, feminism and cultural studies to examine issues in photography, film, theatre, anti-abortion demonstrations and performance art. Unmarked is a boldly speculative analysis of contemporary culture and will be of interest to performance theorist... 		Unmarked: The Politics of Performance Cover
Titanic: A New Musical (12/31/1969)

Titanic is a musical with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone that opened on Broadway in 1997. It won five Tony Awards including the award for Best Musical. Titanic is set on the ocean liner RMS Titanic which sank on its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912. 		Titanic: A New Musical Cover
Liveness: Performance in a Mediatized Culture (12/31/1969)

Liveness: Performance in a Mediatized Culture addresses what may be the single most important question facing all kinds of performance today. What is the status of live performance in a culture dominated by mass media? Since its first appearance, Philip Auslander's ground-breaking book has helped to reconfigure a new area of study. Looking at specific instances of live performance such as theatre, rock music, sport, and courtroom testimony, Liveness offers penetrating insights into media cult... 		Liveness: Performance in a Mediatized Culture Cover
King John (12/31/1969)

Satire, comedy and farce all play their part in this exploration and examination of the nature and responsibilities of kingship and the concept of the nation-state. 		King John Cover
The Vocal Arts Workbook + DVD: A practical course for developing the expressive range of your voice (12/31/1969)

This practical workbook and DVD helps actors to fully develop expressive voice skills to communicate thoughts and feelings with precision and power. At the heart of the book are practical projects, with examples supplied on the accompanying DVD, which enables you to: -connect your breath with your voice -meet the demands of your performance -use your voice expressively with pitch and range Each chapter consists of an introductory Framework; Explorations; Exercises; Follow Up work; Sugges... 		The Vocal Arts Workbook + DVD: A practical course for developing the expressive range Cover
Musical Stages: An Autobiography (12/31/1969)

A new edition to commemorate the legendary composer's 100th birthday. From Oklahoma! to Carousel, The Sound of Music to The King and I, the sights and sounds of Broadway were dominated by Richard Rodgers for the better part of the twentieth century. And now, on the centenary of his birth, comes a new edition of his classic autobiography. "A memoir worthy of one of the great names in the American theater" (Washington Post), it's packed with backstage tales of everyone's favorite musicals. 		Musical Stages: An Autobiography Cover
Actor Training the Laban Way: An Integrated Approach to Voice, Speech, and Movement (12/31/1969)

Individual, partner, and group exercises to make any actor more expressive * Crucial acting tips based on the work of distinguished theorist Rudolf Laban * 65 original illustrations of anatomy and warm-up exercises Actors, improve your skills and become more expressive in body and voice by following the teachings of Rudolf Laban, one of the most important movement theorists of the twentieth century. This in-depth, fully illustrated guide offers a groundbreaking approach to understanding phys... 		Actor Training the Laban Way: An Integrated Approach to Voice, Speech, and Movement Cover
Darling Judi: A Celebration of Judi Dench (12/31/1969)

A tribute to the acclaimed British actress. 		Darling Judi: A Celebration of Judi Dench Cover
The Way of Acting: The Theatre Writings of Tadashi Suzuki (12/31/1969)

Widely considered the most influential contemporary theatre director in Japan, Tadashi Suzuki provides a thorough and accessible formulation of his ideas and beliefs, and insights into his training methods — the Suzuki Method of Actor Training (not to be confused with the violin training technique). His method of training actors has been taught in the United States since the early eighties. Some programs which employ this method in their training of actors include the Juilliard School, Col... 		The Way of Acting: The Theatre Writings of Tadashi Suzuki Cover
AS I AM (12/31/1969)

By age 21 the self-confident, determined, Southern-bred actress had starred in a Broadway hit, won a Tony, was "the toast of New York" and was featured on a Life coveronly the first of many triumphs in a celebrity life. In this account written "to reclaim the past that was stolen," Neal writes candidly about her numerous love affairs, both transient and profound, such as a liaison with Gary Cooper and her 25-year marriage to writer Roald Dahl. More arresting are the tragedies that beset her, in... 		AS I AM Cover
Don Giovanni (12/31/1969)

Standard Italian libretto, with complete English translation. Convenient and thoroughly portable—an ideal companion for reading along with a recording or the performance itself. Introduction. List of Characters. Plot Summary. 		Don Giovanni Cover
Performing Literary Texts: Concepts and Skills (12/31/1969)

PERFORMING LITERARY TEXTS (WITH INFOTRAC) gives you the skills and strategies you need for success in your oral interpretation course. Offering a performance-oriented approach, you'll see you to take into account the audience and the occasion as well as diversity and culture as it relates to performance, storytelling, and analysis. You'll also learn to cope with performance anxiety, Performing Literary Texts provides you with what you need to effectively perform and analyze literary texts for di... 		Performing Literary Texts: Concepts and Skills Cover
The Technique of Acting (12/31/1969)

Adler, among the most acclaimed actresses and teachers of acting, has written a dynamic book that is sure to become a classic. After the forward by former pupil Marlon Brando, Adler explains her technique, which is based on the methods of Stanislavskishe was a student of the famous Russian. The 12 chapters cover goals, body and speech control, imagination, action, and character; the book also includes a very useful listing of scenes from well-known plays. Adler made her stage debut in 1906 at th... 		The Technique of Acting Cover
Making It on Broadway: Actors' Tales of Climbing to the Top (12/31/1969)

Countering the misperceptions about Broadway performers leading glamorous lives, the words of more than 150 Broadway stars provide unprecedented insight into their struggle for stardom. With an introduction by Jason Alexander and candid interviews with today's most celebrated Broadway stars, this book offers stories to entertain and astonish theater lovers, as well as serve as a sobering reality check for those considering careers on the stage. This book shares firsthand accounts of professional... 		Making It on Broadway: Actors' Tales of Climbing to the Top Cover
The Duchess of Malfi (12/31/1969)

The evils of greed and ambition overwhelm love, innocence, and the bonds of kinship in this dark tragedy concerning the secret marriage of a noblewoman and a commoner. John Webster’s great Jacobean drama detailing the fiendish schemes of two brothers who desire their wealthy sister’s title and estates ends with a bloody and horrifying climax. A dynamic plot brimming with poetic lyricism, this provocative and profoundly original work will appeal to general readers, students, and teachers of ... 		The Duchess of Malfi Cover
It's Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks (12/31/1969)

Parish, author of many books including Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story and Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flaps), here traces the life and career of mirthmaker Mel Brooks from the Borscht Belt to Broadway. Born Melvin Kaminsky, he grew up as a Brooklyn classroom clown, honing his stage skills in the Catskills before arriving in WWII France as an army combat engineer. The bombastic Brooks clawed his way into early television as a writer for Sid Caesar: "I was aggressive. I was a terr... 		It's Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks Cover
Process: An Improviser's Journey (12/31/1969)

Author, teacher, and improviser Michael Gellman was given a mission by Del Close himself: “[T]o create improvised one-act plays of literary quality from scratch.” Already steeped in the world of improvisation, he took it upon himself to do this, in the form of a class for other improvisers in which they would build the skills necessary to execute such a seemingly tall order. Scruggs and Gellman’s book, modeled after Stanislavski’s timeless An Actor Prepares, follows a fictional young act... 		Process: An Improviser's Journey Cover
A Source Book in Theatrical History: Twenty-five centuries of stage history in more than 300 basic documents and other primary material (12/31/1969)

A rich resource for students of theater and theater historians, this volume features an annotated collection of more than 300 unusually interesting and detailed articles. Passages by contemporary observers from ancient Greece to modern times include notes on acting, directing, make-up, costuming, stage props, machinery, scene design, and much more. 		A Source Book in Theatrical History: Twenty-five centuries of stage history in more t Cover
Julie Taymor: Playing with Fire (12/31/1969)

Since the first edition of this work appeared in 1995, Julie Taymor's fame as one of the world's most imaginative theatrical director/designers has expanded beyond avant-garde cognescenti to the general public with her mega-hit Broadway adaptation of Disney's The Lion King and, most recently, her first feature film, Titus, based on the bloodiest of Shakespeare's tragedies. Still in her forties, Taymor is the recipient of a MacArthur "genius" grant and the first woman to win a Tony Award for dire... 		Julie Taymor: Playing with Fire Cover
A More Perfect Ten: Writing and Producing the Ten-Minute Play (12/31/1969)

A More Perfect Ten is a revision of Gary Garrison's pioneering book on writing and producing the 10-minute play, and it is now the most authoritative book on this emerging play form. The 10-minute play has become a regular feature of theatre companies and festivals from coast to coast, and Garrison has distilled the advice of many of those people who had been instrumental in promoting the ten minute play for the last few years. Replete with advice and tips on creating the successful 10-minute p... 		A More Perfect Ten: Writing and Producing the Ten-Minute Play Cover
Uncle Vanya (12/31/1969)

So, what happens in Uncle Vanya? Not much; just life, played out over four acts. There are rich people, and there are people who work for the rich people, whom the rich people don't really care about. There is a gun fired in anger and desperation, but there aren't any bodies to carry off stage. There are men making fools of themselves over women. There are those who accept their fates and wait for their rewards in heaven, and there are others who don't care one way or another. There is a charac... 		Uncle Vanya Cover
The Oresteia of Aeschylus (12/31/1969)

In the last year of his life, Ted Hughes completed translations of three major dramatic works: Racine's Phedre, Euripedes' Alcestis, and the trilogy of plays known as at The Oresteia, a family story of astonishing power and the background or inspiration for much subsequent drama, fiction, and poetry. The Oresteia--Agamemnon, Choephori, and the Eumenides--tell the story of the house of Atreus: After King Agamemnon is murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, their son, Orestes, is commanded by Apol... 		The Oresteia of Aeschylus Cover
The Sound of Their Music: The Story of Rodgers and Hammerstein (12/31/1969)

The greatest partnership in the history of the musical, captured in print, wonderfully illustrated. For this new edition, the book has been completely rewritten and substantially expanded to include material on Rodgers' early career with Lorenz Hart as well as his later work, and also features recollections from such theatrical titans as Sheldon Harnick, Martin Charnin, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents. Also, a completely new appendix reveals the details of the continuing worldwide phenomen... 		The Sound of Their Music: The Story of Rodgers and Hammerstein Cover
George Gershwin: An Intimate Portrait (12/31/1969)

George Gershwin lived with purpose and gusto, but with melancholy as well, for he was unable to make a place for himself--no family of his own and no real home in music. He and his siblings received little love from their mother and no direction from their father. Older brother and lyricist Ira managed to create a home when he married Leonore Strunsky, a hard-edged woman who lived for wealth and status. The closest George came to domesticity was through his longtime relationship with Kay Swi... 		George Gershwin: An Intimate Portrait Cover
Mary Stuart (12/31/1969)

Many have told the tragic tale of Mary Queen of Scots - it is irresistible - but none more powerfully than Friedrich Schiller. Like Mary Stuart herself and the legends which pursued her to her death, Schiller's drama continues to captivate the modern imagination nearly two centuries later. Eric Bentley's lean, forceful rendering of the German masterpiece will command the attention of theatre audiences for years to come. 		Mary Stuart Cover
The Monologue Audition: A Practical Guide for Actors (12/31/1969)

A founder of the Atlantic Theater Company, where she now teaches, and an acclaimed director, Karen Kohlhaas exposes what auditors are looking for in The Monologue Audition, the first book of its kind to show actors how to stage monologues using specific, step-by-step directing and acting techniques. Applicable to auditions for theaters, agents, casting directors, and training programs, this is an indispensable guide for any actor looking to master their audition approach. 		The Monologue Audition: A Practical Guide for Actors Cover
The Savoy Operas: The Complete Gilbert and Sullivan (12/31/1969)

A treasury of all fourteen of the beloved Savoy Operas GILBERT AND SULLIVAN’S comic operas are some of the world’s best-loved musical works, delighting audiences with their joyous wit and extravagant wordplay. From the triumphant comic romps The Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore, and The Mikado to less frequently performed gems such as the partially lost work Thespis, all appear here in their most accurate and faithful form. Including fascinating new commentary on each work, performance ... 		The Savoy Operas: The Complete Gilbert and Sullivan Cover
Scenes for Young Actors (12/31/1969)

A One-Of-A-Kind Acting Aid With Young Talent In Mind In drama classes and at auditions, young actors have continually had to resort to performing roles written for much older men and women -- roles that are often difficult for them to identify with or to fully understand. But this innovative scenebook gives younger performers the opportunity to portray characters their own age. From the classics to the finest in contemporary drama -- from Shakespeare, Shaw, and Chekov to Miller, Will... 		Scenes for Young Actors Cover
The Well of the Saints (12/31/1969)

Is blindness a curse or a blessing? Is a cure always the blessing one might think or is it sometimes not what a person really wants? J M Synge (1871 - 1909) was an Irish poet and playwright. He participated in the founding of the Abbey Theatre. The Well of the Saints is a three-act comedy. Synge used a story of bind people cured by a well on the Aran Islands told to him by Martin Conneely as a basis for his play. Martin and Mary are a blind couple who believe themselves to be beautiful. When a ... 		The Well of the Saints Cover
Fuente Ovejuna (Spanish Edition) (12/31/1969)

A bi-lingual verse translation of one of the greatest plays by the outstanding dramatist of Spain's Golden Age. 		Fuente Ovejuna (Spanish Edition) Cover
Later Plays Of Eugene O'Neill (12/31/1969)

Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (16 October 1888 – 27 November 1953) was an American playwright, and Nobel laureate in Literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into American drama techniques of realism earlier associated with Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, and Swedish playwright August Strindberg. His plays were among the first to include speeches in American vernacular and involve characters on the fringes of society, where they... 		Later Plays Of Eugene O'Neill Cover
The Way of the World (12/31/1969)

One of the greatest of all Restoration comedies, this knowing comedy of manners depicts the scheming of a nest of shallow, deceitful aristocrats to prevent two lovers from marrying. The play abounds with felicitous phrasing, delicious verbal battles of the sexes and a depth of feeling and sensitivity that elevate it far above other plays in the genre. This inexpensive edition, complete and unabridged, makes it widely available to today’s readers. Note. New footnotes. "Commendatory Verses" by ... 		The Way of the World Cover
Don Carlos (12/31/1969)

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed wor... 		Don Carlos Cover

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