5 comments about The Musical: A Look at the American Musical Theater.

1. A plain vanilla introductory text suitable for students who find themselves taking a musical theater course to fill an elective. Because young people are less familiar with the history and art of musical drama than film, the highly accessible prose and tabloid formatting of this text would make it useful in a college as well as high school course. Readers who already count themselves as students of the theater, on the other hand, can not afford to miss Gerald Mast's comprehensive and savvy history, "Can't Help Singin'."



2. But most of us don't. I bought this book expecting a history of the musical, and there are some interesting chapters on historical antecedents of the modern musical. But when it hits the 20th century, it bogs down in technical details of interest only to aspiring professionals: how to write good lyrics, how to structure the plot, even what's wrong with the NY theater district. Deadly dull stuff. No discussion of great performers, no analyses of individual musicals, nothing.



3. This is good introductory reading for high school students who are seriously interested in theater. A wonderful yet solid history of the American theater occupies the front half of the book, but historical threads are found throughout. There is an insightful chapter on Sondheim and his creative processes. The section entitled "Elements of Musical Theater" is at times tedious reading, but informative. Kislan's "Problems and Issues"(what's wrong with the present Broadway scene)is an eye-opener. Some drawbacks: Much has happened to the theater since this 1995 edition. I would love an updated third edition. Many of the musical examples mentioned are in every theater-lover's listening library, but a new edition should include an accompanying recording(or at the very least a CD and/or video guide). This would be particularly helpful with regard to very early 20th century musical theater. Also, there are many wonderful musicals, composers & lyricists, and librettists who are not even referenced(Loesser,{Guys & Dolls is mentioned}Comden/Green, Schwartz{Pippin's there, too} to name a few). Surely their contributions are significant. My students have enough savvy to catch these omissions. They'll want to know why. Still in all, this is a good textbook for our youth.



4. Richard Kislan shows care and concern in his research on the subject, and the facts he reports seem accurate. He is at his best on his chapters about the elements of musical theater, including the book, lyrics, the score, dance and design. Here he provides some nice insights, and the objective character of these topics compliments his writing skills. Unfortunately, his more subjective chapters on the history of the American musical reveal a turgid, laborious writing style that mitigates the effectiveness of his good research and organization of information. The paucity of information about musicals after 1980 (despite the 1995 revision) is an additional liability. The reasonable price of the book makes it still a good value despite the shortcomings.



5. I have used this book as the text for a high school course on the broadway musical and found it to be excellent. It is not overly technical but has a nice user friendly feel for the novice. The historical thread it establishes from Kern to Hammerstein to Sondheim is crucial to understanding where we are and how we got here. Obviously there are other important influences, but it is a fine text to focus a very broad topic on the seminal developers of the form. Michael P. Smith, Hamden Hall Country Day School

5 comments about Wonder Bread & Ecstasy: The Life and Death of Joey Stefano.

1. With the explosion of porn distribution on the net and the constant rise and fall of "stars" being basically anyone paid to be naked for an orgasm in front of a camera at any time in their lives, the story of Joey Stefano is a cautionary tale that many ought heed. This entertainingly written and fairly well researched biography is a brief but revealing text. Perhaps Stefano's life could not carry a longer book, either. In any event, the reader will join him on a fast down escalator into self-destruction that shows the reality of low self-esteem, emotional insecurity, and short life span (in the marketplace or, like Stefano, literally) that often marks the human fabric of this industry. Well worth the investment of time and money, not least because a number of the people in the book, like Chi Chi LaRue, continue as active presences in the business of the meat market.



2. The only thing that I got out of this book what that Joey Stefano broke the glass celing in the porn world for being a bottom. It is his life story but it is just the same: A troubled kid with a drug, sex, and alcohol problem. I would have like to have read a store where he turned his life around and made an impact. I dont recommend this book.



3. What I got out of this was a portrait of a beautiful, self-involved, rather self-indulgent young man who gave in to his weaknesses and lack of motivation or ability to do anything aside from relying on his looks and sexual prowess. As such stories usually go, this mindset led Stefano down a road of self-destruction and eventually death. It's certainly a fascinating portrait of a time and place very specific in Gay pop culture and adult-film history; this is a must-read for any porn aficianado for the very colorful events and characters that pop up in Joey Stefano's story. The author does a good job of outllining the events of his life and contextualizing them in the gay-porn scene of the late '80s to early '90s when gay video really came of age.
   
   However, i must again disagree with those who characterize this story as a "tragedy". A tragedy implies that the participants had no choice or fought valiantly against the forces which eventually overwhelmed them. Joey Stefano made his own choices and was clearly not willing to own up to them---yes he was gorgeous and had great sexual mystique but he was all too willing to squander his gifts in a morass of drugs and self-degradation which he enthusiastically participated in. Clearly he was too willing to buy into the myth that you are only worth as much as your beauty allows (a too-prevalent attitude in the gay world) and his unfortunate lack of self-awareness was his ultimate undoing.
   
   Compare and contrast him with the story of his mentor, Chi Chi LaRue---a large, homely man who became one the most successful business people in the porn world. LaRue had enough character and self-awareness to realize that looks would not get him along in the world---hard work, character, and a willingness to confront harsh realities are all necessary qualities for anyone but especially to those not gifted with dazzling good looks. LaRue becomes the de facto hero of "Wonder Bread and Ecstasy", especially considering that although Stefano barely gave him the time of day during their friendship/collaboration LaRue stood by him through anything and everything. That Stefano perished at an early age, burnt out and used, and LaRue emerged successful and thriving to this day, says much about the vagaries of vanity, empty self-gratification and excessive worship of beauty in the gay mainstream media.



4. The first time I saw Joey Stefano in film I was overwhelmed by his beauty, his body, his sexual appetite, and his vulnerability. I think that vulnerability; that good boy/bad boy persona that was able to reach out beyond the screen is what made him into the "star" he became. Those who saw him fantasized being with him, and in the process, perhaps to protect him from all those things that could and would hurt him. His meteoric rise to fame, and his tragic demise are recounted in this sad tale about a man who became a legend in his own time.
   One thinks of stars who's greatness was cut short...Kurt Cobain, Judy Garland, Carole Lombard, among others...and then there too was Joey Stefano.



5. I'll cut some slack for this being Isherwoods first book but alas ther is nothing to see here. His Norma Jean approach to Nick Iaconna life is cliche' at best. To Isherwoods credit he does include morsels of what was going on in gay culture at the time of the early nineties which are genuinely intresting observations. Isherwoods took the E! true hollywood story approach to this bio and quite frankly been there done that.There are no new insights or revelations about the porn industry or gay culture.

2 comments about Song of the Outcasts: An Introduction to Flamenco Hardcover with CD.

1. The combination of book and CD gives the student of Flamenco an excellent introduction to this artform. The CD covers a wide variety of categories and interpretations of the music born of unique roots and influences. The book not only describes the history of Flamenco songs, dance and personalities, but details the musicology. By setting the artform in its social, political, economic, geographic, religious and psychological context, the selections on the cd take the listener to a deeper understanding of a rare (and becoming rarer) expression of the human spirit.
   
   I enjoy this product very much and have shared it with others.



2. Finally, a book written in English that I can praise to my dance students! Without being too technical, Robin Totten explores this mysterious subject with humor and honor. The last people to write about Dance and Music this way were Ted Shawn and Lincoln Kirsten! This book is a World of fun and information and a loving tribute, without being preachy or dull! The CD is such a wonderful bonus!

5 comments about American Sideshow.

1. Here's a classic example of a book that starts promisingly, descends to tedium, and eventually runs completely off the rails. One big problem is that the author never seems to get a focus on what the book is supposed to be about. Is it a history of sideshows, or is it an encyclopedia of sideshow exhibits? Turning to sideshow exhibits, is the focus supposed to be on fairly ordinary people who happen to lie on the extremes of the bell distributions of height or weight, or is it supposed to be about so-called "freaks," people who bravely cope with birth defects often too horrific to contemplate? Most problematic of all, is the book about people turned into sideshow exhibits by genetics or accidents of the gestation process, or is it about strange individuals who deliberately turn themselves into "freaks" by surgery, mutilation and processes such as whole-body tattoos?
   
   True, the sideshows featured magicians side by side with beautiful women born without arms, jugglers side by side with beautiful women born without bones, fire-eaters and contortionists and tattooed ladies side by side with beautiful women who were 15 inches tall or joined to a twin at the hip or sporting a beard two feet long. But there's a big difference!
   
   The author seems particularly fascinated with giants and with fat ladies. The seemingly obsessive inclusion of nearly every tall man and overweight woman exhibited in the US from the 1840s to the present doesn't leave a lot of (or any) room for some of the really strange individuals, nor does it leave much space for discussing anyone... a typical entry is about a page and a half.
   
   This is the type of book which winds up remaindered very quickly... and that's how I found it.



2. In the Old days the "freaks" didn't have the talk show circuit, they had very few options given to them to make money. If you were born deformed you could either shut yourself up in your house, or join the circus. Back then there wasn't any political correctness, if you had giant growths on your face you were "the ugliest woman", if you weighed over 400 pounds you were the "jolliest fattest person alive" It was all about exploiting your abnormalities to the fullest. It is human nature to be curious about those among us that are different, even shocking in appearance. We try not to stare in public, so when these shows came around it was our opportunity to get an eyeful and not feel guilty. Many times these performers were sold as children by their parents, because it was good money and it got rid of the burden the sideshows became permanent homes for the "orphans". These days disorders and diseases like gigantism, Ichthyosis (alligator skin), even conjoined twins have treatments or solutions for recovery. A lot of the thalidomide babies are grown up and have moved onto normal lives, dwarfism has its own community and they want to be seen as more than an oddity.
   This book gives us a rare insight to all the people, big or small, who put themselves on display for entertainment purposes. It's laid out in a certain timeline, with each performer getting a mini biography and a picture; it was fascinating to learn about their origins and what happened to them after the sideshow life. I thought it was interesting that men who were cross dressers were billed as hermaphrodites dressing up one half man one half women, and males who had parasitic twins were made to have that "twin" a female no matter what. Many owners hyped up their performers, blatantly lying to the public to give them more of an exotic feel. Two albino black men with dreadlocks were Albanian goat men. Even a famous "Chinese" dwarf, was rumored to be a Jewish guy dressed up.
   The book is really informative; I was glued to it for days. The only thing I have to complain about has nothing to do with the book itself, but rather the state of "sideshows" today. Now it's mostly about "Human Marvels" or "self made freaks" and less about physical deformities. The Modern section was FULL of tattooed, sword swallowing, pierced, bug eaters. To me that's just not entertaining, if you go and choose to become a "freak" I really don't care about seeing you. I went and saw the Jim Rose Circus when it came through town in the early 90's, and I wasn't impressed by what I saw.



3. There were some good information and some pictures in this book, however, I felt they covered so many performers that there wasn't enough information about those who were covered. Still a good read.



4. "The dazzling real lives of the bearded ladies, the dog faced boys, the camel girl, the lobster boy, the frog boy, the lizard man and all the other strange carnival and sideshow performers."



5. Great sideshow book!
   
   This book covers more performers and has more photos than any of my
   other sideshow books. Hartzman shows us who these performers are, not
   just as freaks, but as people. He gets into their lives, their loves,
   and their triumphs. Light humor and a casual style make the book very
   readable and enjoyable. Turn to any page and you'll read something
   amazing - something to tell people at work about the next day.
   
   I read another reviewer's comment below who said Hartzman stated
   too many sideshow claims as fact, but he clearly stated in the
   beginning of the book that giants' and midgets' heights, fat peoples'
   weights, and other "facts" were often exaggerated. This way he didn't
   have to say it every time he mentions a height or weight, which
   would've gotten repetitive. This reviewer also wished he cited his
   sources, which he clearly did in his bibliography.
   
   Get this book! It's American history at its most fascinating.

No comments about Dying City.

5 comments about Assassins.

1. All I can say about this play is that it is sheer genius. I was fortunate enough to see the Broadway revival cast act it out in Studio 54, thus can safely say that the play is just as shrewd and clever onstage as it seems in the play.

   The thing that often repels people from 'Assassins' is firstly its subject matter - assassins and would-be assasins of presidents of the United States - and secondly, the way it handles its subject matter. 'Assassins' neither trivializes nor glorifies its characters: what it does is examine them, and let the audience make the decision as to what prompted them to commit the crimes they did. On stage, the play is chilling - seeing "Squeaky" Fromme carve an 'M' for 'Manson' into her forehead at the end of her number with John Hinckley 'Unworthy of Your Love' does not seem disgusting; it is entrancingly horrific. And this is not even mentioning the song 'How I Saved the President', the fast-paced narrative of Giuseppe Zangara's attempt on the life of President Franklin Roosevelt: it rises to an eerie feverish pitch and ends with a jolt - literally. The singing ceases only when Zangara has been electrocuted.

   I realize that the above description may seem to portray 'Assassins' as a gruesome horror-trip into history - but really, that is not what it is at all. The rises and falls of emotions in the songs (apparent in the book as well as in the play) are shrewdly placed so that the viewer can't quite bring themself to feel sorry for the assassin, exactly, more fascinated. And this is what 'Assassins' is - a fascinating look at some of the most forbidden American taboo in our country's history. The play jumps on its subject matter with surprising gusto - it does not jump delicately from point to point. It attacks its topics and does not let the audience leave unshaken.

   I feel as though I should probably mention that reading the book and seeing the play live are two different things. They are both thought-provoking and interesting looks at the various assassins - but a certain emotional element is lost in the text. Not that the book is bland and dry - far from it. However, seeing Charles Guiteau dance his way up to gallows feverishly reciting his poem 'I Am Going to the Lordy' is slightly more morbid than reading it.

   Highly recommended.




2. This review is by Crosley.

   I had become very well acquainted with the score to Assassins before I read the script, and I think John Weidman may have done the impossible: he may have overshadowed Sondheim's score with his book. Don't get me wrong, the music and lyrics are phenomenal, but the book is what really matters in this one.

   Assassins is an examination of the dark side of the American Dream and those it has affected, namely, those who have tried to kill presidents. Most of the assassins actually have good reasons for their efforts. The play has gained a lot of bad publicity for "glorifying assassinating the president," "being unpatriotic" and "trivializing terrible events." The play does none of these on any level. I said that some assassins had good reasons. I did not say that their actions were the right thing to do, because they weren't. However, the play rehumanizes people that society has dismissed as one dimensional madmen. Hence, the Balladeer. The Balladeer represents the traditional, one sided view of the assassins, and is used expertly. The play keeps in mind the fact that the assassins are dangerous people who should be condemned, but it also keeps in mind that they are indeed people. The scene between Csolgosz and Emma Goldman is wonderfully poignant, and allows us to see a side of Csolgosz rejected by the world, and it's things like that that make the characters much more real.

   By making the characters real and at least vaguely sympathetic, the play succeeds in such a way that could never be done with demonized characters. Since the assassins are made human and just like us, Americans trying to live The Dream, they are infinetly more terrifying and frightening, because now we can identify with them, and see the clear and present danger in America.

   They all have different motives, but there is one thing that ties them all together. They thought The Dream was not a goal, but something they were entitled to, and when they didn't get it, they wanted people to listen. Hence, drastic measures. Booth's anger with Lincoln is very real, and the crimes he lists against Lincoln are all true to some degree. Csolgoszs' anger at the working man's plight is completely justified, considering his working conditions and wages. Few of them have motives that we can't understand (except Moore and Guiteau), and again, they are that much worse because of it.

   This is not to say that the play is not funny. Au Contraire, Assassins is one of the funnier plays I've read, mostly because it preys upon the assassins' character flaws and quirks and exploits them for some great comedy. They're even funnier if you know about the personalities of each for whatever reason. For example, regarding the scene where Guiteau hits on Moore, it was known that Guiteau hit on anything with two legs (usually unsuccessfully), and Moore, who had been married five times (each husband was more successful than the last), may have been roped in by Guiteau's line of "How would you like to marry the ambassador to France?" It's really quite good. The scenes between Moore and Fromme are priceless, as are Byck's rants into his tape recorder, hamburger in hand. "I am Unworthy of you Love" is a gorgeous song, and in context (being sung to Jody Foster and Charles Manson by John Hinckley and Squeaky Fromme, respectively), it's uproarious. Thank God for Weidman's wit, because this is a show that definetly needs comic relief.

   The interesting idea that the play presents is that the assassins are just as American as anyone else, because America is "The land where any kid can grow up to be president," and likewise, "Any kid can grow up to be his killer." Comedy, tragedy, laughs, tears, a message, great music, Assassins has it all. The scene near the end with Lee Harvey Oswald is one of the most powerful scenes I've ever read. In fact, it was recorded on the soundtrack, because it's just that important. Delaying Oswald's appearance for so long was a great move, because the audience, after being emotionally assaulted by the other 8 assassins, is finally pushed over the edge with an event that most of them were alive for and remember. The triumphant chords after Oswald's shot give me shivers every time I hear them.

   Assassins is a phenomenal play that unfortunately is rarely produced. I recommend reading the script and enjoying the excellent score to people looking for something a little different (hey, that's Sondheim for you), a little funny, and a little scary. The show will live on because of its relevance, and it's a wonderful addition to the American Musical Theater.




3. When I went and saw "Assassins" for the first time, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I've been a Sondheim fan ever since I began watching "Into The Woods" at the tender age of four years old... but I don't think I was sufficiently prepared for "Assassins". And that's a good thing.
   "Assassins" keeps you on your toes throughout, being able to make dramatic changes from the light-hearted to the tragic in the time it takes to bat an eye. Perhaps most striking is how you come to like and sympathize with every one of the assassins, while still knowing that they all have their dangerous streak.
   Moreover, "Assassins" deals with a common subject in a very uncommon way. The overall 'theme' says "Everybody's got the right to be happy." The brilliance in this statement is not in the statement itself, but within the context of the cold-blooded murderers with it has been placed. It gives us the lesser seen perspective of life from the point of view of these historical figures who had major problems with their lives and with themselves. Rare, even in the history books.
   In fact, "Assassins" has been a better history lesson for me than nearly anything else. The play is very highly based on the facts of every person's life and the details of their assassination attempts. Good for theatre buffs and history teachers alike.
   Go Sondheim, go!



4. Well, I was not very well aquainted with Sondheim, though I had heard of him. Then I was fortunate enough to be cast as Sam Byck in a production of Assassins. I have to say, the show was an experience like I can only hope to have ever again. Weidman's writing brings to life thoroughly disturbed characters in a way the audience can relate to. It shows us the world of a psychopath- looking out from the inside. My first thought was to question whether I could do justice to the material. The incredible intensity of the scenes and the forceful emotion of the songs is nearly overwhelming. From the actor's point of view, I can say only that a sense of desparation is omnipresent, even in the comedy, and that there is the feeling of a great injustice, and perhaps an epiphany that never quite came. I encourage anyone who can to try and acquire a copy of the London production( I don't know if there are any official ones, but as any theatre enthusiast knows, there are ALWAYS bootlegs), or of the new production when it becomes available, because of the added song "Something Just Broke". This incredible piece serves as an important... I think the word is catharsis. I remember crying backstage during the first show, because it put a sharp point on the events of the previous scene, where Oswald takes his shot. The play itself also brings into focus the background of the assassins, and those lesser-known souls who tried and failed( like Byck). While it won't appeal to everyone, it is definitely worth looking into for Sondheim lovers and US History buffs. And serious performers will find the songs and text rich with meaning. I recommend this show, libretto and music, to anyone with an open mind, or a love of art.



5. I profess to be of a young age, and those who don't know me would probably consider my experience with musical theatre to be rather inextensive. I am, however, even at a young age, a Stephen Sondheim admirer. Yet even I, whose favorite musical is the ghastly and mind-numbing masterpiece "Sweeny Todd," was not entirely prepared for the unabashed "Assassins."

   Assassins combines all the would be and have been presidential assassins of the United State's history and throws them all into a timeless world where Charles Guiteau (Garfield) can chat with Leon Czolgosz (McKinley) and Sam Byck (Nixon) at a bar while John Wilkes Booth (Lincoln) reads a copy of Variety magazine. It is more of a revue than anything, but the music (which you MUST own if you're going to buy the libretto) is so moving and so powerful it actually is able to draw sympathy for Lincoln's assassin. If the prospect of feeling pity or sympathy for Lee Harvey Oswald makes you angry, Assassins is not my recommendation.

   Indeed, Sondheim and Weidman sucessfully made me feel sorry for Leon Czolgosz and Booth and Oswald and nearly all the characters in the musical. Some may think it unpatriotic; I think it presents the other side to woefully biased history lessons claiming the Assassins to be vengeful madmen searching for chaos. Assassins truly brings to light what's wrong with the American dream, and for any history buff, Sondheim fan, or just plain theater fan, Assassins is a MUST have.

1 comments about The Revenger's Tragedy (New Mermaids).

1. Brian Gibbons, editor of the New Mermaids second edition (1991), describes The Revenger's Tragedy (1607) as a minor masterpiece. Judged against contemporaneous revenge plays like Hamlet and King Lear (and even Titus Andronicus), the term 'minor' certainly does not imply inferior. Minor or not, The Revenger's Tragedy deserves five stars. I found it as much easier reading than most Elizabethan and Jacobean plays.
   
   Despite its title, The Revenger's Tragedy is no more bloody than Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy (fifteen years earlier) and it is certainly not as insanely gruesome and brutal as Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus (1594). No dismemberments and no cannibalism. Bloody, yes. But not excessively so.
   
   Nonetheless, we learn of a murder, a rape leading to a suicide, and yet another aggressive seduction (or rape, if need be) that is in the planning stage. So ends Act 1. Revenge and mayhem follow.
   
   The plot is not unduly complex. Vindice desires revenge for the poisoning death of his betrothed, Gloriana, by the lustful, aging Duke. Vindice also indirectly blames the Duke for his father's death, though "he died of discontent, the nobleman's consumption". Vindice is perhaps obsessive; he has retained Gloriana's skull and sometimes speaks directly to her.
   
   In disguise he provokes discord between his enemies and leads them to plot against each other. (This ruse reminds me of Malevole's subterfuge in John Marston's play, The Malcontent.) A poisoned skull, a mistaken execution, and a murderous banquet highlight the later acts. The play concludes with an ironic twist, possibly added as a moral lesson, or simply to surprise the audience.
   
   Hats off to either Cyril Tourneur or Thomas Middleton, or whoever may have authored this fascinating revenge play.
   
   Update July, 2007: I recently encountered reference to this lesser known play in a murder mystery. Cecil Day-Lewis, Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death in 1972, wrote sophisticated mysteries under the pseudonym Nicholas Blake from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s. Thou Shell of Death (1936) is a revenge murder patterned on The Revenger's Tragedy. In the first scene Vindice speaking to the skull of his dead mistress says: "My study's ornament, thou shell of death, Once the bright face of my betrothed lady ...."
   
   Note: The Revenger's Tragedy is included in the Oxford World's Classics edition titled Four Revenge Tragedies (edited by Katherine Eisaman Maus). Her introduction to this inexpensive paperback edition compares The Revenger's Tragedy to three contemporaneous revenger plays.

5 comments about The Nerd..

1. Larry Shue is a gifted playwright who can deftly mix laugh-out-loud comedy with social criticism. This was best evidenced in his near-farcical work "The Foreigner". His comedy is put to excellent display in "The Nerd", the story of a man trying to politely get rid of a guest who has more than outstayed his welcome, if he was ever welcome to begin with.
   
   Willum Cubbert, now an architect, was wounded in Vietnam and rescued by Rick Steadman, a man he was never able to meet. But since Rick saved his life, Willum feels indebted to him and offers him a place to stay should he ever need it. On Willum's thirty-fourth birthday, Rick shows up, and turns out to be a nightmare, for he is completely inept when it comes to socializing, and even more so when it comes to being a human being anyone would want to have anything to do with. Willum's life is excessively complicated by Rick's extended visit, and along with his friends they engage in some wild antics to make Rick leave for good.
   
   "The Nerd" is fast paced and often laugh-out-loud funny. Larry Shue mangages to imbue his characters with vivid life despite the shortness of his works. What makes "The Nerd" work is the conundrum that Willum finds himself in by feeling indebted to and horrified by Rick at the same time, a situation that anyone could recognize themselves in. "The Nerd" is a comic masterpiece which I am looking forward to seeing performed live.



2. I have been a fan of Larry Shue's work since I was in a performance of "The Foreigner". In anticipation of seeing a live performance, I read "The Nerd". My greatest objection is that the title is somewhat misleading. This flaw aside, this may be the funniest play that I have ever read.
   
   Willum Cubbert is one of the most promising architects in Terre Haute, Indiana. He is also a Vietnam veteran that owes his life to a man named Rick Steadman. In the vein of houseguest that wear out their welcome, Steadman may be the most obnoxious. With his over the top tactlessness and inability to take social cues, it takes less than a week for even the man whose life he saved in Vietnam to want Rick gone.
   
   Shue is masterful in his wit and skill for placing jokes in social contexts. The surprise twist at the end makes for an extra delight in reading this play. With his talent, it is remarkable that Shue is not better known.



3. Extremely witty and hilarious. I could almost see the play taking place. Very funny to read and I'm sure it is even funnier to see on stage.



4. This is easilly my favorite play ever. Last year, I directed it for a Student Directed Production at my high school and had a lot of success and strong audience response. I had people walk up to me hoping for more performances because they had laughed SO HARD. Some of my closest friends actually said they had fallen off their seats laughing. Involving a small cast of 7, this production creates what reviewers say is "one of the funniest plays ever written". The plot begins with architect Willum Cubbert getting a surprise birthday party from his girlfriend Tansy and his room mate and play-critic, Axel. From the beginning, the characters are establishes, but the plot takes a little while to catch onto. Tansy talks about leaving Willum for a job opportunity in Washington because she feels like she's spinning her tires with Willum. Finally, Willum's boss, Waldgrave, his wife, Clelia, and son, Thor, arrive. From this family's entrance, they're a comedy routine on their own! Waldgrave is edgy and very high strung, while Clelia presents herself as a very calm and collected special ed. teacher...while their son, Thor, is a hellian! :) After a while, a man who once saved Willum's life in Vietnam, shows up on the answering machine. And this man, named Rick Steadman, shows up, and is a bumbling oaf and a complete NERD! All in all, Rick drives EVERYONE nuts! Clelia smashes dishes to relieve stress, Waldgrave screams and pitches a fit, and Thor locks himself in the bedroom. After a LOT of comedic setups, the Waldgrave family exits with muddy clothes, soaked shoes, and a psychologically messed up delinquent. Willum, Tansy, and Axel result in constantly being driven up the wall by Rick. So, Rick decides to stay...permanantly. Willum doesn't feel as if he could just tell Rick to leave, so he stays and DRIVES HIM UP THE WALL! After dedicated attempts at ridding themselves of Rick, they decide the only way it's possible, is by performing bizarre Pagan rituals. After dancing around the room, Willum, Tansy, and Axel all realize that Rick is ENJOYING himself! Finally, Rick joins the chant and shouts for them to throw cottage cheese out the window. They do. And Waldgrave reenters the apartment with a pile of cottage cheese covering him. In the end, Willum is fired completely because of Rick. And that is when Willum decides to tell the schmuck to leave. And in a very awkward way, the nerd makes his exit. And Willum, now jobless, decides to take a job offer in Washington, so he can remain with Tansy. A love setup was caused by a secret plan by Axel and the actor who had played Rick Steadman the entire time. Willum may go to Washington realizing that he's now jobless, but as "Rick" says "by that time, I'm sure he'll be so happy he'll forget to be mad" and the curtain closes. There is no perfect way to review this, due to all the humour within the dialogue. I simply will say, BUY THIS! YOU WILL READ IT, and if you're a theater lover, you'll read it again and again! It's the best! All around, it isn't incredibly deep in meaning, but involves a very simple and cute love story.



5. This play was absolutely awesome. It is very humurous and is definately a page turner. I have also seen it performed, and it's even funnier on stage. A must read, and a must see!

4 comments about Acting Games for Individual Performers: A Comprehensive Workbook of 110 Acting Exercises.

1. This collection of 110 acting exercises would be appropriate for beginning actors grades 9-12. Some exercises rely on specific events in order to practice them (going to the dentist, having a broken heart). Some exercises are to be practiced daily for an extended period of time (keeping a journal), and some can be accomplished in a just a few minutes. Many of the exercises ask the actor to watch clips from movies.
   
   Each exercise presented has questions for the actor to ask himself, different variations of completing the exercise (allowing the exercise to have more than one life), and states the purpose of the exercise. The book is divided into 21 acting elements (improv, physical, emotional recall, vocal, characterization, imagination, etc.) with 3-6 exercises in each element.
   
   Unlike older acting games books on the market, this one utilizes a multi-media approach and is not geared toward group rehearsal.



2. This is an excellent resource not only for drama coaches and teachers but for teachers of language arts. The exercises are adaptable for many age groups. Wonderful if you are looking for ways to differentiate instruction in the classroom as well. Great read!



3. I have been through a million of books like this one but none have been more benificial than this one to my development. I recently refered it to my brother and in the short amount of time he's been using it I've noticed his abilities breaking new boundaries. I recommend this book to anyone from the average novice to the serious goal oriented performer.



4. This is an excellent tool for aspiring actors as well as wonderful resource for drama teachers. This book has a myriad of ideas; other disciplines such as language arts will also find a wealth of activities to spice up lesson plans. Students who may be shy about performing alone will find Levy's games motivating and inspiring. This is an excellent supplement to any theater arts program.

5 comments about Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary (Volume II, N-Z).

1. My daughter looked at several sights before checking Amazon. Once again, you all came through. We are very happy with our experience.



2. We used this book at a recent Shakespeare Theater class taken at SUU in Cedar City and it was extremely informative. Even small words are referenced and cross referenced in this lexicon. The book not only gives definitions, but references any play or poem in which a given words is found. I recommend it (and its companion) highly, even for Shakespeare "experts"!



3. Offered as a companion to the Crystals' Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary & Language Companion, The Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary (with the subtitled advertisement "Every word defined and located, more than 50,000 quotations identified") proves useful up to a point, that is, the letter M. My expecting the whole alphabet was naive, I guess, in this era of computer generated offers. RW



4. Do not order this book. There is a defect in the run of this edition. I ordered, discovered the defect, returned for a replacement, and the replacement had the same defect. It skips at least half of the "b's", jumping about 60 pages, then continues for about 30-40 pages, and repeats the same 30-40 pages again before continuing with the rest of the book.



5. Showing definitions of every single word used in the works fo Shakespeare, it also shows where they are used throughout the works. A glossary and concordance in one! A must-have for any student, actor, director, or anyone else needing guidance.