5 comments about A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson.

1. Modern actors and actresses don't seem to have the charisma, style and elegance of yesteryear's stars. Maybe that's because most of today's actors are really nothing but pitiful celebrities striving to be what once was, when Hollywood was golden.
   
   I long for yesterday when it comes to film stars: Betty Davis, Myrna Loy, Katherine Hepburn Ginger Rogers, and so many more. Oh, yes, and that includes Greer Garson. The beautiful and talented woman we thought was born in Ireland in 1908, was really born in London in 1904.
   
   Author Michael Troyan delves into Greer Garson's life, as much as anyone could, given that she was an extremely private woman. He carries you through her intense desire to succeed as an actress, her `discovery' and career struggles to resist being typecast, all the way through her marriages, and to her death on April 5, 1996 at Dallas Presbyterian Hospital with Van Cliburn at her bedside.
   
   I'd always thought of Ms. Garson as a brilliant actress who could get any part she wanted. I had no idea of her struggles with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. One of my favorite films is the record-breaking "Mrs. Miniver." I get chills thinking about her Academy Award-winning performance.
   
   And while it felt a bit like voyeurism looking in on her life, I'm glad I visited it through Troyan's eyes. It was a satisfying trip. And the author did a marvelous job showing us a small part of the woman who was Greer Garson.
   
   For a compelling look at one of the best actresses to ever grace the stage, big or small screen, read A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: This is a wonderful slice of our American film history.



2. An excellent read if you're into details. For me, the details got a little overwhelming, but I so much wanted to learn more about this actress that I admire greatly. Sadly, as the author himself stated, it was difficult to write a biography because Greer Garson was a very private person and did not give many interviews or express many personal opinions in public. However, he richly details her movies, her public service, and others' opinions of her (and a good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold). I have always enjoyed watching her many films and am tracking down as many of them as I can on DVD so this made for a fine addition to my collection of her work. I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading and loves any of her many films.



3. Michael Troyan has a gift for biography. I hope he can collaborate with Turner Classic Movies to produce a video on the life of Greer Garson.
   This book makes me wish I could have known Greer Garson. She loved and respected her mother, she loved her husband, she loved children and orphans and the disabled and disadvantaged. She loved her dogs, ranching in New Mexico, history, and she loved Texas...makes me love her even though I never met her. Good job, Mr. Troyan.



4. This book on Greer Garson I highly recommend. It's very balances and tells of the good and bad times in her life about her career andher fmaily. Though i must admit I wished it had mentioned more about her interests and personal life off screem. But overall it's really well written and interesting book about alovely screen actress. Greer Garson really had class
   and a wnderful grace about her in all of her films



5. All too often, celebrity biographies are depressing catalogs of scandal and hedonistic, self-destructive behavior. Not this biography. When you finish it, you are sad, but it's because Greer Garson is no longer with us and you will never have the opportunity to meet her.
   This fascinating biography is full of vignettes that reveal the character and personality of this woman who overcame chronic illness and many other obstacles to become one of Hollywood's most respected actresses. Examples of her warmth, sincerity, and decentness abound. As her beloved husband of more than thirty years to whom she is devoted lies near death in a Dallas hospital, she stands by his bedside with an old friend and recites from memory her favorite Psalm. Asked to read the Bible at a church service on Easter she realizes she has forgotten her glasses. She composes herself and ad libs for the congregation a beautiful and memorable message of her own.
   She contributes millions to fund libraries, build theaters, establish scholarships, and support medical facilities. At the College of Santa Fe to which she has donated millions, she can be found on occasion pulling weeds and tending favorite rose bushes. She was so admired and respected in Texas where she had a home that she was formally asked to run for the U.S. Congress.
   One hopes that Mr. Troyan or some other writer will gather Greer Garson's letters and publish them and that the A&E Network will finally remember her in an installment of "Biography." In the meantime, Garson fans should buy this book. It will inspire you and enrich your life and your appreciation of this beloved actress will only deepen. A richly detailed, superbly written biography of a truly lovely human being!

No comments about The Contemporary Monologue: Women.

4 comments about An Actor's Guide--Making It in New York City.

1. A good book with great advice for any actor- whether you're from a sprawling Metropolis or from Dahlgren, Illinois! It definitely caters more to the aspiring New York Actor (like myself), but there are some good lessons in here for anyone looking to make a career in this exciting yet intimidating field. i recommend, as this was one of the very first books that I read when i was thinking of making acting a full time career.



2. I stumbled on this book by accident and boy am i glad i did! This book tells you step by step how to make it out there as an actor. If you're a actor and is not quite sure on how or where to start this book is your key.



3. I like this book alot. I can't say this is better than "How to be a Working Actor", but you actually need both books because some information that is found in one book is not found in the other. Like regular acting guides, you get tips on resumes, auditions, and unions. One useful tip for actors is to not over-rehearse a scene or monologue. This will make it stale. You should actually "forget" it and let it "happen". This is what you called acting. If you are familiar with Mr. Alterman's books, he always include interviews with industry people. I find them very helpful especially the interviews with several New York actors. This book is just as good as "Working Actor" and thinner too for faster reading.



4. While I didn't move to New York specifically to become an actor, I've sort of found myself happily "in the business" now. I randomly stumbled onto this book while looking for new wisdom to add onto must-reads by Uta Hagen, Michael Shurtleff, Stanislavski, etc. After having done a lot of research on how to be a successful actor in NY the "hard way", I think I agree with most of Alterman's suggestions - just wish I'd had this book in the beginning =)
   
   An actor should always be reading, attending a lecture or workshop - you know, doing *something* to learn. New York has its particular nuances, and this book simplifies some of the hassles that a newcomer might find overwhelming. It gives some useful advice on dealing with the three most important things you'll have do when you get here:
   
   *finding a place to live
   *finding a job you like ('cos you have to eat)
   *finding acting work, any and all kinds of work
   
   Having a thicker-than-average skin here is an absolute must, for rejections run a-plenty, and they have your name on them. But this place is also (in my view) the most exciting, rewarding endeavour you'll make in your performance career.
   
   This book has got lots of juicy info on auditioning, headshots, unions, different sorts of acting jobs (such as voiceover work), casting directors, agents, useful internet urls, etc. There are several interviews with casting agents & directors on dos-and-donts for actors - nothing beats knowledge from the professionals.
   
   Good luck, and welcome to the greatest theatre city in the world...

5 comments about The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey.

1. Rarely have I ever read a more honest, powerful, moving and funny book. I read the book in two days and was sick the entire time, but was unable to put it down and rest myself. My only wish is that this will be made into a movie...Sondra, god bless.



2. But she is bright enough to keep it at bay. Sandra Locke is the beautfiul southern actress I admired since I was a child for her unique beauty.
   
   I bought this knowing that it took two to Tango and I stay with it. She sounds bitter and like she does live to be a victim.
   
   If my memory serves me correctly, she had limited success and she made her name in the 70's through Clint Eastwood. She did not have this great success she claims before him. Now that her meal ticket is closed off, she is resounding victimhood. What she denies in the book is actually what she is doing.
   
   Save the money and watch the Lifetime channel to hear how women are victimized on a daily basis.



3. This book was fascinating, mostly because of precious Gordon and Sondra's interesting encounters with synchronicity. I wish she would write more about it. I was especially fascinated because my mother and I wrote a mystery novel and screenplay about synchronicity titled "Fireworks" (Stargate Press, 2003). I know I was led to read Sondra's book! I wish she and Gordon would produce a movie from our screenplay! How can I reach Sondra?? I'm at www.stargatepress.com



4. My whole family watches the Clint Eastwood movies, we like them very much and think Mr. Eastwood is a great actor. Sondra Locke is just telling a bunch of lies just because Mr. Eastwood did not want to marry her, I can see why also. If Mr. Eastwood was such a cold hearted weirdo, why does he have seven kids and has been married twice? Anyway, don't buy this book, if you want some good laughs rent it from The Libary. Go out and buy 'High Plains Drifter'.



5. The Good, the Bad & the Very Ugly is an excellent book written by Sondra Locke showing the 'other-side' of the coin, the public doesn't see, of the imperfect 'icon'. Her book has flair, reads smooth and is written with 'class'. Having watched many of Eastwood's films, the most memorable line to me, of all his famous quoted lines, is the one his 'ghost' character articulates in High Plains Drifter - "... it's what a man knows of himself, that makes him afraid..." I hope Eastwood learns what caring and consideration is all about. Caring is an extension of Unconditional Love...something that seems to be drastically missing from his life.
   Reviewed by Stephen R. Sulik, author of "Color of Laughter, Color of Tears."

5 comments about Serpent of the Nile: Women and Dance in the Arab World.

1. Lots of colour pictures ... past & present ...including old paintings, quotes & accounts of the people who actually watched belly dancing...& then tried to describe it!

   For those just starting out to find out about Bellydancing & such enthusiasts,there are some pictures of famous older dancers, past & present .. Samya Gamal, Fifi Abdou & Sohair Zaki.
   More like a collection of cameos than a real in-depth exploration of the Art Form, or Elucidation of the styles & Expression... but it IS a good coffee-table book & nice, informative read .




2. I can't speak to the accuracy of Wendy Buonaventura's history of belly dancing, though I found no evidence of the most controversial complaint, that she fails to note the role of European Orientalists in fabricating our notions of Middle-Eastern dance. In fact, she discusses this very thing at length.

   The treasure in the book is the collection of paintings. Where else can you see Dinet's gorgeous watercolors? I had never even heard of him. Are the pictures accurate? I suspect they are. Are they representative? Of course not. Like Gauguin in Tahiti, the Orientalists saw what they wanted to see.




3. Wendy Buonaventura obviously loves raks baladi ("country" or folkloric belly dance) with a passion. As sometimes happens with authors passionate about a subject, she unfortunately treats her opinions as facts upon occasion. As a dancer, I love the glorious Orientalist pictures, early 20th-century photos and fascinatingly slanted accounts from Western travellers, and I love her feelings for the dance. It's a beautiful book to peruse, and you can get some marvelous ideas for theatrical costuming from it. But like the Orientalists she reviews, Buonaventura presents an exotic and monolithic Middle East, where Egypt represents this entire diverse region and where nothing changes over time. She also perpetuates the popular myth that this is a *women's* dance, whereas in truth both sexes dance at private functions, and in both Egypt and Turkey, men historically performed as well. (Western tourists just weren't interested!) Read this for its lovely artwork and, if you're a dancer, for a feel-good spiritual connection with earlier dancers--but if you're interested in the subject of dance history, do some further research. And if you are involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism, PLEASE don't use this book for costume documentation. Egyptian clothing pre-1600 was very, very different.



4. The quality and quantity of pictures in this book is wonderful and there is also some good information but unfortunately all the information is not very accurate and there are even many things that are not true. As a book this is nice to watch but as this book has become "a bible of belly dance" when other more accurate documents have been hard to find I can't rate this higher because readers tend to believe everything that is written here.



5. "Serpent of the Nile" is a wonderful book for anyone with an interest in Middle Eastern Dance, which is currently gaining tremendous popularity in the West. The author traces the art of 'Beladi,' what we now refer to as 'belly-dancing' from its origin to how it has changed over time. There is a lot of very interesting information in here, written concisely and accessibly, even for those of us who are not overly concerned with history; such as the need for male dancers to entertain the public when women were forbidden to do so, how the patriarchal nature of Arabic society affected Beladi, and how the Westerners exoticised and perhaps even corrupted the original form of dance. But the beauty of this book lies in its stunning pictures, a treat for the eyes! Photographs of sculptures, paintings and engravings of dancers and musicians fill the pages and make it an ideal coffee table book. A wonderful resource.

1 comments about The Essential Songwriter.

1. As a wannabe songwriter this is a sweet little book crammed with ideas. The book is an easy read. It is accessible and a quick reference. What more could you want? When I sell my next tune to Britney, I will have these people to thank. Hey, on second thought, these songs are too good for Britney! Thank you, Kachulis and Feist.

No comments about Puppets, Masks, and Performing Objects.

1 comments about Pericles (Folger Shakespeare Library).

1. This play was extremely popular. But like other romances, it is overrated. (Romance has a way of making written material more popular than the material merits.) This is a good play, but there are some notable flaws. Pericles is somewhat of a reincarnation of Romeo. He is a young romantic. (Not a rationalist.) This is prevalent when he is willing to seek the hand of a daughter of a wicked king. (Even though he is gambling with his life. If he can't guess a riddle, he dies.) Well, here is the first flaw. Pericles is naturally horrified when he realizes that the king had a daughter, and that this woman is a product of incest (the issue of the king and his daughter). It does not make sense that the king would reveal this secret (even in a riddle) that he doesn't want people to know. Well, Pericles flees because he knows the wicked king will want to kill Pericles so as to silence the secret. We then meet Helicanus (the eccentric, but loyal servant of Pericles). Pericles feels that he won't even be safe in his own kingdom against the wicked king. (Apparently King Pericles doesn't even feel safe with the defenses and guards he must have as a king.) Romantic Pericles leaves Helicanus in charge. On an errand of mercy, Pericles offers relief to Tharsus. (A land plagued with famine.) Cleon, the governor is of course grateful. After hiding with his friend Cleon, Pericles makes his way to Pentapolis. To make a long story short, he takes part in a contest, falls in love with the good king's daughter Thaisa, and they marry. Also, the wicked king from Act 1 is dead, and Pericles can stop running. All seems well, for a short while. In Act 3, Pericles is on the way home, and Thaisa has a little girl. (Mariana) But apparently Thaisa is so ill that the sea servants think she is dead. (Another flaw!) As ill as someone may be, it doesn't take a lot to tell if someone is at least breathing! The superstitious seamen feel that the 'dead' Thaisa must be thrown overboard. (FLAW!) Even providing Thaisa is dead, no one would just throw a person overboard (let alone a queen)! She would have a funeral and a burial! Well, fortunately, Thaisa's sea coffin floats safely to Ephesus where Thaisa is rescued and takes up the Greek equivalent life of a nun. (Priestess to Diana.) Moving on, we have yet another flaw. The wicked king is dead, but Pericles leaves his daughter with Cleon at Tharsus. This does not make sense. Certainly a king would have ample resources at home to care for an infant daughter of royal blood. But Shakespeare needs some excuse for the rest of the events. Cleon is a loyal friend and educates Mariana as Pericles wishes. Dionyza is jealous of Marian and wants her dead. (Talk about short lived gratitude after Pericles saved the land from famine!) This just doesn't work for me. Well, the assasin fails, but Mariana is kidnapped by pirates. (Though Pericles and Dionyza believe she is dead.) Cleon is furious when he learns what Dionyza has done, but this bit of truth does not seem to survive the play. The assasin feels he can twist the truth and say Mariana is dead, but Dionyza kills him anyway. Mariana is taken to a house of prostitution that is short staffed, but she refuses to become a valuable employee so to speak. She actually meets her future husband there. One of the staff becomes sympathetic to Mariana, and he helps her escape. (She intends to become an instructor of arts. Cleon's education probably helped her here.) Well Lysimachus (who Mariana met at the house of prostitutes) has heard of Pericles's tragic state and goes to visit him with Mariana. Apparently, Pericles and Mariana never met on speaking terms. (FLAW!) Even granted Pericles left Mariana with Cleon for some time, he would have still visited her. Dinoyza began her evil plans when Mariana was 14. Pericles never saw his own daughter in 14 years? Well, moving on, Mariana and Pericles speak not knowing their relationship, but they eventually realize that they are father and daughter. But another flaw comes in. Mariana accuses Cleon of plotting against her. (FLAW!) Even the man who tried to kill Mariana named Dionyza as the villain. Either Mariana is forgetful, or she doesn't care about accusing an innocent man. Pericles vows vengeance on poor Cleon. (FLAW!) Cleon and Pericles were friends. He may have at least tried talking to Cleon and establishing the facts. But Pericles is a Romeo who lived a little longer. Wonderful at love and romance, but not to good at reason. Well, Pericles has a dream and Thaisa commands him to come to the temple of Diana at Ephesus. Well he does and the family is together again. But this romance offers one final flaw. Rather than allowing the play to end on a happy note, Shakespeare has Pericles burn Cleon's palace killing him. (Even though Cleon was TOTALLY INNOCENT of the attempted murder of Mariana!) As I said, romances tend to be overrated. But I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. Britney Spears is the most popular thing around while King Diamond's records (that display great work and effort) are often only found in 'you name it, we got it' places. "Pericles" is a good play, but better Shakespeare certainly exists.

1 comments about Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill.

1. It's been almost 10 years since the book has been out. It's about time that someone dropped a line about it. Whether you are a fan or not, this book will not disappoint. It shares photos & memories of growing up, frequent relocation (home & school), loss of his mother, and realizing his belief in total clothing rights.

3 comments about The Complete Plays.

1. I had to get this boook for an acting class because the professor (who is Russian) wanted to use a translation other than the more well known Paul Schmidt complete works.
   
   While I like Paul's for a very American translation accessible more to American Actors and audiences, there is admitedly something Russian in spirit about Laurence Senelick's translation. I beleive that translations should really be called adaptations because they are merely another, less exact form of the original. Especially when it comes to language and character, and not merely a plot driven play (e.g. Ibsen) Senelick's translation offer a sense that is less American and probably closer to the russian. The only thing that bothers me and it has taken me some time to be somewhat ok with is that I feel like it reads like a translation and I tend to like more seamless adaptation if I'm going to call it that, which takes authorial intention (to the best of their opinion of what authorial intent is) to create their version of the original version. From a performative aspect I am still not sure how much I like it in the mouths of American tongues, but I see the merit in language that requires and american actor to really invest in a a foriegn thought process and construction.
   
   Other pluses: Variants to every play chekhov wrote, including what can only be described in this day and age as the special features section with deleted scenes. Great look and style to the book overall, if you like that kind of thing, but it will feel like a bible you are carrying around. Paul Schmidt's is nice because it looks and carries like a normal book, but has virtually every play Chekhov wrote.



2. if yer looking for an english-language translation of chekhov's plays, and have come across any of the (at least three that i know of) editions containing the translations by Senelick, there is no need to continue searching: these are, by far, the absolute best renditions currently available. they are not merely literary / intellectual translations, but simultaneously capture the dramatic as well... read and perform. there is simply no other translation that accomplishes both of these feats. actors rejoice! readers revel!



3. A brilliant translation for all lovers of great and enduring literature.
   
   W.W. Norton has published all of Chekhov's dramatic works in a single stunning volume. The translator is a professor of drama at Tufts University and is fluent in the Russian of the period. This volume contains works that have not previously been translated. The plays are heavily annotated for clearer understanding and appreciation of the nuances and subtleties of the original. Before each play, the author includes an interpretation in the context of Russian history at the time. The plays are consequently better understood and enjoyed.
   
   The translator includes variants of the plays, different endings encouraged by the actors who played the parts, unfinished plays, and dialogues.
   
   Senelick includes an illuminating chronology of Chekhov's life in the context of history. Chekhov wrote his great plays while practicing medicine as a physician and suffering from tuberculosis.