1 comments about The Dancer's Foot Book (A Dance Horizons Book).

1. I have danced my entire life and often I would get an injury and simply ignore it or treat it how I would a simple sore muscle or cramp. This book gives a complete encyclapedic dictionary of common "dancer" injuries and how to remedy them. It has proved to be a very helpful reference book for me on a daily basis. This book is easy to understand and even easier to use, this book will help anyone with basic foot problems, it isn't just for dancers.

4 comments about Almost Famous (Screenplays).

1. As good as the movie. Well, okay, better. (Isn't the book always better?) This includes details the movie left out and tells the story just as well. Also includes interviews with Cameron Crowe. EXCELLENT Book.



2. Then this is the book you have to get! I loved the film, ALMOST FAMOUS (so much, that I went to go see it at the movie theaters towards the end of it's playing by myself - usually, I go to the movies with at least one other person). ALMOST FAMOUS is really the best film I've ever seen in my life. I can't believe it only won one Academy Award and didn't get nominated for Best Picture! Oh well, if you wanna see the exact Oscar-winning script from the film than this is the best thing you can get. I went out to the bookstore recently and bought this and I was not disappointed in the least! I loved every moment of it. In fact, I am trying to memorize the script so when I buy the video, I can repeat every single word they say in the film. This script captures all of the highlight moments from the film and if you missed a line or two while watching the movie, you can probably find it here in this book. Also, the intro written by the author is pretty cool, too. Also, the author has an interview with Cameron Crowe himself, and Crowe explains many parts of the film that were most confusing to you. Plus, there are some great memorable photos directly from the shooting of the movie (though they are all in black and white) to add to this true ALMOST FAMOUS collectors' item. A great read and a must have for all ALMOST FAMOUS fans! Trust me, you won't be disappointed.



3. After seeing the movie I couldn't wait for the book to come out. I got it the first day of November and read it in like one day. I am now reading it again and picking up more then I did before, not because I read to fast but because you just do. If you are a fan of the movie and want a little behind the story look then get this screenplay (book).



4. When a film becomes the darling of the critics and viewers alike, you can be quite certain a good script is at the core of the success. Almost Famous is no exception. The screenplay is remarkably close to the final edit of the film, with only a few scenes that will probably make it into the DVD release of the film. These scenes fill out the characters even more, and in at least one case, anchor a wayward reference in the final cut of the film.

   Several characters in the film will become immortalized by their dialogue, and savoring it in the context of the entire screenplay is a real treat. In addition to the screenplay, there is an interview with Cameron Crowe that covers many of the questions you or I would like to ask Crowe about this film. Yes, almost all of it really happened, and Crowe gives his take on a world and lifestyle that albeit passing and circumstantial, became real for the people who lived it. I recommend it highly.

5 comments about Sacred Woman, Sacred Dance: Awakening Spirituality Through Movement and Ritual.

1. I do not want to talk about how the author handled all other "sacred dances", but, since I am well-familiar with the Indian classical dance, I do have a clear impression that the author, although apparently quite intellectual, has a very superficial (typical of a western rationalistic mind) idea of what the real classical Indian dance practices are about, and has no idea at all of what is Natya Yoga.



2. This book offers deeply insightful information regarding the history and symbolism of dance (mostly folkloric and Oriental, not ballet) as it relates to femininity and by extension, feminism in the spiritual, nonpolitical sense of a free self-expression.
   
   The entire book is exceptional and engrossing, but I particularly enjoyed the chapter about the history of percussion/drumming, not only musical history but spiritual, religious, and psychological history as well. The chapter about trance dancing is very informative also, even alluring in its descriptions.
   
   The book's many pictures are stunning (as is the author herself), and certainly every picture enhances already intriguing text.
   
   My favorite picture is a photograph of Russian dancer Vera Morova (who gave up ballet to pursue Oriental dance) in a pose from her Snake Dance - the most exotic costuming and form imaginable!
   
   A generous resource guide, notes section, and bibliography conclude the book.



3. This book is very informative and wonderfully and intelligently written. I recommend it to any one that is interested in connecting with the ancient art of sacred movement. The illustrations are beautiful. It is wonderful to read books that are embracing the sacredness of the woman! Its time for women to unite and bring peace back into this world..This book is a great place to begin in understanding the importance of this!



4. This is a wonderful book for any woman who is searching to uncover her own hidden "feminine" gifts thorough dance, or for one who is searching out all woman history to re-build her own. Dance has been changed through out the centuries but the core is still present.
   A book that will expand the beginners understanding of how dance is connected to the spiritual. Much substance.



5. This book has an unusual approach to the history of dance. It has lovely photos/illustrations, and thorough notations throughout. I recommend ot for its unique approach to dance, but not for its (sometimes suspect) history. It's an interesting book, with a lot of information.

   I can see using this book as a form of meditation I suppose that's as spiritual as you want it to be. There are interesting ideas here, and women who are exploring the meaning and origin of dance will probably find it a good read. As women's studies (which is one of the subjects this book falls into), it's a little lacking. She doesn't really provide enough hard evidence with some of her theories and interpretations to consider this a scholarly work. Women who are interested in the goddess will also find value in this book.

   I recommend it as an interesting read, as long as the reader understands that much of what she writes is an interpretation of history, and cobbled together from whatever sources were available. Since much of women's history was never written, interpretation is necessary, of course, but I don't know how much is interpretation and how much is embellishment.

3 comments about Take Ten II: More Ten-Minute Plays.

1. Unfortunately, I ordered both of the "Ten-Minute Plays" within days. Should have waited to read one first. These plays are not appropriate for all age groups and situations. I was especially interested in finding a few plays for very Senior Citizens in rest homes. Sorry, not one of the plays in either book were appropriate for that audience. Not the books fault just wish better information was available before purchasing. Plays are good for modern audience and younger actors (in my opinion 16+).



2. "Take Ten II: More Ten-Minute Plays," edited by Eric Lane and Nina Shengold, is a follow-up to the co-editors' earlier anthology of very short plays. In addition to the thirty-five plays, the book contains an introduction by the co-editors, some biographical notes on the contributing playwrights, and an index breaking the included plays down into six categories, from one-character play to six or more characters. Interestingly, the most represented category in the book is the two-character play, with fifteen selections.
   
   Lane and Shengold have not just assembled an anthology; they are on a mission to champion the ten-minute play as a distinctive and vital genre with its own rich history. In their introduction, they note that it's been "just over twenty-five years since the Actors Theatre of Louisville announced its first Ten-Minute Play Contest," and in their acknowledgements section they note further, "The number of theatres around the country producing annual ten-minute play festivals continues to grow." A simple Internet search revealed to me how accurate the co-editors are in their assessment of the strength of this genre.
   
   Lane and Shengold promise "a crash course in the depth and diversity of the American theatre" in this anthology, and they more than fulfill this bold claim. Some of the most striking selections are as follows: "Antigone's Red," by Chiori Miyagawa, looks at the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. "Classyass," by Caleen Sinnette Jennings, is a comedy set at a college radio station. "The Cure," by Romulus Linney, is a one-character monologue told by a mountain midwife.
   
   Also worthy of note: "Daniel on a Thursday," by Garth Wingfield, is a two-character encounter set in a gay bar. I really enjoyed Nina Shengold's "Emotional Baggage," a clever comedy in which actors play pieces of unclaimed baggage at an airport. "It's Not You," by Craig Pospisil," is an unsettling satire about friendship and choices set in a New York City subway car. Dael Orlandersmith's "My Red Hand, My Black Hand" is an exploration of biracial Black/American Indian identity that has dialogue written as poetry. Rich Orloff's "Playwriting 101: The Rooftop Lesson" is a deliciously absurdist piece about the art of writing a play. "The Sniper," by Anthony David and Elaine Romero, is a gripping drama about the relationship between an Israeli military sniper and a Moroccan journalist.
   
   I found this superb anthology hard to put down. Lane and Shengold note that the best examples of the ten-minute play genre function as "miniature worlds." In this collection they have assembled a truly diverse and rewarding group of these little worlds. This book is a perfect companion for the original "Take Ten"; I recommend both anthologies enthusiastically.



3. What a terrific collection! I loved the editors' book UNDER 30, and this one is also great. It's filled with 10-minute plays which are fun to perform in class or on an evening of short plays. Our small theater company produced 7 of them in an evening of one-acts and it was a total hit. And what's best is they cover such a wide range of styles -- from hilariously funny to deeply moving. It's an actor's dream. I've read many collections of its kind and this one is definitely the best!

2 comments about Woyzeck (Drama Classics Series).

1. Well, this play sure was unique, I'll give it that. I had to read it for the Theatre Arts International Baccalaureate Exam (2001). It was one of three choices (the other two were by Dario Fo and Lorraine Hansberry which explains their listing on the "people who bought this also bought" list) and it seemed the most interesting. Basically, Woyzeck is a soldier in 1830s Germany. He has a girlfriend whom he discovers is cheating on him with a higher-ranking official. All the while, he is humiliated by his superiors and the townspeople. One day, he buys a knife and murders his girlfriend. The author, Georg Buechner, died while writing the play, so it ends, rather ambiguously, with Woyzeck wading into a pond into which he will throw the murder weapon. This was an interesting play to analyze for IB inasmuch as it provided a good deal of material for me to work with and I had good ideas about how the play ought to be produced. Still, the plot was very strange.



2. (I always wanted to say that.)

   Woyzeck is a designer's nightmare but an actor's dream: a tragedy of immediate imagery, almost written for the MTV generation. Scenes that last at most two pages flicker around archetypes like the overbearing Major and the menacing Doctor, while the play's more human characters find themselves caught in between. There are searingly tragic moments (as befits the genre). There are also darkly funny ones: Woyzeck's conspiracy theories, Andres's childish songs, the Scholar's politically incorrect comments.

   Buchner left the world young, and if this play is any indication, that's a tragedy too. As a reader, an actor or a (shudder) designer, you'll enjoy being swept along by his work.

1 comments about The Collected Plays of Neil Simon, Vol. 3.

1. I bought this book during my acting days, and love having it in my library. The eight plays included are fantastic, and the quality of the printing of the book is just as wonderful, and durable. One nice feature of the book is that at the beginning of each play, it provides the names of the people who wrote the music, lyrics, and the original cast members in order of appearance.

   Neil Simon's plays are astoundingly human, real, and especially joyous read as well as to act out. I highly recommend the hardcover edition, as it is reads easily due to the great selection of typeset, and will hold well over time.

   A Superb Book of Plays that will definitely bring you much joy in both reading and acting. Highly recommended! Barbara Rose, author of, `Individual Power' and `If God Was Like Man'

5 comments about The Fixers: Eddie Mannix, Howard Strickling and the MGM Publicity Machine.

1. The Fixers is one of the best books I've ever read. I've reread it a few times and each time I find it more riveting. EJ Fleming is right in what he's written about Eddie Mannix and Howard Strickling. I've known people in the industry and they agree, this book is a must read and all true. Variety earlier this year raved about it. It's worth the buy!



2. I have been waiting 30 years for this story to be told - now that I have read it, there are some things that probably should have remained in the dark, if only for memories sake! The author did a superior job of researching his information and presenting it in an unbiased fashion- weighing in when he felt it necessary to lodge his own conclusions. As a long time student of this period in Hollywood with a large library of books to support it, I haved learned many of these "secrets" in my travels through the non-fiction world that has been available through the years but I must admit that there were some unpleasant surprizes in this book that had only been hinted at in others and many times, incorrectly. If the movie "Hollywoodland" had not traversed the George Reeves murder so thoroughly, this telliing would have mined a lot of clues by itself. In "The Fixers", many a rumor has now been put to rest.



3. Initially I enjoyed reading the book although I did find the author's style of writing a little annoying. However I quickly became concerned about the level of research the author had conducted for each scandal that was discussed. In some cases it seemed to be fine and quite well thought out, for example his take on Clark Gable's involvement in a couple of road accidents and then at other times he seemed to rely solely on another persons' book for his research. The worst example I came across which really irritated me was his take on the death of Thelma Todd, the extent of his research seems to have been that he read Hot Toddy and has taken it as Gospel. I have read Hot Toddy and it had no list of references to help prove that Thelma Todd was murdered in fact it read like a completely fictionalised biography. From this point on I noticed just how often the author made reference to other people's books for his research and I began to think that this book was little more than a cobbling together of all the racy and interesting gossip from lots of other books. To be honest this wouldn't have bothered me as I quite enjoy reading a real hatchet job of a book about film stars, reading all the gossip and comparing books about the same person. However I don't think that this was what the author set out to do and I feel cheated that he didn't look more closely at each story and assess them properly which is what I thought he was going to do, comparing different takes on a scandal or piece of gossip and then giving his own opinion and research.
   
   Considering the book is about Strickling and Mannix they do not really come across as the main focus of the book. I don't feel that I know much more about them than I did from reading other Hollywood books. There are very few pictures of them, in fact the best one of each of them is on the cover. There are no personal pictures of them with their families or of their wives. There are quite a few pictures in the book but they are all standard black and white pictures and seem to be stock photos of the big Hollywood stars. I know what they look like! I would have liked to have seen photos of the other people that were involved in the scandals or pictures taken at the time the scandal occurred. For example why talk about Lila Leeds' beauty and not bother to include a photo?
   
   The book was very expensive for what it was.



4. I have been purchasing hard to find books from another company for several years...this time around I used Amazon, found the book, found it cheaper and got it faster. This book, which is hard to find and came to my attention while researching some other issues, was a great read and loaded with facts which were well documented and sourced. In other words, very little gossip. It was an easy and enjoyable experience to take in this book.



5. Potentially fascinating stuff about the MGM guys who covered up Hollywood scandals but too much hearsay and out-and-out misinformation to be taken seriously. Author claims Rex Harrison's US career was "doomed" by his affiliation with the 1948 suicide of actress Carole Landis. Actually, Rex' best career years were yet to come--Broadway stardom in My Fair Lady (and Best Actor Oscar for subsequent film version), Oscar nomination for Cleopatra, a co-starring role opposite Doris Day at height of her popularity, lead in multi-million dollar musical Dr Dolittle. . .so much for career disaster. And fact-checking. Fix this!

2 comments about Epic Proportions.

1. The local big theatre is producing this show, to be performed in March of 07, and have been holding auditions for the last couple of days. I've auditioned for the role of Louise and sincerly hope I am awarded the part.
   
   Before auditioning I had never read a word of this play before. As I was trying to win the director over with my impromptu performance of the scene where Louise and Phil and Benny try to coax Mr. DeWitt out of the Pyramid, I tried my hardest NOT to laugh! It was impossible.
   
   This is one of the funniest plays I've read, or auditioned for in forever. There is a lot of PHYSICAL humor in the play and once you read all the notes in () you basically fall off of your chair laughing.
   
   It's a hilarious play and you should read it. If you ever hear of anyone performing it...audition for it, or at least go see it. You WILL NOT regret it.



2. When I'd heard reviews of this play during its Broadway run, most reviewers either loved or hated it. It's not as bad as has been said, and actually reaches into hysterical in many points. It tells the story of 2 brothers who come to be extras on a Biblical epic [filmed] in the 30's in the Arizona desert, and end up both falling in love with the Assistant Director in charge of the extras, and become the director and star of the movie, "Exeunt Omnes". The 3 principals are supported by an ensemble of 3 actors who play everyone from an Egyptian Dancing Girl to Executioners to Hollywood costume designers. I would have to rate this script high for performability and for the humor in it. The characters are written strongly, and have very distinct personalities, and the story is entertaining, with some interesting absurdist touches, and I would recommend this to anyone who likes a sly comedy that can be outrageous at the same time.

2 comments about The Cambridge Companion to George Bernard Shaw (Cambridge Companions to Literature).

1. A great companion to reading the works of George Bernard Shaw. It helps to understand the literary techniques singular to the author, the socio-political background of his writings and the themetic structure prevalent throughout all his works. This is truly a necessary companion to reading his work.



2. A great companion to reading the works of George Bernarnd Shaw. It helps to understand the literary techniques singular to the author, the socio-political background of his writings and the themetic structure prevalent throughout all his works. This is truly a necessary companion to reading his work.

1 comments about Shakespeare Aloud: A Guide to His Verse on Stage.

1. Brubaker's little book has been one of the best secrets in the business of acting shakespeare for almost a quarter of a century. It is a no nonsense approach to the mechanics and reasons behind the mechanics of blank verse. Almost everyone in the professional theatre under forty knows of it, and it is the underground book of choice for instructors of verse acting throughout American Universities and conservatories. A must in helping inexperienced actors getting Elizabethan drama from the page to the stage, it is also a refreshing reminder of first principles in verse acting for seasoned professionals.