No comments about The Vision of Modern Dance: In the Words of Its Creators.

5 comments about The Seagull (Methuen Drama).

1. Oh tormented people. One may read `The Seagull' and wonder what's that all those things about death and killing, and failing love stories. So sad! But in Chekov's world this is a comedy, and it doesn't take too much to get why. It is indeed funny in some parts-- well, not the kind of funny we are used to, but nevertheless, it makes us laugh.

   The tragicomic play is of paramount importance in modern teather. Rarely has a playwriter written such a realistic piece analyzing the life of an artist and his/her role in the society. In `The Seagull' Treplieff is a writer wanna be, who is trying to grow over the shadow of her mother --an aging actress--, and to get an actress wanna be to love him. But above all, he has to deal with feeling jelous of Trigorin a youger and successful writer. There aren't many characters, but there is so much going on, personal dilemas, that the story grows to a placeless dimension.

   Chekov can write with such a confidence that for not a second you doubt the existence of these people. His words are vivid. More than 100 years later, his play is up to date dealing with issues that are universal and timeless-- that can make you either cry or laugh.




2. GREAT PLAY-says so much about life and love.
   Character driven.
   Sad, but it's Checkov
   Well worth the read!



3. Russian plays aren't for everyone--they are dense, heavy affairs, packed full of ideas and slow moving characters. If you are looking for a fast-paced potboiler with lots of action, etc. then stay away from Chekhov. But if you enjoy reflection and having something to talk about when you finish a book then Checkhov will serve you well--and, most improtantly, if you want to read "The Seagull" this IS the translation to get--Stoppard has done a wonderful job, making this classic even more readable and enjoyable.



4. "The Seagull," is also about how the constraints of society restrict us from achieving our goals. Constantin is not appreciated by the masses for his "experiemental" writing. Masha (?) feels trapped by her social position and unwanted by Constantin thus marries a schoolteacher who she doesn't love. Although Trigorin achieved success through his mediocre novels, he feels unsatisfied by not creating "real" art and compelled to anihilate anyone who attempts to create real art, such as Constantin. It is interesting to note that Constantin is secretly envious of Trigorin for his success and Trigorin is envious of Constantin for maintaining his integrity in his art. Maybe that's why they're always at each other's throats. Just my two cents.



5. The play is set on an estate in the Russian countryside, owned by the former state councillor Peter Sorin. He lives there with his nephew Konstantin Trepliev, the son of a famous actress and himself an aspiring playwright. His mother, Irina Abkadina, is a miserly and self-centered woman fascinated by her own fame and beauty. The only object of her affection is the famour writer Trigorin.

   An abstract play written by Trepliev and performed by his young girlfriend Nina Zarietchnaya fails miserably, and Nina turns her attention instead to the more successful Trigorin. The young Trepliev attempts suicide, then challenges Trigorin to a duel. All his efforts are in vain, and Nina leaves for Moscow to be with her idol. Trigorin, however, soon forgets about her, and her career as an actress is even more miserable than Trepliev's career as a writer. Both youngsters thus face tragic fates as their failed ambition, jealousy, and misguided love and anger carry them to destruction.

   This subtle work deals with issues such as unrequited love, jealousy, betrayal and vanity without being overly sentimental. It also addresses the spectacular effect people of charisma or celebrity can have on ordinary people, and suggests that this great power is a dangerous tool in the hands of people who are often hostages of their own reputations.

5 comments about Hello Darlin': Tall (and Absolutely True) Tales About My Life.

1. Someone left this book in my house last summer and I kept it around for months waiting to see if anyone wanted it back. If no one's coming to claim it, it must not be very good, I thought. One day, when I was bored, I picked it up and read it out by the pool, and you know, contrary to my expectations that this wouldn't be my sort of book, it was pretty darn good.
   
   Actor Larry Hagman is a cool guy. He's funny, surprisingly spiritual and deep, and boy has he ever lived one amazing life. In this memoir, he talks about growing up in Texas, son of a good old boy rancher and the famous actress Mary Martin, then discusses his assorted misadventures in the years before he first found fame playing Major Nelson opposite Barbara Eden on the '60's sitcom I Dream Of Jeannie. Hagman went on in the '70's and '80's to play the iconic bad guy J.R. Ewing on the massively popular prime time soap opera Dallas, and fans of that series will especially delight in his behind the scenes tales of the making of that drama. In among his wisecracks and jaw-dropping stories, and especially anecdotes of his trademark elaborate practical jokes, Hagman also strikes into his serious side when he waxes philosophically about death and dying, and is brutally frank about the lessons he painfully learned from his own brush with oblivion following his liver transplant in the 1990's.
   
   Before I read this short, fast-paced autobiography, I had little idea who Larry Hagman was, but for fans of his or the series he helped make famous, this is a treasure trove of facts and tall tales. Like I said, it's a pretty funny book.



2. I found this book quite by accident and enjoyed it a great deal. I'm surprised that this book did not get more play in the media. It is honest to the core and gives a candid insight into the man who played JR and Major Nelson. The best parts of the book deal not with acting but with Hagman's relationship with his mother. It is truly moving to read. I also found it interesting how fond of and close he ramains with Dallas co-star Linda Gray (Sue Ellen). Evidently his mother loved her just as much. When the great actress Mary Martin died, Hagman had a photo of Gray placed inside his mother's casket.



3. I loved this book... It was true and honest and a joy and a pleasure to read made me love Larry Hagman more than just as J.R. Ewing and as Jeanie's master... It was awesome it made me feel good to learn what all he has done and how he is doing I am sure he will be great however long he is still alive.. I love him... He is a great actor and a great person.



4. I received this book as a gift from someone who new I enjoyed the television show Dallas, and I can really say it was a treat.
   
   I must say that Mr. Hagman had a very interesting life that goes way beyond what we know him best for: playing the merciless J.R. Ewing on Dallas and his other hit I Dream of Jennie.
   
   From the get go, Larry speaks about his youth, being the son to Broadway star Mary Martin (famous for being Peter Pan), his father and tenuous relationship with his step-father Richard.
   
   The book reads in a chronological order from boyhood, through his stint in the military (where he met his one and only wife Maj), to his first movie roles, through his television career and wraps up with his last series 'Orleans' and his liver transplant.
   
   He has many stories which are entertaining and fun reads. So fun in fact I wanted more and was disapointed only in the fact they weren't long enough or more of them. Mr. Hagman had some fascinating quips and stories regarding such people at Burgess Meredith, Carol O'Conner, and other tv and silver screen legends.
   
   But not everything was picture perfect....There were times of poverty, illicit drug use, and confronts his drinking issues which led to his liver transplant head on.
   
   I was amazed at what a world traveler he was, even before his most memorable character of playing oil tycoon J.R. Ewing. He had seen more of the world before his 20th birthday than most people do their whole lives, and many times early in his youth, he did it with no job or no money, but always had a positive outlook on life.
   
   A very inspirational autobiography where Larry does show you the silver lining on all dark clouds.
   
   Again, for me the trouble with this book was it just seemed to short....I would have loved to read many more of his 'tall, but true' tales, many of them with a martini or bottle of champagne in his hand.



5. I loved this book...but I may be a little prejudiced, cuz I love Larry Hagman! I was lucky enough to have met him when he autographed my copy. I must say, he's very personable, not one bit stuck-up. He also signed my 1980's can of JR Beer and couldn't believe someone still had a full JR Beer from the 80's!!! A real genuine kind of guy...which I imagine is a little rare of such a long-time celebrity. I only regret his wife, Maj wasn't there...I'd have loved to meet her too. She must be SOME LADY to have put up with Larry all these 45+ years! If you want a good, funny, light-hearted read about some of Larry's antics thru his life, this is the book for you! My only negative about the book? I wish it had been longer...I couldn't put it down and finished it in two bedtime reads. THUMBS UP!

No comments about Drama Games & Improvs: Games For the Classroom and Beyond.

5 comments about The Vagina Monologues: The V-Day Edition.

1. A MUST read for any woman, empowering! Was a quick read, left me wanting more, LOVED IT.



2. Three friends and I read this book in conjunction and we could not stop talking about it. It's a quick read, sparks thought and emotion.



3. I'd heard of this book and of several performances from many friends and I finally got a chance to read it myself when my (lesbian) roommate was given it for Christmas and brought it back to school with her. We ended up reading it out loud to each other as bedtime stories every night until we finished the book. Some chapters and topics were hard to vocalize but since we were reading it to each other we always had someone else to talk to about the feelings and issues. I think alot of people would get more out of the book if they had seen performances of it or had read it aloud. I can understand why people think the book isn't what they thought it should be. However, every story, no matter how little it had to do with my own personal experiences, made me feel better about me and made me want to go out and help others.
   
   If readers begin to read expecting to be changed, they will be disappointed. Change usually happens when unexpected things happen to us and we react. Open minds are a must. I also wouldn't let anybody under the age of 14 or 15 read it.



4. If one enjoys depravity, vulgarity, lewdness and shameful text, then one may enjoy this book. It is senseless, unnecessary, and exists merely to sensationalize its perversity.



5. Our small town is in a dither because our local theater group is going to put on this play. So I decided to read this book to "be informed before I judged". I'm so glad I did, this book wasn't what I thought it would be. With humor, wit and sadness, Eve takes us on a journey of pain and pleasure through our "down there parts". I don't think I will ever wear my "I love my Vulva" t-shirt. But it's nice to know that others do.

5 comments about Writing the Killer Treatment: Selling Your Story Without a Script.

1. The title promises to instruct one on how-to write an exceptional script treatment. Yet, like most books of the Hollywood how-to genre, story elements are stressed. Though Mr. Halperin may or may not be "the foremost authority on screenwriting in America," one thing is for sure: you will not find one example of a "killer treatment" in this book. No, you won't even find one fraction of a decent treatment. The only example of the writing of this difficult to define style of storytelling sales document in the book begins: "Dark, threatening clouds loom over jagged snow-covered peaks casting ominous winter shadow on the river." A.K.A. the "It was a dark and stormy night..." opening gambit. I find treatments the most troubling and perplexing form of writing required in the motion picture business. For me, the last piece of the four major forms: log line, synopsis, treatment and script. The one form I have not yet come close to being able to execute with any aplomb. I bit the bullet and bought the book hoping to at last gain some insight into how I might improve. There's nothing in here you haven't read in other screenwriting how-to books, but even more egregious you won't even find a good treatment, or part of one, as an example and an inspiration.



2. When I am writing a script, I use about 80% of the time making a good treatment, since it is what will allow you to have everything well-tied when the proper screenwriting comes at the final stage. This book will not teach you to write a good treatment. In 90 pages, it deals about general issues of screenwriting, such as adaptations, story development and structure, but never in a deep way. It just generalises in its treatment recommendations, never giving clear rules, goals or advice. Furthermore, half of it talks about TV issues, which are far from filmmaking ones. The remaining 80 pages are just a filler: interviews, a sample treatment and references on movies cited. There is still not a good book about treatments out there.



3. Writing a solid treatment is something rarely -- if ever -- taught in writing courses. This is a great disadvantage for screenwriters, because having the ability to write a compelling treatment could make the difference between getting your foot in the door -- or getting the door closed in your face.
   
   At the very least, mastering this writing form can help writers flesh out their material and pitch it to prospective buyers BEFORE they write the script, allowing them to get feedback and make changes to a 10-15 page document versus a 100-120 page one.
   
   There are few books on this very important topic, and Michael Halperin has written one that belongs in every writers library. If you don't understand what a treatment is for, how it is used, or how to create one, you will after reading this book.
   
   And if you plan on writing for TV, this book is a must. With it's many examples of how to write treatments for TV -- episodic and long-form, it will cut your learning curve in half!



4. Not much here to help novices and certainly not for anyone with the vaguest idea of how scripts "work." Very skimpy with examples. There's so much "nuts-and-bolts" knowledge that's necessary to create a good script or treatment, and this book provides little of it.



5. This one suffers the flaw common to how-to books on writing: it's short on models. Plenty of TALK about how to write a treatment, but most writers know that the best instruction comes from an assortment of professionally polished examples. If you want to be a journalist, read the NY Times. If you want to write killer treatments, read some killer treatments.

5 comments about As You Like It (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. Note: This is a review of the particular "Cambridge School Shakespeare" edition [Edited by Rex Gibson, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000] of As You Like it and not a review of the play itself.
   
   This edition (a) contains the unabridged play and (b) tries to explain and elucidate Shakespeare's play to teenagers of the age of maybe 15-17. It clarifies difficult language, highlights the main conflicts, puts the play into a historical context and the context of the literary tradition that it belongs to. It encourages the reader to think of different possible ways to play the characters and different ways to understand the play.
   
   I am not a teenager and I am not 16 years old any more, in fact, I am 53 years old with a PhD in Economics and a Masters in Psychology. I read Shakespeare for fun, to challenge my brain, and to grow personally. I found this edition of the play very helpful and enjoyable. The commentary neither spoiled my fun by overanalyzing or showing off its learnedness nor did it offend my intelligence by oversimplifying. In addition, the layout of the book is quite reader-friendly.
   
   If you are a Shakespeare scholar or a scholar of English Lit, this edition will probably be too simple for you. For people of my caliber, however, I can really recommend this edition. Enjoy!



2. The Caedmon recording of As You Like It is well worth the purchase just to hear two Redgraves soar in their performances.



3. As far as Shakesepare's comedies go, "The Comedy of Errors" will always be my favorite. And while this "As You Like It" never quite obtained the popularity of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" or "The Taming of the Shrew," one probably could argue that "As You Like It" is the best of Shakespeare's comedies. This play contains several plots that Shakespeare cleverly intertwines and it offers a happy ending with love triumphant. But more important than the triumph of love, the theme of reconciliation carries through to virtually everyone in the story. The story begins with the sibling rivalry of Orlando and his older brother Oliver who has hoarded the family inheritence. After a brief fight, Oliver hopes that Orlando may accidentally die in a wrestling match against Charles. This is where a 2nd plot comes in. The Duke Frederick (who has a daughter Celia) has banished his older brother (the true Duke who has a daughter Rosalind). But for now, Rosalind is allowed to stay and she has made good friends with Celia. Orlando meets these 2 girls and falls into favor with Rosalind. After the wrestling match, things start to go bad. Orlando learns that his brother Oliver is planning to kill him, and Rosalind is banished. But all is not lost. Orlando takes his loyal servant Adam and flees while Rosalind (in the male disguise of Ganymede), along with Celia, and the comical Touchstone will flee to look for Rosalind's father. And here is where the play becomes mostly comical. (Good comedies can often have a sad start. "The Comedy of Errors" shows this well.) Moving on, we meet Rosalind's father and his crew who have made exile into a paradise. From Duke Sr's party, we meet the melancholy Jaques. But he is arguably the most interesting character in the story. (In fact, the most famous passage from this play belongs to Jaques. The 7 stages of man which end in nothing. Perhaps Macbeth took lessons from Jaques: 'Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.') Duke Sr welcomes Orlando and Adam, and it isn't long before Orlando and Rosalind run into each other. Shakespeare maintains the comedy when Rosalinde keeps her male disguise on and tells Orlando he must practice wooing on him/her. Touchstone has some comical romantic moments with Audrey. And there is an interesting triangle where the shepherd Silvius loves Phebe, but Phebe loves Rosalinde (seeing only Ganymede)! We may recall this from "the 12th Night" when Olivia loved Viola in her male disguise. But after this comical moment, all begins to resolve. Oliver comes on the scene and he and Celia fall in love. (So much so that Oliver is willing to reconcile with Orlando and grant him all.) The play ends with not only the reunion of Rosalind and her father, but the joyous weddings of Rosalind / Orlando, Celia /Oliver, Audrey /Touchstone, and Phebe / Silvius, but more good news comes. Celia's father mends his ways and returns all to Rosalind's father. Jaques offers the crowning touch. Despite his cynical nature, he is NOT a villain. Ironically, this hermit type man converses with more characters than anyone in the story, and while he can not take part in the play's final happiness, he DOES wish everyone well. As I said, my favorite comedy will always be "The Comedy of Errors." But don't make the mistake of overlooking this comedy.



4. As with all of Shakespeare, the concept of love at first sight is given far too much credit, but other than that, this is a delightful romp filled with much amusement. The language is as beautiful as one expects in Shakespeare, but is somewhat less difficult for the modern reader to follow than in some of his plays; I found myself being more distracted than helped by most of the footnotes. As with most Shakespearean comedies, it was easy to see that this play was intended for the amusement of the common people; the similarities in style between the plot here and in much modern pop culture were striking (the sexual innuendo to be had when a woman passes for a man and finds another woman falling in love with her, for instance). If it had a flaw, it was that the ending was just a little TOO pat and contrived, even for a comedy, but that's just a minor quibble.



5. This has to be one of Shakespeare's gayest plays (no pun intended). Whatever tragedy may have occurred in the beginning - at the court - is totally forgotten when the action moves to the forest, where Robin-hood like; a banished duke, a melancholy philosopher and a cast of love sick characters act out their lives on the stage.

   Much of the play is centered on Rosalind - the female lead in 'drag' - who falls in love with the third son of a nobleman, Orlando, who has been cheated out of his inheritance by his eldest brother. Her father, the duke, has also been cheated by a brother and is now living in the forest with his `merry men'. Her short stay at court is disrupted when her uncle changes his mind about her and `graciously' gives her a few days to get out of the kingdom. This event leads to her escape into the forests with her cousin, the daughter of the duke at Court. As the play progresses more and more characters end up in the forest which becomes the stage where all these actors play out their parts - to paraphrase Jacques.

   As a reader you sometimes have to suspend rationality in order to swallow some of the larger than life events that occur in this story (The snake - Lion - Lion killer scene for example). It's not meant to be taken too seriously I'd imagine, just a play about love and romance and the lengths one will go to because of love. The only rational person in this play seems to be the Malvolio-like Jacques, whose deer hugging antiques (forerunner of modern day Environmentalism?) and refusal to take part in the revelry make him the butt of the other's jokes. Even the clown seems to have been pierced by Cupid's arrows as he too weds a country `wench', something unheard of in the other plays where the clowns all seem to be eunuchs.

   If you're reeling from any of Shakespeare's tragedies, or want to escape the ordered, (courtly?) existence that is your life and take a dive into an almost fantasy-like world where all is love and laughter, this play may be your ticket.

3 comments about The Lower Depths (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. This is a warning. This is an atrocious translation and should be avoided. Hopkins, who translated this work in 1906 is either sloppy or just a poor translator. The English is awkward, and what is most reprehensible, Hopkins just plain omits two of the most important factual items of the entire play--1) Gone is Pepel's admission that he spend time in prison because he murdered a man, and 2) and this is the most grievous of all, the fact that Actor hanged himself at the play's cnclusion (almost the last words of the play which produces an immense impoact) is also omitted. There is no good reason other than monetary since all copywrite is probably gone for this edition, to republish it. I learned this the hard way, using it in a class amd now have subjected my students to this particular translation. It is a wonderful play, but this edition should be taken off the market.



2. The central theme of "The Lower Depths" is not only the total aniquilation of human personality by misery,in the harsh struggle for life that,so many times takes Men to degrade themselves but also,a statement that that aniquilation never is complete and that the very "Ex-Men",like in another book Gorki will call them,still have a conscience,the dream to overcome misery itself,a human warmth capable of being shared and ease.

   A Must-read!




3. In a crowded dark room live the dregs of Russian society: a thief, a prostitute, her pimp, and several other criminals and outcasts. The general humdrum drama of their lives goes on as they get into fights, have disagreements, counsel one another over their losses, and so on.

   Luka, an idealistic spiritual sort, finds his way into the group, and starts to spread his message of hope and positive thinking. This spurs the plot along a bit, because many in the group are hard-bitten realists who have no truck with faith or hope.

   This is a fine play by Maxim Gorky. Gorky doesn't have the number of famous plays that someone like Henrik Ibsen or George Bernard Shaw does. In fact, he might be better known for his memoir of his childhood than for this play.

   Nevertheless, The Lower Depths is a great play. The gritty element described in the play makes it seem much more like a modern play than the 1902 publication date would indicate. The realistic dialogue and streetwise characters make it hard to put down.

   ken32

5 comments about The 7 Steps to Stardom: How to Become a Working Actor in Movies, TV, and Commercials.

1. I have several books along these lines, and this is probably one of the easiest to follow. It is a good general overview to the business of acting. The DVD enhances the book as you watch Christina talk with her students about the seven steps; I felt I was right in the class with them. At the end of each step is a brief recap of the key points by Wink Martindale. Thanks to Christina's examples of good and bad photos and resumes, I now know what to do at my next headshot session and I've already redone my resume. I will be taking some classes from The Actor's Edge after I move, and I will definitely be submitting myself to her casting agency!



2. Co-written by founder and president of "The Acting Edge", one of Hollywood's leading acting schools for 15 years, The 7 Steps To Stardom: How To Become A Working Actor In Movies, TV, And Commercials is an easy-to-use workbook-and-DVD set that gives the practical advice on earning success in the entertainment business. Printed in color with photographs and a number of consumable pages, the workbook covers how to network and find an agent, avoiding scams, taking appropriate headshot photographs, writing an actor's resume, the business side of acting, honing one's acting skills and more. The two-hour DVD is divided into seven lesson segments: You are the Product, Acting Skills, Your Photograph, Your Resume, Your Agent, Your Unions, and Networking. Written in a direct, no-nonsense instructional, The 7 Steps To Stardom is a "must-have" for anyone contemplating or getting started in a profitable career in acting.



3. Usually, when one is looking for information on what you need to really make it in Hollywood costs a lot of money. This little book with a 2-hour DVD is amazing for what it costs! Sure, the production is a bit cheesy, but the content is amazing.
   
   Now that I have redone my headshot, and worked out my resume, I feel that I am much better prepared to deal with what I will be up against at my next audition.
   
   Thanks Christina!



4. This book is a very quick read yet its pages contain some very helpful, specific tips to enhance your resume, headshots and acting skills.
   
   I am grateful that Ms. Ferra-Gilmore is willing to share her expersites with up and coming actors.



5. This book is really well put-together - easy to use. Some of the tips and suggestions may seem like no-brainers, but there are a lot of little things you may not think of when marketing yourself in the entertainment industry. Resumes, agents, your photo, Ferra-Gilmore breaks it all down and gets you to rack your brain for other attributes you can use. A reference/workbook in one, with a two hour DVD.

1 comments about Red Light Winter: A Play.

1. Last year there was a producton of Red Light Winter performed at my school. I thoroughly enjoyed it because Adam Rapp has a talent for creating believeable characters. This play is set in Amsterdam. Hence "Red Light" Winter. It follows two friends vacationing and the prostitute they stumble upon. What ensues is highly entertaining and fun. I would recommend this play to anyone who wants to escape through a play. When reading this play I feel like I am in Amsterdam. A great read.