2 comments about Humble Boy: A Play.

1. I just saw this play produced at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. There are only so many family skeletons you can expose, and "Humble Boy" borrows liberally from that well-stocked closet. But those it drags out are embodied in well-defined characters and presented with fresh wit, excellent pacing, gentleness, and poignancy. Felix's search for the physicist's "theory of everything" is handled lightly, never bogs down in technical jargon, and never overshadows the characters' concerns of the heart. Although I would have preferred a slightly different ending, it worked because the characters were true to themselves. A wonderful play.



2. I saw this play in NYC with Jared Harris and Blair Brown and really enjoyed it. It was funny and moving and really had heart. When I picked it up to read it, I wondered if it would read as well -- and it did. This is a very smart play -- Charlotte Jones has written a play where the characters are fully realized and funny -- all the while searching for understanding, connection and love.

No comments about Century of Innovation: A History of European and American Theatre and Drama Since the Late Nineteenth Century (2nd Edition).

1 comments about Terpsichore in Sneakers: Post-Modern Dance (Wesleyan Paperback).

1. The evolution of the roughly twenty-five years of American post-modern dance is expounded upon in Sally Banes' articulate and comprehensive treatment of the period from 1960 to 1985. Pivotal characters in this history, of which there are several, are examined in detail, with many descriptive passages of definitive works and happenings from the era. Post-modern, originally referring only chronologically (and vaguely) to the period following what we now call historical modern dance, actually has several specific and revolutionary veins of philosophy and aesthetics attached to it. Well researched, Terpsichore in Sneakers has several photographs, choreographers' scores, charts, and notes (including some previously unpublished), a selected bibliography, and an alphabetical list of works by and about seminal contributors to the movement. Fascinating and enlightening reading not only for dancers, but for those interested in American cultural history and anthropology.

5 comments about Coming to Terms With Acting: An Instructive Glossary.

1. Doug's insight into human nature and knowledge of acting are utilized as he writes a "dictionary" that is far more than definitions. Buy it. Read it. Love it.



2. My acting teacher, Broadway's Sondra Lee, can stop raving about this book. It's easy to understand why. It's superbly user-friendly and very specific. It's a wonderfully lluminating book for all actors to own and cherish.



3. Forget the emotional posing and the masturbatory use of the "method" in today's actors and acting teachers. Doug gets right to the point and gives you the raw, essential tools provided by the Stanislavski/Strasburg Method. Stop letting the "feelings" of attention-seeking actors confuse you. Great tools are to be found in this book.



4. I have heard so much about this book. Well, now I finally got it and I am mad that I waited so long. Every time I pick it up I learn something from it. I re-read it all the time. I am learning sense memory in my acting class and I use the book and my teacher say "great!" but I know I got it from the book. I love that it's so clear. That is awesome. So far I have bought 3 of them, 1 for me and 2 for presents. This is a must have book.



5. A student from Yale had this book and that made me curious so I bought it. I have studied with some really good acting teachers but this book has made an incredible difference in my understanding of the craft of acting. Professor Moston's discussion of issues like sense memory, collusion, objectives, character and other Method and non-Method acting styles are really wonderful. I don't think anyone can learn acting from a book, but if you could, this would be the book to do it. I like how Moston gives you a fast answer and then, if you want to learn more, you can read the entry and get where the term came from, how it came about, and what's really great, how to use the idea in your acting. Also, I carry it in my backpack and I've even used it to settle arguements. Check it out!

No comments about Student Workbook for Verderber/Verderber's The Challenge of Effective Speaking, 13th.

No comments about Closer: Performance, Technologies, Phenomenology (Leonardo Books).

1 comments about Spark Notes A Raisin in the Sun.

1. "Spark Notes A Raisin in the Sun" is useful, but the plot does not have any hidden meanings, so assistance isn't needed very much. It does explain symbolism in things I may not have thought were symbolism. I recommend.

1 comments about Play Production Today.

1. I've read this and other books by Jonniepat Mobley. This book is simple, clear, concrete; it's a wonderfully practical, thoughtful book.
   
   What I don't understand, though, is why (when the name of the author is clearly on the cover of the book), Amazon is listing this as being written by McGraw-Hill, the publishers. Don't authors deserve credit?

1 comments about The Monologue Workshop: from Search to Discovery in Audition and Performance (Applause Acting Series).

1. Monologues and just simple acting require some coaching and mentoring. Jack Poggi is one of the best in the world. He shares academic, professional and practical insights into the craft of acting. Do you want to bring more confidence and emotional credibility to your monologues and your acting in general? Purchase this book, read it and keep it as a source of reference. It works and it will improve your acting game.
   JC ... New York City

3 comments about Acts of Intervention (Unnatural Acts).

1. This book is a valuable source for the variety of performances that have accompanied the appearance of AIDS in the United States. Roman carefully evaluates how theatre and performative events, from the activism of ACT-UP to Magic Johnson's announcement of his HIV status, have shaped the way that AIDS has been portrayed. In his introduction, Roman outlines his positionality within his subject, remaining critically responsible while acknowledging the impossibility of "objectivity." An important aspect of his critical approach is his "generosity" towards the performances he analyzes. He states that his purpose in the book is not to evaluate the performances for their artistic merit, but to show their position within the overall field of AIDS performance. He shows how performances that may have been "bad" nonetheless had an impact on their audience. Roman never succumbs to romanticism or nostalgia, but approaches his subject with reverence and respect. Roman's book leaves room for others to continue within the subject of AIDS performance and will continue to be a valuable source for those working in the field.



2. This is a moving and important study of AIDS and theater. I felt connected to a whole history of cultural and creative work, much of which I never knew existed before i read this book. The book includes some really great images of early AIDS activism. Even though it deals with the history of AIDS, the book is by no means a downer. This will book inspire you. As a gay man, i'm really glad i took the time to read it.



3. I guess this is a good overview of this work (queer performance) but having seen some of these people perform ... well, some of the work is really awful. But you'd never know that from reading Roman.

   Why do academics always feel like they have to be cheerleaders for anything in "the community"?? (especially if it gets attacked by Jesse Helms).

   Something more balanced and yes, critical, might be in order. In a couple of years, most of this stuff is going to look as dopey as a lot of "feminist" performance of the 70s.