5 comments about Impro (Performance Books): Improvisation and the Theatre (Performance Books).

1. Honestly, I don't know why there are so many positive reviews for this book. I purchased this book based purely on that criteria.
   
   I was expecting the best book anybody can get their hand on to learn improv, but what I got was a tedious toil read with nothing practical to be taken from the book.
   
   The author constantly went on talking about himself and his theater, and put me to sleep with all these fluffs. The information is presented in "how-to" unfriendly. I couldn't even figure out what was the point the author was trying to make with all these fluffs. Look I don't care about the "you" and "what you did", all I care about is the "I", the selfish me...which is the learning the material in a easy "how-to" fashion that affects me.
   
   Frankly, I am extremely disappointed, after all the positive reviews. Am I missing something? Am I the only one here who found this book useless?
   
   Don't waste your time and money on this.
   
   A much better book on improvisation will be "Truth In Comedy", which the information are much more easy to learn on a practical level.



2. You don't need to be interested in theatre to find this book fascinating. I've purchased over a dozen copies to give to my friends. It's changed my life more than any other!



3. This book taught me many, many things, mostly immediately applicable to improv but also, on a deeper level, everyday life. It is not a book of physical techniques to try but of mental exercises to show us how we think of the world, how we are trained not to think and what we subconsciously do or avoid doing. This theoretical base I see as being immensely helpful to understanding improvisational work, but the lessons I have learned easily apply to real life situations. The author writes mostly non-linearly, but it is still very easy to follow and full of life rather than being overbearing and pretentious or dry and dull. Reading it has also exposed me to many fascinating stories, especially in the final chapter on Masks and trance, which tells us of hypnotic states and Mask-related cultures across the world and across time. The lessons we learn from these apply to our world as well, but we are conditioned to reject Mask work as being silly or strange. This book has changed and will continue to change how I think of myself and my interactions with other people and I am sure that once I get back into the improv workshop I will be a more confident and knowledgeable performer, both consciously and subconsciously, and thus a more eager participant and more ready and open to further teaching. I recommend this book to any who want a theoretical, metaphysical and spiritual guide to both improvisational performance and the constant improv performance of life.



4. As a theater actor, this book has been a very good tool for me. It has made me a better listener which is important on the stage. Just memorizing lines is not enough. In case someone drops a line, you can immediately come to their rescue, without making them look bad, thus maintaining the scene. I highly recommend this to anyone in the theater.



5. I read this book more than 15 years ago. On that time I was an engineering student taken some classes on pantomime. The book was absolutely helpful to undestand some hidden rules in terms of space, rythm, all things that are very dynamic on improvisations.
   I also remember another book that my teacher recommended me, 'To the Actor' by Michael Chekhov.
   Johnstone's book helps not just for acting. It is a good aid to recognize what helps and what inhibits our behaviour in groups. The book is plenty of examples and every point is well demonstrated.

1 comments about Designing With Light: An Introduction to Stage Lighting.

1. Well worth having in your collection. A good introduction to the art of lighting theatre productions, with good explanations and examples of the design process. Simple information on control systems and basic patching processes but quite useful colour theory chapter. Also covers luminaires and effects projection techniques. All in all a good text.

5 comments about Brother Sam: The Short, Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison.

1. 
   I remember the national climb of Kinison in the early to mid 80's and saw his breakthrough showing on the Rodney Dangerfield young comic show and also Kinison's own HBO special that shot him to national prominence. This guy was a comic GENIUS of his time.
   This book by his older brother and manager Bill Kinison is a very good insight to the man behind the comedy, shortcomings and all....



2. As I write this review, I'm sitting here listening to an old tape of Sam Kinison appearing on Howard Stern's radio show with Malika and Amy Lynn in 1991.
   
   It's hard to believe that the upcoming April 10, 2006 will mark 14 years since the world lost its last true comic genius. In BROTHER SAM, penned by his brother and fellow preacher Bill Kinison, Sam's life from the humble beginning to the tragic end is recalled in full detail by a man who was by his side for the vast majority of it. While many books about standup comics turn into a simple recount of every but they'd ever performed by the halfway point, BROTHER SAM is different. All of the familiar names from Kinison folklore are here: Seka, Malika and Sabrina, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Rodney Dangerfield, Howard Stern, Jessica Hahn... the list goes on.
   
   While the public perception of Sam is that of a screaming renegade former preacher that ridicules Jesus and runs around high and/or liquored up 24/7, Bill tells a vastly different story. Sam is presented as a man who is not perfect but loved those around him. He loves God just as he did while in the ministry but hates the hypocrisy of the Jim Bakker's and Jimmy Swaggert's of the world of money-hungry religion. He did drugs, drank like a fish, and had more women in his bed than most men could ever imagine, and yet after a couple of health scares in 1990 and 1991 he made the effort to slow down, reinvent himself, and turn his life around.
   
   As a Kinison fan who has several of the classic bits virtually memorized, reading the final chapter entitled "Sounds of Silence" was incredibly difficult. It's in those final pages that Bill recounts his eyewitness account of Sam's final hours of life, including the head-on collision that took his life. The ironic twist is that the driver who struck Sam's car was, in fact, a teenaged drunk driver... and it's that fact that resonates with every Kinison fan to this day.
   
   Sam's impact remains with everyone who ever enjoyed his work. When we see the commercials for hunger organizations, we all think (or say), "There wouldn't be world hunger if you people lived where the FOOD IS! YOU LIVE IN A DESERT! NOTHING GROWS OUT HERE!". We still fire off an occasional "Oh OOHHHHHHHHHHHH!" for no good reason when we see something that provides us with proper motivation. He was one of a kind. He was a legend. He is truly missed.
   
   Thanks Sam.



3. I happened to pass by this book at a book store a few years ago. I started to peruse the pages, and before I knew it, I was absolutely hooked. If you're into celebrity biographies, you will definitely love this one. You'll learn about Sam's experiences with various other celebrities and rockstars: his on-and-off again friendship with Howard Stern, his fascination and tumultuous affairs with porn stars and strippers (e.g., Seka and Jessica Hahn), his love for rock and roll, and best of all, his childhood and family and how he developed his trademarked primal scream.
   
   Shortly after I read this, I happened to see the E! TV True Hollywood Story, which felt did not do the man justice, and didn't even touch on his last great love affair.
   
   Not only this, but the book has transcripts of some of Sam's most popular comedy routines. If you loved Sam before, you'll love him even more with this book.



4. Sam Kinison was more than comedy, he was always a very loud voice of reason during bad times. He was also the Rock N' Roll comedian. I first bought his Louder Than Hell tape 16 years ago. I thought it was a rock tape, much in the vain of Guns N Roses or Motley Crue with interesting songs, because that's how he looked. If you would have told me it was stand up comedy I never would have bought it. I listened to it, and I laughed and laughed. I bought everything else Sam I could get my hands on. With the exception of Brother Sam, only because I could never find it. Thanks to Amazon I now own it. The book is great. Although there are no surprises. I always understood Sam, and in my view he lived his life in the open, for better or worse. I admire the fact that Bill didn't try to make Sam's life seem rosy, as is the case with many celebrities after they die. Bill did what Sam would have wanted, just laid his life on the line as it really was. It also has a lot of Rock N' Roll references so it is a trip back in time in that regard as well. Sam took no prisoners. He held no cow sacred. He offended every side equally. All while being a former minister. Most importantly he laughed in the face of tragedy. The best comedy always comes from pain, and Sam made that pain not only bearable but fun. I just wish Sam was alive today. There would be laughter in things we have forgotten how to laugh at. Sam touched it all. So while it is considered un American to laugh at the hypocritical self righteousness of our leaders today, I can always read this book, and listen to the voice of Sam (alot of his material is printed in here.) laugh, and remember the guy who gave comedy and the world a shot in the arm.



5. Sam Kinison's comedy was hard to understand -- if life had never kicked you in the crotch. I couldn't stand the guy, and I didn't think he was funny, until I myself hit some of the same lows he described in his over-the-top routines. This book evenhandedly describes the often sad, heartbreaking life of a very funny man. We miss ya, Sam.

1 comments about Theater and Film: A Comparative Anthology.

1. This book covers everything from writing to directing to acting, from the people who started Hollywood to the people making it happen today. As a teenager interested in doing this when I grow up, I love that this isn't a book about the heartbreaks of the business, why I shouldn't do this with my life, or what I'm going to have to do to make it. It's simply about theater and film, through the eyes of some of the best people around. I loved reading it and it got me jazzed about doing this some day.

1 comments about George Burns: In His Own Words.

1. A friend gave me this book as a gift, knowing I enjoy George Burns humor. The 138-page hardcover was a quick and enjoyable read. Fagen's narrative wove together a collection of what Burns said, creating an insightful glimpse into a celebrity's life. As I read the book, I was only mildly aware of Fagen--he was practically transparent--as I read the biography. Fagen does tell the story in the third person, but brings out the character of his subject so strongly that I lost myself in Burns.

5 comments about Roger Corman: Blood-Sucking Vampires, Flesh-Eating Cockroaches, and Driller Killers.

1. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT LEGENDARY FILM MAKER ROGER CORMAN. HE IS KNOWN FOR MAKING FILMS AS QUICK AND CHEAP AS HE COULD. MANY OF THESE ARE CULT FAVORITES SUCH AS LITTLE SHOP, GIANT LEECHES AND MANY MORE. I HAVE SPENT MANY A FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY AFTERNOON WATCHING THESE "CLASSICS". ROGER CORMAN IS KNOWN FOR MAKING CHEAP BUT INTERESTING AND SOMETIMES HILARIOUS B MOVIES. THE BOOK GOES BEHIND THE SCENES AS THE AUTHOR INTERVIEWS MANY FORMER EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE WORKED FOR CORMAN AND HAVE INTERJECTED THEIR VIEWS AND OPINIONS ON CORMAN. ROGER IS ALSO KNOWN FOR GIVING MANY STARS THEIR START. CORMAN IS ALSO A COMPLEX GUY WHO CAN BE VERY GENEROUS AND CAN ALSO BE AS CHEAP AS THEY COME. SOMETIMES MOOD BUT ALWAYS LOOKING TO MAKE ANOTHER MOVIE. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND I RECOMMEND IT FOR ALL FANS OF KING OF THE B'S AND WHO APPRECIATE BRILLIANCE ON A BUDGET.



2. This fascinating "biography" is really a savvy "how to" book that belongs on the shelf of every screenwriter, aspiring producer, director, and development executive -- and everyone else who loves films and craves to know the secrets of Hollywood's most colorful mogul.
   
   I found it fun to read as a realistic "behind the scenes" glimpse of what it takes to be a profitable mogul, such as the way Corman hired young cheap "promising" talent instead of going for experience. Directors fresh out of film school reading this book, for example, can get a good feel for the mindset and financial situation of producers they interview with. Screenwriters will learn how Corman and team (Gray had been his development executive) managed to write and produce so many successful films quickly.
   
   Few books reveal the inner machinations of a successful producer so intimately. Gray, a screenwriting teacher at UCLA, has done a spectacular job of showcasing the life story of an intruiging man through more than eighty interviews and via her own experience.



3. Wow! Talk about switching personalities! This amazing biographer can emit the style of the person she is writing about to really give you a flavor of the personality. And of course, she spent time working for him, so you are privy to more of a view. Written somewhat bruskly like Roger's personality, you really gain insight into his life and what made him the person he is. Contrast this book with Beverly's biography of Ron Howard and you see some of the exceptional talent of this lady. A great read!



4. I have to agree with the other five-star reviews. "Roger Corman: Blood-Sucking Vampires, Flesh-Eating Cockroaches, and Driller Killers" is the best book on the subject, the subject being the most unique American studio head in film history.
   
   Beverly Gray really paints a nuanced picture of Corman and never panders to the fans, the haters, or her old boss Corman himself. Though it's impossible to pull back the curtains entirely and see into a man's soul, Gray seems to have at least pulled back one side, giving us as much a glimpse as is possible without telepathy.
   
   Storywise, Corman is, as always, fascinating, and Gray's perfectly detailed retelling of his story is the best yet written.



5. (...)

   Gray's biography--fun as it is-- is more than a story about a man who is arguably one of Hollywood's most idiosyncratic moguls. It is a chronicle that parallels that of The Great Depression, World War II, the growth of the film industry and Los Angeles itself. We meet again celebrities we haven't thought about in years like the adorable dimpled Jon Davison, the memorable Vincent Price and even run across pop culture icons like Frank Gorshin.

   Occasionally this book is burdened with glitz-town detail that only a dedicated film buff might adore but these moments are rare. Like a super hero, Corman--now 75 and still going--is resilient because he is multi-faceted. The same can be said for screenwriter cum UCLA instructor and journalist Beverly Gray. The two seem admirably paired in that way. Gray uses her many experiences and talents to tell the story of a man of many parts.
   (...)

2 comments about Knives in Hens (Modern Plays).

1. Harrower deftly enables the stage to transform into a moving poem. This is a not only a beautiful play but a stunning piece of literature. A recommended read for anyone who appreciates a finely crafted play.



2. Scottish dramatist David Harrower's KNIVES IN HENS is an eerie and startling play that explores with conviction and an almost off-hand surrealism the connection between language and the world one inhabits through it.

   Focusing on a trio of characters in a God-fearing rural community, Harrower paints a stark and coarsely poetic portrait of what happens when one begins to question the very ground on which one walks. Specifically, Harrower centers his attention on a character simply named Young Woman, whose naive sense of the world and her own impulses is eroded throughout the progression of the play, as she discovers the power of language. her own sexuality and the strength of her imagination.

   A blindly devoted wife living in a private linguistic and metaphorical world informed by a sheltered upbringing in a pre-industrial village in an unidentified country (although the rhythms of rural Scottish speech color the text), Young Woman ventures outside her field one day to! have her grain milled by a local hated figure of the Miller Gilbert Horn while her husband Pony William tends to a pregnant horse.

   Young Woman's encounter with Gilbert Horn serves as the catalyst for her awakening. He provokes her and stirs in her a desire to give expression to her thoughts through the act of writing them down, something she fears to do because she believes writing is sinful. To write, she believes, is to defy God, since God is the one who gives an individual her thoughts and to claim such thoughts as one's own, to voice them, is blasphemy.

   As the Young Woman's relationship with her husband becomes more and more strained, Gilbert Horn begins to enter her sexual dreams until she feels she must act upon them. Although it may seem beyond cliche at this point to once again have a woman discover the power of her sexuality, of her body, through a man, Harrower manages to make the Young Woman's transformation seem novel and surprising.

   By bringing in an elemen! t of the supernatural, Harrower removes the play from its s! ecular framework and places it in a curiously pagan, ritualized world where Gilbert Horb can indeed be a ghost and sorceror as well as a miller straight out of Eliot's MILL ON THE FLOSS.

   A bleak, abrupt soundscape of words hurled, then barely uttered for fear of what they would do, KNIVES IN HENS is a powerful play built on a fragile, but elegant collage of 24 scenes that examine the disjunctive relationship between language and identity, creation and authorship, and the manner in which inexpressible feelings can sometimes conjure a reality more profoundly disturbing than the quotidian world will allow.

No comments about Mo' Better Blues.

No comments about Beijing Opera Costumes: The Visual Communication of Character and Culture.

1 comments about Expecting Isabel.

1. I just finished performing in a production of Expecting Isabel and I have to say it's one of the most fun plays I've ever been in after 20 years on stage. Hilarious and touching. Witty and honest. We had audience members who'd actually been through the real thing telling us how much they appreciated the way the play depicts the realities of infertility and the adoption process. Highly recommended for community theatres. It has mature themes and adult language. Our theatre rated it PG-13, but if it were done as a movie, it might actually get an R due to the use of the F-word. If you're looking for a touching comedy that will get lots of great word-of-mouth reviews, get this play.