4 comments about Speaking Shakespeare.

1. Oddly enough, words seem completely inadequate to describe Patsy and her teaching. She is an absolute hero and beyond extraordinary...there are few who understand the human being and their voice better than she. If you don't have the opportunity to be in her presence, and learn from her in person (an undeniably mind-blowing experience), then her books are definitely next best thing. Her writing is always incredibly concise and powerful, but this one is particularly full of wonderful examples and imagery. Her structure and method is so clearly laid out, and her passion is always present in her writing (no matter the book), it is almost as if you are in the room with her. This book would be an invaluable addition to any library, as would any or all of her other works. Patsy Rodenburg is quite simply one-of-a-kind amazing!



2. I had to use this text as part of a class at VCU called Speaking Shakepeare. It is wise to realize that this text, since it is voice and movement related necessitates that one must use the material outside just reading it. Reading Rodenburg can be repetitive at times. However, her approach and detailed examples accentuates the translating of the foreign language of Shakespeare into a palpable and manipulative text. This practical approach takes the hindering and fright out of the playwright's words. I have had great success, thanks to using this book as an aide in tackling Shakespeare. A worth while investment. Just make sure that you apply it step by step, not all at once.



3. Nothing new here. Seems to be a re-write of the ideas in Cicely Berry's books on speaking Shakespeare. Was looking for some new insights. Did not find any.



4. I'm not sure why I purchased this book in the first place--something told me I wouldn't understand Shakespeare simply by reading it unless I really learned to speak it.

   It's blown my world wide open. This is an astonishing book--which even if it apparently looks like a workbook for actors, is more importantly a guide for anyone who'd like to know what planet she's landed on. Because you can't know much about planet earth if you don't know much about Shakespeare--and the secrets Shakespeare is willing to share with you aren't available unless you can hear his lines, and you can't hear them if you can't speak them.

   Understand, I've been reading Shakespeare for 40 years. this book has doubled the pleasure and depth of the experience for me.

5 comments about A Taste of Honey: A Play.

1. I found this play to be both fascinating and not the least boring. As said before, perhaps it is too British, but that is what the play is about; trying to find a moment of happiness in a post-war society that saps the very life out of you and stops you from ever bettering yourself. The storyline may seem "simplistic" at first, but the richness of dialogue and its subtlety make for interesting reading and thought.
   If you have a pre-occupation with our drab and dreary little island then I would hartly reccommend this play, as it is very true to what it sets out to be. However, if you're "lucky" enough to live in a warmer climate then maybe this play just won't be your cup of tea...



2. Throughout literary history, it has always been the most controversial or polemical works that stand out from the others, and take their place alongside other trailblazing novels. This being the case, it is certainly very clear why `A Taste Of Honey' has come to be regarded as one of the most important works of the 20th century. In its time a revolutionary play, this piece has managed to live up to its reputation, even over the many years since its was first published. The reason this famed play became so successful in the first place was precisely because it touched upon so many tender issues that had been strict taboos until it was written. First being published in 1959, `A Taste Of Honey' was released at a time when the world was just starting to get back to normal after the second world war. In an era of turmoil and uncertainty, the issues depicted in the play were precisely the ones that dominated lower class Britain, but, ironically, they were not the ones that were shown by the media, for they were considered to be too lowly to be worthy of depiction. Shelagh Delaney's piece, however, changed this quite drastically for all of a sudden the very issues which the upper class public was trying to avoid, were shoved into their faces. Right from the start of the play, the author makes it quite clear that this will be no ordinary play; touching on such a wide variety of issues ranging from poverty to abortion and prostitution, `A Taste Of Honey' shocked viewers around the world for, for the first time, a play was showing the true realities that ordinary people coexisted with. Although stunned at first, audiences soon started appreciating the play for they began to identify themselves with different characters in it, and therefore started to relate to it, which increased there liking of the piece, making it a success. In a world were the rich dominated, poverty was shown as an acceptable status; In a society were values were highly held, a prostitute was the main character; In a community where families meant everything, a mother abandoned her daughter to go live with her new husband; In an ambience were medicine was still an almost unexplored field, abortion was mentioned; And in a place where a classic, suburban family was considered the only reality which could exist, `A Taste of Honey' was written.



3. Throughout literary history, it has always been the most controversial or polemical works that stand out from the others, and take their place alongside other trailblazing novels. This being the case, it is certainly very clear why `A Taste Of Honey' has come to be regarded as one of the most important works of the 20th century. In its time a revolutionary play, this piece has managed to live up to its reputation, even over the many years since its was first published. The reason this famed play became so successful in the first place was precisely because it touched upon so many tender issues that had been strict taboos until it was written. First being published in 1959, `A Taste Of Honey' was released at a time when the world was just starting to get back to normal after the second world war. In an era of turmoil and uncertainty, the issues depicted in the play were precisely the ones that dominated lower class Britain, but, ironically, they were not the ones that were shown by the media, for they were considered to be too lowly to be worthy of depiction. Shelagh Delaney's piece, however, changed this quite drastically for all of a sudden the very issues which the upper class public was trying to avoid, were shoved into their faces. Right from the start of the play, the author makes it quite clear that this will be no ordinary play; touching on such a wide variety of issues ranging from poverty to abortion and prostitution, `A Taste Of Honey' shocked viewers around the world for, for the first time, a play was showing the true realities that ordinary people coexisted with. Although stunned at first, audiences soon started appreciating the play for they began to identify themselves with different characters in it, and therefore started to relate to it, which increased there liking of the piece, making it a success. In a world were the rich dominated, poverty was shown as an acceptable status; In a society were values were highly held, a prostitute was the main character; In a community where families meant everything, a mother abandoned her daughter to go live with her new husband; In an ambience were medicine was still an almost unexplored field, abortion was mentioned; And in a place where a classic, suburban family was considered the only reality which could exist, `A Taste of Honey' was written.



4. Having read and studied this book at school. i can say that i did not like this book. some aspects are totally unclear, for example Geof's dubiuos sexuality. The open ending leaves the reader feeling disatisfied, and annoyed, it left me thinking, is that it? i don't recommend reading the book. The storyline is basic, and the most irratating feature of the book is the arguementative relationship between Helen and Jo. The best bit though is definetely the relationship between Jo and Geof



5. The problem I had with this book was that the characters were depressing. Helen, the mother seemed very unloving to her daughter Jo. The only thing that they really did was argue. Peter who marries Helen is even more repulsive in this story. And what is it with the story of the daughter imitating her mother's life by getting pregnant, despite her life situation. It seems that the arguments between the mother and daughter play for the most irritating part of the story. Only parts where Jo is having her first love affair with a black sailor, and the friendship she has with Geof made this story seem not as angry as it would really seem. In all, the story is all banter. If you can handle a lot of arguing, this play might be readable for you.

1 comments about Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

1. Ok, so it is an American Classic. None-the-less, it is still a story about a family of mean, miserable people. If you like that kinda think then read it. Williams has some great dialogue & vivid characters. Still, can there be at least one good person in the story??

1 comments about Doris Day: Her own story.

1. This book is a entertaining read, as well as inspirational. Doris Day has to be one of the most
   admired women on this planet. She has seemed to never get sucked into the vapid world of "stardom",
   and has seemed to keep an eye on what is really important. Her work with the Doris Day Animal League,
   and the many animals she has helped - is awesome!
   The author does a good job of letting the reader know about Doris Day, and meaningful events
   in her life. While I was disappointed in her tv show that she kept changing the stars (she started out a
   widowed mom - and somehow the kids disappeared after a few seasons - as well as the charming farm, which
   I felt was a terrible move on the show) - you come to realize how much her life was in a turmoil during the
   period of the shows creation - her real-life husband had just died, and her financial empire had been
   swindled from her - but just like Doris - she takes it head on - and gets justice!

5 comments about Notes on Directing.

1. If you direct, or plan to direct, buy this book!
   
   The directorial wisdom in the book is presented in brief, powerful points that are well categorized. The directing books I have found tend to be tedious, dense, and self-important. Notes on Directing is a breath of fresh air--giving you just what you need.
   
   One word of caution: while Notes on Directing is an essential and fabulous book, don't expect it to tell you how to be a director. This is a book to refer to after you have acquired basic foundational skills.



2. 
   If you are a new playwright, and wonder what a director does, or should be doing (if he/she is directing your play), this small book will tell you briefly and succinctly.
   
   It begins at the beginning with the Script, then explains the Director's role, Casting, Rehearsal Rules, Talking to Actors, Building Blocks, Staging, etc. The authors do not embellish, nor are they verbose. The information presented is clear and direct. Most important, the format allows one to go immediately to the section most needed if necessary.
   
   This book enlightens, makes one think, and is an invaluable learning resource.



3. If you seek to be a director, you must have NOTES ON DIRECTING: it looks small but it packs in notes gathered by British director Frank Hauser for his apprentice - notes which came from a long career in the industry. Hauser shared these with many famous theatrical and cinematic figures from Richard Burton to Sir Alec Guinness: now the former student expands upon his mentor's private notes to provide a book-length treatise appropriate for any student of directing. Chapters are packed with advice, explanations, quotes, examples, and insights into the director's role: a 'must' for any who would assume such a mantle.



4. This book is a MUST for all involved in the theatre.
   It's a quick read & an excellent sorcebook- VERY well organized. If you want more of a textbook on directing, go with Catron's The Director's Vision. But this book (Notes on Directing) is GREAT to have on hand during the process.



5. We are presented with an artful, intelligent, and incisive opening of the doors to the art of Directing a dramatic production from a very real human level. Author Russell Reich received wisdom from teacher/mentor Frank Hauser(CBE)in the casual hand-off of several pages of loose notes accumulated over the years of Hauser's teaching on two continents and directing many of the true greats in British theater. With deep and careful further observation of this directing great, Reich recognized further significant attributes of Hauser's approach.

   Adding his own turns, gentle humor, appreciation of people, and insistence upon quality in presentation of dramatic works, Reich has created a manual for presenting drama for public view in what may well be a no-fail approach. All of this is accomplished without infringement upon the ability and need of a director to create the presentation which is clearly his or her own. More is always available to be gained with each successive reading and practice with this guiding gem.

   Kudos to Hauser for his clear accomplishments over many years and generations of theater; and to Reich for bringing the methods for those accomplishments to a reachable level for the lover of performance arts through incorporation of his own insights and wisdom.

2 comments about Mary Poppins: Anything Can Happen If You Let It.

1. An absolutely amazing book on the creation of the musical Mary Poppins.
   
   It is full of information, facts, photos and even the design folio is included! A beautiful, incredible book that will definitely be kept forever.



2. Though the musical of Mary Poppins was no masterpiece, its production values were certainly enchanting and this well put together volume includes a multitude of color production photos, scenic models and concept sketches from the stage show as well as photos and concept sketches from the much better 1964 Disney film starring Julie Andrews.
   I'd recommend this book to any fan of this musical (which I wasn't all that keen on) or fan of the film (which I certainly am) or anyone interested in studying stage design.

5 comments about Making It on Broadway: Actors' Tales of Climbing to the Top.

1. Ever wonder what it's like to be a Broadway performer? Well here's your chance...told through the mouths of over a hundred performers, you'll get the chance to laugh, cry and survive with these performers.
   
   Many don't understand the heart-ache and sacrifices made by a performer. Many even think that Broadway is easy...but with each story you'll learn that is far from the truth.
   
   If you want to be a Broadway performer or just explore the life of one this book is for you....



2. This book was recommended to me by a very good friend. Not only is it a humorous read, but an eye-opening one. This book brilliantly deals with the reality of professional theater right from the mouths of professional actors. If you are in the business, this book exposes you to so many things that aren't taught in school. It's a must read. If you are a theatergoer, this book offers a rare look into the lives of performers. This book is such a great reality check that manages to also be inspiring.



3. i love this book so much. i read it over and over again, because it always inspires me and just gets me so excited thinking about what my future could possibly hold! This book has so many great stories, and some are so hilarious I am constantly laughing out loud while reading this book! Honestly!!
   I read the book because it makes me feel comforted when I get an audition rejection...and it gives me a lot of hope. i love it so much, and it is a big book with a great number of stories...so definitely get this one! i wish they would publish a second book!!



4. This book is very good and meets all my expectations.



5. Whether you are a theatre novice or Broadway veteran, this ambitous work is insightful, educational and fun.
   On some nights, the theatre life is full of passion and wonder. However, many nights are spent in the hope of simply finding a job or landing a decent audition. Warts and all, this book is a must for anyone who loves a play or story. Enjoy and learn.

5 comments about Long After Midnight at the Niño Bien: A Yanquis Missteps in Argentina.

1. 
   
   Books and blogs by women about their tango experiences/epiphanies in Buenos Aires proliferate yearly. (OK, so I'm one of those women.)
   
   It's refreshing to read a story about a foreigner in Buenos Aires written by a man. Sure, we've had the cheap and disgusting Kiss and Tango by Marina Palmer, and the interesting pre-crisis Bad Times in Buenos Aires by Miranda France, among many others, but now we have something entirely different: Brian Winter's Long After Midnight at the Nino Bien; a Yanqui's Missteps in Argentina.
   
   Not a memoir, but rather a well-written attempt to make 21st century readers understand the why-and-wherefores of the Buenos Aires of today. It's not an excuse for the author to delve into his emotional past, or to write about sexual encounters, nor does he do any reflection--the main aspect of a memoir. It's an impressionistic travelogue with fantasy characters--think Wizard of Oz or Star Wars set in South America with lots of illuminating and witty historical citations.
   
   Young Mr. Winter (a recent college grad who floats to Argentina hoping to find a job) also writes about his experience as a tango dancer wannabe. He relates preposterous scenes with fictitious milongueros, but I believe these scenes, while accurately conveying feelings and emotions if not truths, are not from his experience but from research and imagination. He is a fantastic researcher, as well as a hell of a writer. And he's funny, too!
   
   He wanted to write an essay about Buenos Aires, and how then could he leave out tango, even if he knew nothing and cared less about it? His Mafia round table of wise old milongueros allow for exposition and stories about Argentina's history, the influence of the gauchos, the corruption of the politicians, the legacy of Peron and Evita. Miller quotes tangos and the gaucho poem, Martin Fierro. He quotes and relates and integrates, all with humor and a great turn of phrase, and it makes for enjoyable reading, and a history lesson too.
   
   But I do know about the milongas, the milongueros, and certainly, about Nino Bien, the "decaying bar" of the title. His stories of cartoon characters like El Nene, El Dandi, El Chino 1 & 2, and El Tigre entertain and maybe enlighten. Certainly it's not the habit of real milongueros, or anyone else in a milonga, to drink frozen strawberry daiquiris at La Ideal or Nino Bien, let alone wear white terrycloth suits with orange shirts and pink scarves and lead ganchos and barridas. While he has the tango facts and details mostly all wrong, he nevertheless zeros in on the mood, effect and the result. The milonga is an easy target for satire.
   
   Yes, there are countless factual errors in the tango telling, and lots of mistakes in Castellano and Buenos Aires geography, but from my fact checking on the internet, Miller's tales of political corruption, battles, presidents, and gauchos all seem to ring true. I especially enjoyed the story of the depressed tango lyricist Discepolo and his mis-alignment with the government, and his artistic crashes with the tango god himself, Carlos Gardel.
   
   So let's not read this book as a personal memoir, or as history, but rather as a fable of life and times in Buenos Aires from 2000-2004 from a foreigner's perspective. Despite its flaws in accuracy, there's much to be learned here, as well as several laughs and a couple of hours of entertaining reading.



2. LONG AFTER MIDNIGHT AT THE NINO BIEN: A YANQUI'S MISSTEPS IN ARGENTINA tells of an American who decides on a whim to move to Argentina and learn to tango - his quest to shine in the tango hall with a group of elderly men who move like Enrique Iglesias and his quest to understand the tango leads to a deeper cultural appreciation of Argentina as a whole: an appreciation which comes to life in a book highly recommended for a range of collections: those surveying international dance in general, tango in particular, or Latin American or Argentinean culture as a whole.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. This book makes Argentina come alive with real people and lively dialogue. I've read a lot about Argentina's social, political and economic crises, but the country never really came together for me until I read this book. Argentina, like the tango, is a sad thought you can dance to. Of course, it's a foreigner's perspective, but a fresh one from a young man who jumped into the whirl of Argentine life without preconceptions and writes about it with a refreshing honesty and lack of pretense.



4. As a Latina who was married to an Argentinean for many years and spent some time in Argentina in both the capital, Buenos Aires, and city of Mendoza in the wine country, I looked forward to reading this book. On the plus side, some of it is wryly humorous, and the author's chronicle of the history of the tango in Argentina is somewhat interesting. The author also captures some of the flavor of Argentina and gives a very decent account of its unstable political history.
   
   Some of the characters described in the book, old tango instructors with whom the author hung out during his stay in Argentina, are colorful, and the author gives the reader a taste of the passion that the tango arouses and of its place in the culture of Argentina. I also felt that these very same characters that the author professed were his friends were probably secretly laughing at the author, a lumbering Texan who wanted to learn about the tango, and would say just about anything to him just for effect, whether or not it was true.
   
   Moreover, some of the author's conclusions are those that only a Yanqui would devise, as I did not feel that they derived from a real understanding of Argentina or its people, given his limited scope of reference. Also, a few of the translations in the book were off the mark, which I found to be annoying. I also found the quality of the writing to be rather pedestrian, overall. Still, there is a modicum of enjoyment to be gotten from this book by those interested in other cultures or in the tango.



5. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's much better better written than "Kiss and Tango" (Winter was a journalist for Reuters,) the other tango memoir that I've read which I also enjoyed. He spends lots of time drinking with old milongueros at the milongas, discussing with them his struggle to get the hang of tango, and at the same time records how the Argentine economy went down in flames while he was there (2000 to 2004.) I found it very affecting, and did not want it to end. Peter Silverman

2 comments about Classical Destinations: An Armchair Guide to Classical Music.

1. CLASSICAL DESTINATIONS: AN ARMCHAIR GUIDE TO CLASSICAL MUSIC considers the history and geography of classical music in Europe's greatest cities, blending over 200 color photos in a new title tied to the TV series and national PBS special of the same name. It's more than a biography, though it does consider the lives of the great world composers - it blends in a travelogue to the places they lived and created in, it shows how their works were influenced by the cities they lived in, and it blends travel with classical music insights in a delightful visual and written treat recommended for any library collection strong in classical music history and culture.



2. I wish that I would have had this book while planning my travels around Europe! The photos and stories that it comes with are absoultely amazing. As a person who loves to travel and majored in music, this book is able to tell and show the historic cities that inspired some of the greatest classical music ever! I can't wait for my next trip to Europe to see some of the things that I missed!

2 comments about Building the Successful Theater Company.

1. Although, as the reviewer above points out, the book includes "from the trenches" advice, as opposed to condescending "how to" instructions, the content falls short for my taste. Additionally, the book seems to be written for a small, but established company, as opposed to a brand new company. This being said, I have two main problems:
   
   * The author pays too much attention to attaining a space (including information about insurance and lighting/sound instruments, etc.), but fails to discuss in any deep way how to develop a strong mission statement, to attract the first audience, how to pick material, how to attain rights... Most fledgling companies would do well to rent a performance space (which generally includes tech equipment and insurance). Most fledgling companies, too, completely miss the boat on selecting material, forging a working mission statement, attracting the audience, etc.
   * The inclusion of the Bailiwick completely baffles me. Yes, the company should be commended for taking chances on and discovering new talent. But lauded as a "successful" company? I think not. Bailiwick suffers from severe (and finally public) criticism amongst the Chicago theater scene, as evidenced in this fantastic article : http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/out-there/26890/wag-the-blog
   How can Mulcahy include a company that is in litigation for non-payment of a playwright and an artistic director who admits that "it wouldn't surprise me" if someone couldn't cash their check for $100? While the company may be (likely is) making money- I don't think it counts as success if the money is owed to the artists who brought it in.
   
   Overlooking these two major flaws, the book does offer some good resources. The appendices, especially may be of use to new theater companies. Most of the book, though, really serves more useful to an established theater company looking to grow.



2. Please notice the absence of the words "How To" in the title of this book. This is a book of practical advice from the world of experience, not a book of instruction with facts and statistics. You will need to know and learn a great deal to figure out how to start and build a thriving theatre company, and this book will give you only the merest outline of what you need.

   That said, this book does glean the best advice from companies like Steppenwolf, Bailiwick, Mixed Blood, and the legendary Pasadena Playhouse, and presents all this advice in a clear, readable manner. Be explaining how these above-average, highly-respected theatre companies built themselves up--their mistakes as well as their successes--we get a glimpse into the world of high motivation, artistic dedication, and pure love that turns something as uncertain as a theatre company into a thriving success.

   You'll still have to do the hard work yourself, and you'll still make some nasty mistakes right off the bat. Indeed, this book encourages you to do so early and often, so you get it out of your system. But if you want to get some good pointers and avoid the really egregious errors, this is your book.