The Essential Theatre


Book Description

Whether you are a theatre major looking forward to a career in the arts, or a non major interested in an overview to help you better appreciate theatre as an audience member, THE ESSENTIAL THEATRE is a welcome and helpful resource. Written by highly respected theatre historians, the text has earned its reputation as one of the most comprehensive, authoritative surveys of the theatre. Its vibrant treatment of theatre practice--past and present--catalogs the origins of theatre through postmodernism and performance art. THE ESSENTIAL THEATRE will encourage you and get you excited about becoming an active theatergoer, while providing the insight and understanding that will enrich your theatre experience throughout your life.




Theatre of the Book, 1480-1880


Book Description

This volume explores the impact of printing on the European theatre in the period 1480-1880 and shows that the printing press played a major part in the birth of modern theatre.




Necessary Theater


Book Description

Huerta, a leading exponent of contemporary Chicano theater, has assembled six short, representative plays that not only share the common theme of survival but also have received successful staging. The playsÍ stylistic variety, from the Brechtian Guadalupe and La victima through the realistically domestic Soldierboy to the modern morality play Money, combined with useful introductions both to the collection as a whole and to each of the scripts, enhances the anthologyÍs value. Readers should be informed that some scenes are bilingual and some written entirely in Spanish. Recommended especially for libraries serving Hispanic communities.




Directing in Musical Theatre


Book Description

This comprehensive guide, from the author of Acting in Musical Theatre, will equip aspiring directors with all of the skills that they will need in order to guide a production from beginning to end. From the very first conception and collaborations with crew and cast, through rehearsals and technical production all the way to the final performance, Joe Deer covers the full range. Deer’s accessible and compellingly practical approach uses proven, repeatable methods for addressing all aspects of a production. The focus at every stage is on working with others, using insights from experienced, successful directors to tackle common problems and devise solutions. Each section uses the same structure, to stimulate creative thinking: Timetables: detailed instructions on what to do and when, to provide a flexible organization template Prompts and Investigations: addressing conceptual questions about style, characterization and design Skills Workshops: Exercises and ‘how-to’ guides to essential skills Essential Forms and Formats: Including staging notation, script annotation and rehearsal checklists Case Studies: Well-known productions show how to apply each chapter’s ideas Directing in Musical Theatre not only provides all of the essential skills, but explains when and how to put them to use; how to think like a director.




World Theatre


Book Description

World Theatre: The Basics presents a well-rounded introduction to non-Western theatre, exploring the history and current practice of theatrical traditions in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Oceania, the Caribbean, and the non-English-speaking cultures of the Americas. Featuring a selection of case studies and examples from each region, it helps the reader to understand the key issues surrounding world theatre scholarship and global, postcolonial, and transnational performance practices. An essential read for anyone seeking to learn more about world theatre, World Theatre: The Basics provides a clear, accessible roadmap for approaching non-Western theatre.




Devising Theatre


Book Description

Devising Theatre is a practical handbook that combines a critical analysis of contemporary devised theatre practice with descriptions of selected companies, and suggestions for any group devising theatre from scratch. It is the first book to propose a general theory of devised theatre. After identifying the unique nature of this type of performance, the author examines how devised theatre is perceived by professional practitioners, and provides an historical overview illustrating how it has evolved since the 1960s. Alison Oddey examines the particular working practices and products of a number of professional companies, including a Reminiscence theatre for the elderly and a theatre-in-education group, and offers ideas and exercises for exploration and experimentation.




The Essential Screenplay (3-Book Bundle)


Book Description

Hollywood’s script guru teaches you how to write a screenplay in the ultimate three-volume guide to writing for film, featuring “the ‘bible’ of screenwriting” (The New York Times), Screenplay—now celebrating forty years of screenwriting success! This blockbuster ebook bundle includes: SCREENPLAY: FOUNDATIONS OF SCREENWRITING • THE SCREENWRITER’S WORKBOOK • THE SCREENWRITER’S PROBLEM SOLVER Syd Field was “the most sought-after screenwriting teacher in the world” according to The Hollywood Reporter. His pioneering insights into structure, concept, and character launched innumerable careers. Now in one handy collection, his invaluable expertise is available to aspiring writers and working professionals alike. The Essential Screenplay contains Syd Field’s Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, the industry standard for script development; The Screenwriter’s Workbook, a hands-on workshop full of practical exercises for creating successful screenplays; and The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver, a guide to identifying and fixing problems in your latest draft. Throughout, you’ll learn: • why the first ten pages of your script are crucially important • how to visually “grab” the reader from page one • what makes great stories work • the basics of writing dialogue • the essentials of creating great characters • how to adapt a novel, a play, or an article for the screen • the three ways to claim legal ownership of your work • tips for allowing your creative self to break free when you hit the “wall” • how to overcome writer’s block forever Featuring expert analysis of popular films including Pulp Fiction, Thelma & Louise, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Essential Screenplay will transform your initial idea into a screenplay that’s destined for success—and maybe even Cannes. Praise for Syd Field “The most sought-after screenwriting teacher in the world.”—The Hollywood Reporter “Syd Field is the preeminent analyzer in the study of American screenplays.”—James L. Brooks, Academy Award–winning writer, director, producer




Dramaturgy in American Theater


Book Description

This comprehensive work is truly the first textbook in the field of dramaturgy. Most of the material-much of it by leaders in all areas of the theater-was commissioned for this collection, rather than being reprinted. Its currency and importance cannot be overestimated. A review of the history of dramaturgy as a profession, together with its European antecedents, gives students a sense of historical context. Selections from respected and recognized names in theater provoke student interest and communicate the benefits of those experts' experiences.




Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School (Junie B. Jones)


Book Description

Junie B. Jones is back and better than ever with a must-have Survival Guide! Hello, school children! Hello! Hello! It’s me . . . Junie B., First Grader! I have been going to school for over one-and-a-half entire years now. And I have learned a jillion things that will help you survive at that place. And guess what? Now I am going to pass this information on to y-o-u!!! I wrote it all down in my brand-new book! Here is some of the stuff I wrote about: Bus rules, carpools, how to stay out of trouble (possibly), homework, fun work, water fountains, friends (plus children you may not actually care for). All the helpful hints and drawings are done by me, Junie B. Jones! Plus also, there are stickers and pages for you to write in! This thing is a hoot, I tell you!




From the Mississippi Delta


Book Description

Civil rights activist and playwright Endesha Holland relates her poverty-stricken childhood in Greenwood, Mississippi, her chance meeting with Robert Moses and subsequent involvement with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, her tours in the North to publicize atrocities in the South, her pursuit of a Ph.D., and her discovery of her talents as a playwright.