5 comments about Romeo and Juliet (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. I am very conflicted in my feelings about this play; there are very powerful reasons to rate it highly, and also very powerful reasons to rate it poorly. There are, really, NO reasons for rating it mediocre, and yet that's what I wind up doing, only because that is the balance between the great and the terrible.
   
   On the down side, BECAUSE this story has the reputation it has as THE prototypical love story, I truly despise it because it is responsible for an incredible amount of grief in the world over the last 400 years or so. Who can count how many young lovers have come to grief because they unquestioningly accept the idiotic presumtion that this story is predicated upon, that two people who literally don't know a thing about one another, not even their names, can make eye contact across a room and fall in love? Not simply feel attraction or interest, but truly fall in love? Love so powerful that they will die rather than live without one another? Yet this story has so permeated the culture that it is almost universally accepted that this is what love is like, and even people who have never read this play or seen it performed have been influenced by this idiocy to the point of trying to live their lives as though this were truly what love is like. As the main promulgator of such misinformation about the nature of love, this book is guilty of causing more pain in the world than many war criminals.
   
   And yet...blast it all, it's BEAUTIFULLY written. The language is fluid and musical even by Shakespeare's standards. Even though it is a tragedy, it is told with a trace of wry humor, as Shakespeare manages in only his very best work. I can understand why it has the reputation it has; the plot (once one accepts the ludicrous premise it is built upon) follows plausibly. If one ignores the damage that the play has done to the world's concept of what constitutes love, and rates it merely on its literary merits, it is clearly a 5-star effort, even when compared only to other Shakespearean plays.
   
   Unfortunately, that's what makes it so dangerous.



2. This is Shakespeare as it should be... no extraneous notes, no unnecessary stage directions, nothing but the text. If you are looking for anything that explains character, language, theme, etc. don't look here, as Shakespeare never wrote any of that. This is purely the text as-is.
   
   As a theatre professor, I would rather have my students work with a text like this rather than one littered with useless commentary and biased notations. If you don't understand a term or reference, use the Oxford English Dictionary rather than the limp and limited notes available in many editions.



3. This tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespear's best known plays. It shows how pride and grudges can cause tragedies so it is better to let a problem go than hold a grudge.
   
   This story starts out with Romeo and his cousins walking around in the market place when all of a sudden Juliets cousins come by. They argue over a bit thumb and start to brawl. One of Romeo's cousins die and Tibalt dies as well.
   
   Then there is a party in which Romeo decides to invade. He meets Juliet and falls in love with her. She ends up falling in love with him too but their love can't happen because of their families feud against one another. They decide to flee because she was going to be wed with someone else.
   
   Juliet comes up with a plan that never reaches Romeo's ear. The plan was that she would take a poison that would put her in a deep sleep where it appears that she is dead. Romeo shows up and sees a stiff body of her loved one and he takes his own life with a poison bottle. Juliet wakes up and sees her lover dead so she takes her life away with a dagger. The priest shows up alon with the enemy families. They see what happened and decided not to have a problem between them anymore.
   
   This is a simple summarry of the great play of Romeo and Juliet. It is a tragedy that something horrible has to happen in order for the families to figure out that their fight was unecessary.
   This is a great play that everyone should know and should have the moral of this story in their minds when they have grudges.



4. Romeo and Juliet does not read as well as some other plays such as Hamlet. It must be seen to be fully enjoyed. Nevertheless, I would reccomend this edition of the play. It is dirt cheap, for the amount of content you recieve, it is well worth the money. I reccomended it, however I strongly suggest you watch the play first before reading it. I believe that only after you watch the play will you fully appreciate it.



5. This isn't my favorite of all of Shakespeare's stuff. First of all, Mercutio is the best character, and he dies too soon. Second, I didn't really like Romeo and Juliet enough to care a lot when they died.
   As for all the metaphors and allusions packed in, that's always interesting. I think people start Shakespeare with this play, because it's not as difficult as the other tragedies, which I suppose is a good idea. After this, go to Macbeth (the best!).

5 comments about Twelfth Night (Shakespeare Made Easy).

1. I have my degree in English... I like reading and teaching with this version as "help" not as a substitution. It gives a clearer understanding to Shakespeare for people who have difficulty with it.



2. "Twelfth Night" is built upon the reliable comedic premise of mistaken identity. We begin with a shipwreck and a twin brother and sister, Sebastian and Viola, each of whom believes that the other has died at sea. Viola disguises herself as a boy and, assuming the name of Cesario, gets a job as a page for Orsino, the duke of Illyria, with whom she is in love. Orsino, however, is in love with a lofty young countess named Olivia, who has no interest in him and furthermore is mourning her own brother's recent death. Orsino dispatches Cesario/Viola to relay his amorous entreaties to Olivia, hoping that Cesario's youth may make him a more appealing messenger and soften her heart; but, wouldn't you know, Olivia becomes attracted to Cesario instead.
   
   Meanwhile, Olivia's uncle, Sir Toby Belch, a knavish and idle aristocrat, is distressed by his niece's apparent desire to remain unmarried and tries to prepare his protege, the dimwitted but affable Sir Andrew Aguecheek, as a suitor. As part of a secondary plot, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew cooperate with Olivia's maid, Maria, to play a practical joke on Olivia's steward Malvolio, a humorless stuffed shirt whose conceit has finally piqued them all, by forging a letter that leads him to believe that his beautiful employer is in love with him. The ruse pays off, and Malvolio is imprisoned for madness after satisfactorily making a spectacle of himself in front of Olivia. Rounding out this retinue of clowns is Olivia's jester, named Feste, who, like King Lear's fool, seems to know more about the people around him than they know about themselves.
   
   "Twelfth Night" is not just a comedy but, as the title indicates, a festive play in which songs and holiday spirit figure into the mood, providing a relaxed and joyous atmosphere in which the audience may feel privy to an elaborate jest. Certainly the plot is predictable, but its predictability is part of what makes it truly funny. We all (Shakespeare not the least of us) know how absurd it is that Viola disguised as a boy would look and sound so exactly like her twin brother as to make the two indistinguishable to the other characters in the play, but this is the indispensible device that holds the comedy together. Pretending to be someone or something you are not is the essence of the act, the idea encapsulated in "Twelfth Night" and expressed by Feste's sarcastic riposte to Sebastian, "Nothing that is so, is so."



3. After reading Twelfth Night, I realized that I have never read a better Shakespearean work. Not only does this have signs of comical mischef, but it has so many deeper meanings as well. The first deep message that I uncovered was the fact of gender confusion. Viola, using the power of a man to her advantage, begs the question to whether or not she is struggling with issues of gender identity. Her conversation even begs the question much futher, and by the end of the play leaves the reader with so many questions....This was a wonderful read, and quite possibly one of Shakespeare's best works.



4. Of all Shakespheare's plays I've read so far, I like Twelfth Night the best. I read it so many times I even lost my dependence on the modern language translation and I could read the Elizabethan language with the right conversational rhythm, losing all the awkwardness. I particularly liked the role of the snobby servant Malvolio, who tries to move up to the level of his Countess Olivia and leave his other "inferiors" behind. There is a couple of elaborate pranks being played upon characters in the play, in which Malvolio becomes one of the victims. Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria are the comic "team" that set these pranks in motion, all with amusing results. I just like the playfulness of these characters and their continual search for fun.

   The main plot of the play is little less interesting involving the old disguised, mistaken, or confused identity ploy that Shakespheare uses from time to time. This time out a woman named Viola is a character pretending to be a man who is sent to woo Countess Olivia for Duke Orsino. She has a brother that looks just like her, especially now since she is dressed like a man. Identity confusion ensues. Also the pranks of the subplot mesh with the main plot for an amusing end.




5. I liked the play. It was pretty interesting. Shakespeare writes in the most beautiful language I know. Even though I did not understand everything, I really enjoyed reading it.
   However I think the end is a little bit too facile. I do not like love stories with such easy happy endings. I suppose the play should have been a little bit longer so that Orsino could have had enough time to fall in love with Viola. This just went on too fast. Maybe it is the way men are. But well, such is life...

4 comments about Kids' Broadway Songbook (Book/CD) (Vocal Collection).

1. If your youngster is looking to audition for musicals, or if he or she just wants to sing for fun, this is a great book to buy! The songs are not too difficult, but they are still "real" musical songs. This isn't a book full of songs sang by cartoon characters! The accompaniment tracks are alright, too. I teach theatre and musical theatre to middle school students, and I've used songs out of this book a lot. I highly recommend it for the beginner.



2. The book itself is a nice compilation of songs from well-known shows. However, the CD music is not as good as I'd expect for this caliber of collections. Instead of Piano accompaniment, it would have been so much better if multiple instruments were used.



3. I have used this book with many of my younger voice students and it is always a hit with them. Some of the songs are hard, but some are really easy, so it is a good book to use with beginners, and accomodates them as they progress. I highly recommend this book.



4. a couple monthes ago my singing teacher sold me her extra copy of this songbook and ever since then I've been doing almost nothing except for songs from this book! I've done "Castle on a Cloud" "I Won't Grow Up" etc.. I highly recomend this book!

5 comments about Dr. Faustus (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. What Christopher Marlowe has created in Doctor Faustus is nothing short of spectacular. The choices Dr. Faustus makes are reminiscent of choices wwe all must face in life: A life of materialistic gains and self or the everlasting peace of salvation? Dr. Faustus finds himself wanting more in life, he seeks the answer to mankinds oldest equivocation: the purpose of mankind. Like a Greek tragedy, he makes a deal with Hades who offers Dr. Faustus ultimate knowledge. But making a deal with Hades is always unwise. After learning that ultimately, pain and suffering is all mankind will ever know, his soul is condemned to Tartarus. This is a chilling tale with moments of humor to release the tension of the story.
   
   Editor of the highly recommended novel: Fates by Georgiou Tino: Best of 2008



2. By his untimely death at 29 Christopher Marlowe had written this and other plays (including The Jew of Malta) which inspired a beginning William Shakespeare to sharpen his craft.
   
   Though the version we have was not recorded until about a decade after Marlowe's death (and therefore shows signs of later adulterations by other writers) you can still observe the genius of Marlowe at work.
   
   The plot of this play is about a well-learnt man, Dr. Faustus, who believing that he has attained all the knowledge there is to learn (knowledge beyond the point of 'this far and no further'), turns to magic.
   
   During one of his rituals he calls upon the underworld to aid him - Mephistopheles duly comes to Faustus' beckoning as any good demon would in their relentless search for souls; however Faustus, in his naive pride, believes that Mephistopheles is there as a result of his conjuring - demons are at his beck and call!
   
   Mephistopheles plays it whatever way Faustus wants it, to ensure capturing his soul. They strike a pact - 24 glorious years of fame and fortune for Faustus, with Mephistopheles as his servant, after which his soul belongs to Lucifer. To make the contract binding Faustus writes out the pact and signs in blood. However, Mephistopheles is portrayed as a figure of sorrow and tries to warn Faustus about what he is getting himself into. But Faustus is unreceptive to the truth and ignores Mephistopheles' warning.
   
   There is the good and bad angel that appear to Dr. Faustus several times. The good angel repeats over and over to Dr. Faustus that he can repent at any time and come back into good graces, while the bad angel keeps on telling him it's too late. The bad angel prevails.
   
   A number of scenes are depicted - the main one being at the Vatican. Faustus is invisible and steals food and wine from under the Pope's nose, followed by putting to sleep a couple of Cardinals and stealing their clothes, and he frees Bruno who is to be put to death for impersonating the pope.
   
   So the story develops - Faustus is the guest at the tables of the figureheads of Europe where he further increases his reputation by bringing to life such people as Helen of Troy. He is introduced to the Seven Deadly sins - Pride, Covetousness, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth and Lechery.
   
   After twenty four years of fame Faustus' time is drawing to a close and he cannot postpone the inevitable. Mephistopheles, Lucifer and Beelzebub appear to collect their payment - the soul of Faustus. At the midnight hour they open the gates of hell. Faustus tries to repent but it's too late and his implorations to God are halfhearted. The devils rip his body apart before casting it aside - it has no use for them - their only currency is the soul.
   
   In the 3rd and 4th acts, Faustus seems to let go of his quest for knowledge (for the most part) and indulges in practical jokes of an evil nature. There are some who feel that the 3rd and 4th acts are way too silly and that they drag the play down.
   
   The 5th act begins, and Faustus has one final chance to avoid his fate, but he resigns himself to damnation if he can 'enjoy' Helen of Troy. The devil always tempts us with sexual fantasies, mankind's ultimate weakness!
   
   The final scene where Faustus realizes that it is too late and hell awaits, is a scene of pure terror almost unparalleled in literature. He moves from requests that cannot be granted to the most imaginative escapes. The play ends with an appropriate warning to stay behind the line of 'this far and no further.'
   
   Christopher Marlow's life is a bit of a mystery. Some historians believe that he might have been a spy. Not surprisingly, one of the groups of people who Marlowe is rumored to have spied on were Catholics intent on overthrowing what they saw as England's Protestant government. The first thing Dr. Faustus does when he makes his famous bargain is to play a practical joke on the Pope.
   
   Marlowe was killed in a bar fight over an unpaid bill, but it seems highly likely that he was murdered because he was a spy.



3. By his untimely death at 29 Christopher Marlowe had written this and other plays (including The Jew of Malta) which inspired a beginning William Shakespeare to sharpen his craft.
   
   As regards this play, Marlowe was sort of the Pete Best of the era doing his version of the Hey Joe of the era. To continue musical metaphors he didn't invent but merely sampled the Faustus tale and in so doing gave it his own unique spin.
   
   Though the version we have was not recorded until about a decade after Marlowe's death (and therefore shows signs of later adulterations by other writers) you can still observe the genuis of Marlowe at work. By likening his character to the Greek methological story of Dedalus, Marlowe imparts that sense of doom so connected with the potential arrogance of human ambition. As a reminder, Dedalus was affixed wings with wax by his father Icarus only to lose them and fall when Dedalus flew too high and had them melted by the light of the sun.
   
   Similarly Faustus is -- in almost Christmas Carol type fashion -- visited by the personified seven deadly sins and Lucifer himself...itself then a unique device uniquely and effectively executed.
   
   Throughout Marlowe makes us witness to Faustus' growing sense of doom at the irrevocability of his contract with Lucifer.
   
   Sadly, to the modern reader much of the horror of his Faustian bargain is lost to us. For the most part, we moderns don't have the immediate fear of Lucifer that our forebears had. For us today, evil does not lurk in the shadows but is rather all too much before us as we proceed through our days and take note of current events.
   
   Still the same the play was a landmark piece and an inspiration to Shakespeare who had before him an example of the genuis he had to compete with and the standard he had to maintain.



4. Tells the tale of the unfortunate Doctor John Faustus - who in return for 24 years of fame and fortune sells his soul to Lucifer. Faustus is a learned gentleman, his pride tells him that he can learn no more from books and the limit of knowledge that they contain. He needs to escape the bounds of the known world and so turns to the world of magic.
   
   During one of his rituals he calls upon the underworld to aid him - Mephistopheles duly comes to Faustus' beckoning as any good demon would in their relentless search for souls (Europe happens to be Mephistopheles stomping ground); however Faustus, in his naive pride, believes that Mephistopheles is there as a result of his conjuering - demons are at his beck and call! Mephistopheles plays it whatever way Fautus wants it, to ensure capturing his soul. They strike a pact - 24 glorious years of fame and fortune for Faustus, with Mephisto as his servent, after which his soul belongs to Lucifer. To make the contract binding Faustus writes out the pact and signs in blood - Mephisto isn't taking any chances.
   
   A number of scenes are depicted - the main one being at the Vatican. Faustus is invisible and steals food and wine from under the Pope's nose, followed by putting to sleep a couple of Cardinals and stealing their clothes, he frees Bruno who is to be put to death for impersonating the pope.
   
   So the story develops - Faustus is the guest at the tables of the figureheads of Europe where he further increases his reputation by bringing to life such people as Helen of Troy. He is introduced to the Seven Deadly sins - Pride, Covetousness, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth & Lechery.
   
   After Twenty and Four years of fame Faustus' time is drawing to a close and he cannot postpone the inevitable. Mephisto, Lucifer and Belzebub appear to collect their payment - the soul of Faustus. At the midnight hour they crack back the gates of hell to reveal his destiny - bodies on endless treadmills, unfortunates being thrown around on pitch forks, souls damned for eternity. Faustus tries to repent but it's too late and his implorations to God are halfhearted. The devils rip his body apart before casting it aside - it has no use for them - their only currency is the soul.
   
   Recommended



5. If you saw "Shakespeare In Love," you know this was the play of Marlowe's that was getting so much attention. (For that matter, I found this play better than "Romeo and Juliet," even though "Romeo and Juliet" was to become the big play at the climactic moment.) Moving on, we meet Dr. Faustus, and he decides that the legitimate knowledge of this world is not good enough. So, he decides to cross the line of 'this far and no further' by making an unholy deal. It is interesting that even Mephistophilis (the unholy agent of the devil) is drawn as a figure of sorrow and even tries to warn Faustus about what he is getting himself into. But Faustus is unreceptive to the truth and ignores Mephistophilis's warning. In a scene of shocking horror, Faustus even mocks Mephistophilis for trying to warn him of the dangers involved: "Learn thou of Faustus manly fortitude" (1.3.85). Faustus makes an unholy pact and sells his soul for books that will offer knowledge beyond the point of 'this far and no further,' as well as significant magical powers. It is interesting that even after Faustus makes the pact, he is presented with several opportunities to escape his fate. But he can not give up the fruits of the pact. (His powers, having Mephistophilis at his command, etc.) Later, we see meet the 7 deadly sins. And Faustus's delight at them shows us his degeneration. In the 3rd and 4th acts, Faustus seems to let go of his quest for knowledge (for the most part) and indulges in practical jokes of an evil nature. There are some who feel that the 3rd and 4th acts are way too silly and that they drag the play down. But, I don't think this is the case at all. I can not help but think that Marlowe was emphasizing how worthless the fruits of the pact really were. (Nothing we could ask the devil for could equal the soul which Christ gave us.) Furthermore, in my opinion, we shouldn't be so surprised at Faustus's degeneration. He has made a pact with evil, and evil is basically degeneration through the service of one's self, depite how amoral and sick that service may be. It is our good side that encourages us to better ourselves, hopefully at least in part for the sake of others. The 5th act begins, and Faustus has one final chance to avoid his fate, but he resigns himself to damnation if he can 'enjoy' Helen of Troy. If I were a betting man, I would bet that Marlowe is emphasizing that sex often overrides our rational thoughts. (How many romance plays seem to defy reason?) The final scene where Faustus realizes that it is too late and hell awaits, is a scene of pure terror almost unparalled in literature. He moves from requests that can not be granted to the most imaginative escapes. The play ends with an appropriate warning to stay behind the line of 'this far and no further.'

5 comments about Acting for Animators, Revised Edition: A Complete Guide to Performance Animation.

1. Simple writing style, easy to follow techniques. This book has it all and will allow animators to see how vital a good expression of emotions can be to a final animation. It also explains how animators have to be more than actors, they have to be creators. I highly recommend this book for any animation student or hobbyist!



2. To be successful it is not enough for an animation to dazzle the audience visually. More importantly, it must tell a story in terms of the objectives and conflicts of its characters in a way that's new and surprising. And the audience must be able to empathize with its characters. Ed Hook's book is not only about acting for animators but also about the essence of good storytelling. It provides simple, easily employed techniques to create animations that appeal to people, whether they are 20 seconds long or two hours. And this book also gets you results. Sharon Coleman's first short animated film, Badgered, won an Oscar nomination in 2006 in part because she followed the principles in this book.



3. Ed Hooks' books are a must have for anyone serious about Animation and/or any character based type of storytelling. After getting used to his concepts it becomes second nature to look at scenes and put the finger right on the problem, if it has any.



4. I wish I read this book years ago. I've been animating professionaly for years, but there's information in this book that has given me a different mind set into accomplishing what I need to create.
   I've always been able to 'see' faults in my work and fix it without knowing consiously how I made the error in the first place. Now, after reading this book I take a new vantage point and can prevent any errors occuring (usually). I think my style of animation has changed a little too.
   
   The book is fun to read and the chapters are straight to the point. Recommended to every animator.



5. This is the first book who explain the acting principles for animators, the book comes with one CD of demos from lessons.

3 comments about The Seafarer.

1. I bought this because the Irish brogues were sometimes a little hard to understand on-stage, plus I wanted to relive that delicious second-act card game again (the only way to do that with a play is to read the script). It's great seeing how the actors brought scenes and words to life. I've already loaned this book to others who saw the play before it closed on Broadway this month.



2. The living rooms in "The Homecoming" by Harold Pinter, "The Lieutenant of Inishmore" by Martin McDonagh, and in this play, "The Seafarer" by Conor McPherson are as scroungy, grotty, and disreputable as the males who inhabit these dumpy premises. The house is north of Dublin. Some plays can be read and enjoyed as a partial substitute for seeing a live performance, but after reading this one, I realize it is essential to see a live presentation to get the full import of this play. It is an actor's dream for the current five man ensemble on Broadway because the stage business is as powerful as the lines.
   There is a Faustian pact element to the story. The central focus is on Sharky, a loser, who lives with his blind brother. Two visitors and a mysterious fifth man, Mr. Lockhart, gather together Christmas Eve day and night and get extremely drunk. They play cards, money is lost, and the story opens up to the audience. Some of this is familiar territory, and the plot is not too complicated. Lockhart probably has the best lines, but the other characters would be a joy to watch. There is great comedy here along with the more serious stuff. The characters are beautifully crafted, and they are a decidedly odd bunch. Each one a piece of work in his own peculiar way.
   As in most plays, secrets from the past are unearthed and become grist for the dramatist's mill. When Lockhart and Sharky are alone, Lockhart reminds him of a card game they had in the past. For these two and the audience the game of cards becomes a transforming experience. The play is well worth a read but try to see it on stage if at all possible. It would make a great movie or television play, but, I think, the audience would be limited.
   Nine Lives Too Many
   The Daemon in Our Dreams
   The Rice Queen Spy
   Clawed Back from the Dead



3. Sharky lives with his older brother Richard and a crony named Ivan in a coastal village north of Dublin. Richard and Ivan are constantly drunk; Sharky is uneasily sober. On Christmas Eve, they are visited by beer-swilling Nicky and his guest, Mr. Lockhart. Mr. Lockhart is the Devil. We know he is the Devil because he tells us so. ("I'm the son of the morning. I'm the snake in the garden."). Twenty-five years ago he helped Sharky escape a manslaughter charge, and he has now come to collect his payment: Sharky's soul. Sharky can avoid damnation only by beating Mr. Lockhart in a poker game.
   
   If you thought that Ingmar Bergman's conceit of a man playing chess with Death was self-conscious, portentous and middlebrow (and you were right), you may not be much more receptive to a man playing poker with Satan. This marriage of Faust and Friel doesn't work, not least because the author is more interested in the crapulous antics of Richard, Nicky and Ivan than in the state of Sharky's soul. Sharky's character and history are so sketchy that one wonders why the Devil should covet such a nebulous figure, or why we in the audience should care about his fate. As for the supposedly hilarious drunkards, they become tiresome after three minutes.

5 comments about The Empty Space: A Book About the Theatre: Deadly, Holy, Rough, Immediate.

1. I am not very knowledgeable about Theatre and certainly not about Theory of Theatre. I found this book quite abstract and difficult to understand. Its opening sentences sets the tone for the whole work.
   "I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. An actor moves across this space while someone is watching and a piece of theatre is engaged."
   This would seem to detach Theatre from local trappings and customs.
   The book consists in an effort to define four kinds of Theatre, the Deadly or Conventional commercial theatre: the Holy Theatre based on sacred repetition , the Rough Theatre that of people in the steet, and the Immediate Theatre, the flowing transformative Theatre which Brook himself is trying to do.
   As the author is considered one of the most revolutionary and important of modern Theatre directors I believe the book might be of value to those actually involved in 'doing Theatre' more than it is to the general reader.



2. Before you read anything else on theatre, you should read The Empty Space.



3. What is great about the empty space is that Peter Brook's theory is relevant to all art forms. The four theatres he describes are basically categories in which all art falls into. This seems odd at first until you see what he is describing. What turns most people off is the idea of over-categorizing art. But Brook's theatres tend to be more or less critiques of individual performances, or what the effect of that performance is on the audience. This is also easy to read. Too much theatre philosophy gets bogged down by either melodramatic thespian writers, or rambling philosophies from those who have not trained themselves to ge good writers. With Brook, it is pretty straightforawrd, not always easy to understand mind you, but straightforward. If you are at all interested in the arts then this is a must read.



4. This book, along with Uta Hagen's "Respect for Acting" and any Stanaslavski, is the motherload of theater expertise.



5. This is an essential read for anyone interested in the creative and performing arts

5 comments about NYC Ballet Workout: Fifty Stretches And Exercises Anyone Can Do For A Strong, Graceful, And Sculpted Body.

1. i said The Same is becaser you are if you azre young thasn OK Great, But for older OLDER in ballet you need propanocil and the BEST WORKOUT which i is I What I Do NOW



2. Need a great workout that you can do at home without the need for a DVD?? This is it. If you follow it and push yourself then you will benefit from this amazing book. It is not about jumping around, it is about stretching and using your body for stability and resistance. I am a dancer and found this book wonderful, I made my husband try it and he was a little confused with the terminology and that he has never put his body in some of the exercise poses before!!



3. To everyone I wish could be more explicit but english is not my primary language. This book is Excellent.



4. This video is very pretty to watch.... once.
   
   But the exercises are extremely slow, with very long transitions between the different sections.
   
   You need to take more than an hour for a mediocre workout.
   
   I did not feel like I was making any effort and certainly not getting a hard workout.
   
   The bonus clips are nice though, if you want to get a glimpse into the life of NYC ballet dancers.



5. This book is wonderfully published -- it features glossy pages, beautiful, high resolution photos, and artfully placed typography.
   
   That said, this is not any kind of book for someone looking for a real workout. If you're genuinely interested in ballet, and beautifully sculpted bodies, this book is for you. If you're looking for some new ideas to switch up your workout routine, you may want to pass.

5 comments about 100 Lessons in Classical Ballet: The Eight-Year Program of Leningrad's Vaganova Choreographic School.

1. If you are a ballet teacher, and aren't able to take master classes very often, this is a good book for you. The lessons sparked new choreography for me, and provided a different perspective to age/skill set; however, the lessons were also developed by a man whose job was to train ballet students to be professionals (age/skill set obviously varies when kids are studying ballet recreationally or for the joy of learning ballet). This book provides an opportunity to expand an adagio, petite allegro, or barre work.



2. I studied the Vaganova Method at ABT as a child and young adult. Now that I am teaching I like to use the book as a guideline, review and brush up on things I may be overlooking. When you are away from the classroom as an adult (or an older adult) it is necessary to keep trying to learn from others or resources. I highly recommend this book.



3. I love this book. As a new teacher, it has been invaluable in helping me to create the classes for my beginning students.



4. I'm a former dancer and a classical ballet teacher now. This book is a Ballet bible among my colleagues who teach classical ballet.



5. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I studied ballet for about twelve years when I was young and was asked to offer a ballet club in my school in the fall. This book lays out, class by class, how to train young dancers effectively. Included are photographs of correct positions and technique so even though my own is a little rusty I am able to show my students illustrations of what they will hope to achieve especially since my turn out has never been that great. I am happy to say that the class attracted boys as well as girls in my inner-city school and that a few of the children have convinced their parents to enroll them in a dance school due to their diligence and the interest they demonstrated in the ballet club.

4 comments about Theatre of the Oppressed.

1. Buy this. I know that isn't a sentence but wow. This is a life changing work. If you care the minutest bit about theatre, mankind, and the future of both (together and seperate) then feast here. Also, a side benifit is listening to Boal argue AGAINST The Poetics. Good stuff. The begining is a little slow because he begins by very carefully setting up examples and definitions before he begins to explain his actual work and theory. This is nessisary and impressive (citing some ancient Greek philosophers to whom I had never been introduced). I think this book handed me some special x-ray glasses to look through the clothing of our contemporary American theatre. Get yourself a pare.



2. This should be required reading in our theatre schools, but is generally relegated to the extra credit section of additional reading. Boal expounds some brilliant concepts that should be considered by all contempoary theatre practitioners. Serious theatre goers should read this text as well.



3. Boal is insane, but not nearly as much as Brecht or Artaud. Boal is essentially a communist that approaches all art from the social-conflict paradigm of sociology (Marxism). He tends to argue that most theatre is made to coerce, and that much of it is made with the power/elite in mind (that is the mildest description I can give you without starting a debate). Whether you agree with Boal or not, his chapters dealing with the Coercive Aristotelian Tragedies are highly educational just in the factual sense of what he presents. If you have any interest in classical or Greek theatre this is definitely a must read. He explains the dynamics of Greek theatre so well that it can almost be used as a text book.



4. Perhaps the pursuit of art in this world of massive economic, social and legal inequality is simply privileged playing and bemusement? Perhaps art has no valued, but as marketable, profitable entertainment? Or, perhaps art (and specifically theatre) can actually change the world? Boal is not the first to speak of theater's revolutionary quality, but unlike his predecessors he takes to the street with his theory. Tracing the relationship between the producers of theatre and its audience, Boal exposes the historical oppression imposed by the dramatic machine/conventions of the past. In its place he offers theoretical and practical examples of his "People's theatre" (i.e., paratheatre or interactive theatre). For all seriously minded artist this is a must read. Especially if you wish to understand your role in artistic production and also wish to make a difference with you work.