5 comments about No Exit and Three Other Plays.

1. Legendary French existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre invites his readers to truly get in touch with what it means to be alive in this world. With the famous phrase "Hell is other people," Sartre is able to encapsulate the vast extent of social anxieties that necessarily exist among all people. Readers beware, if you're not ready to learn about the true depths of human self-perception, then do not open this book.



2. Estelle, Inez and Garcin expected to face all manner of torture in hell, but never expected hell to be a regular room, where these three extremely different people are bound together for eternity. During the time in which the characters explore the possibility of coexisting together, shocking confessions about the reasons that lead these characters to their death and subsequently to hell are revealed.
   
   Inez, who is a homosexual woman, is the only character that is strong enough to practice her choice even after death. Inez finds her self stuck in an after life with a man she despises, and a woman who doesn't reciprocate her desire.
   
   Estelle, a delusional superficial woman who interestingly can't blink, requires the presence of a man to validate her femininity or existence. Estelle is stuck between a man that she can't have, while Inez is watching, and a woman that she doesn't like.
   
   Garcin, an immoral villain who cheated on his wife and mistreated her, needs his being and mistakes validated. Garcin is stuck between the lying selfish Estell and the honest opinionated Inez who has no interest in him. Garcin is the only character who gets a chance to leave the room but can't make a free choice to do so. He arrives at the famous conclusion:" Hell is other people".
   
   This great story was obviously intended for a live audience. In addition to each character watching the other characters, each being watched by God, every body is being watched by the audience. Sartre cleverly used the awkward feeling of being watched all the time to enhance his story. He probably wanted to create an analogy between this room and the fact of living in Paris under German occupation during Second World War.
   
   Please don't stop at "no exit". "The Flies", and "Dirty Hands" are great material that simply didn't get the same fame as "No Exit".



3. This book is a wonderful collection of plays written by the brilliant intellect of Sartre. It is an essential reading for the philosopher at heart.



4. Sartre is sometimes given a reputation that far precedes him, as with many Nobel recipients. These plays are a testament against the skeptic's mindset.
   
   "No Exit" is a modern-day interpretation of the antiquated "fire and brimstone" hell we are so accustomed to hearing about. Sartre adroitly picks up on the small idiosyncracies of human behavior and capitalizes on them with his version of hell. Three incompatible personalities are locked in a hot, stuffy hotel room for eternity, unable to get along with one another or reconcile their personal differences. The lights are always a bit too bright, the furniture a bit too stiff, and the wonder at "what lies down the hall" eats at the occupants for eternity. This is a far cry from biblical interpretations of hell, where an individual can mentally will themselves against pain. Instead, Sartre focuses on the interpersonal nature of unhappiness, and gives his spirits "one of those days" for eternity.
   
   "Dirty Hands" is perhaps my favorite piece of literature. It plants its focus on a young intellectual revolutionary intent on assassinating a corrupt party leader. As he grows closer to Hoederer, the man he is sent to kill, he comes to realize that pure intellectual theories will always become muddied in the waters of reality.
   
   "The Respectful Prostitute" depicts a young woman, a prostitute, who spends the night with a man who turns out to be a politician. The man completes his sordid mission, but the next morning scorns the woman. An lesson in objectivity and the two-faced nature of those who tend to preach loudly.
   
   "The Flies" is set in Ancient Greece, but possesses Sartre's aptitude for human behavior. Just as good as all the others, though not as indicative of how humans behave.
   
   These are all plays, making them quite easy to read. The characters are not hard to keep straight. The ease of reading doesn't detract from their literary quality. These four plays are elegant simplicity at its finest.



5. I have read this little collection countless times over the years. I have seen Huit Clos (No Exit) performed several times (generally poorly) but it has never quite lived up to the power that I find in the written version. I realize that this is unusual for a play, and may reflect a fault in Sartre's work rather than a strength.
   
   It is important to remember, however, that Sartre's work is always more about the ideas behind it than it is about the form he is using. Sartre wrote novels, plays, essays, and criticism during his long career. Through it all, he was a philosopher-- struggling with the notion of freedom and indifference.
   
   People (particularly students) tend to stop with No Exit, neglecting its less famous cousins. This is a shame, as both The Flies and Dirty Hands are fascinating pieces. Particularly if you have an interest in the Oresteia then The Flies is a wonderful interpretation.
   
   A must read book.

5 comments about A Midsummer Night's Dream (The New Folger Library Shakespeare).

1. A Midsummer Night's Dream (The New Folger Library Shakespeare)
   
   This is a terrific book, particularly for those who have not studied Shakespeare or who want to brush up on the play before seeing it performed. The play's text is printed on the right-hand pages, with explanations of archaic or unfamiliar words, terms, meanings, characters, etc. printed on the left-hand pages. Can't take the class? Buy this beautiful little book. I hope the New Folger Libaray publishes similar volumes for all of Shakespeare's plays.
   
   To learn about the historical figures, events, and beliefs in Shakespeare's plays, find a new or used copy Azimov's Guide to Shakespeare. Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Works of Shakespeare. Azimov presents a lucid, interesting chapter on every play. As does Harold Bloom Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human.
   
   -- Bill Brenner



2. For some bizarre reason, schools push the most painfully boring works by any author. In Shakespeare's case, you get handed a copy of "The Tempest", when you could get this. The underlying theory appears to be that if a book is interesting, lively, and enjoyable, it can't be good (upon this reflection, I think Arts departments get up to the same thing, lord knows it's the NEA's theory).
   
   "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is interesting, lively, and enjoyable. On the eve of the wedding of King Thesseus and Queen Hippolyta, the young and dreadfully confused lovers Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius get caught in the middle of an old married couple's spat. The old married couple is Oberon and Titania, who have what could mildly be described as a strained marriage. Oh yes, Oberon and Titania are the king and queen of Faerie.
   
   This is Shakespearean comedy at its best. Wordplay and physical comedy abound, and timeless aspects of human nature are shown at their most sublime and ridiculous. I loved it.
   
   E.M. Van Court



3. My daughter needed this for a school assignment. It worked out well for her, good price.



4. I recently re-read A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM prior to attending The Colorado Shakespeare Festival's performance of this play under the summer stars here in Boulder. Shakespeare (1564-1616) produced this romantic comedy between 1595 or 1596 and published it in the First Folio in 1623. It follows the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of amateur actors under the influence of fairies who inhabit a moonlit forest. The play is Shakespeare's most popular and is widely performed across the world.
   
   It play tells three stories connected by the wedding celebration of Duke Theseus of Athens and the Amazonian queen Hippolyta. In the opening scene, Hermia rejects her father Egeus's request that she marry Demetrius. Rather than facing death or lifelong chastity as a nun, Hermia and her lover Lysander decide to elope. Hermia tells her best friend Helena of her plan. Helena, who has been recently rejected by Demetrius, tells him of Hermia's plan to elope. Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius all escape into the forest where they become romantically entangled under the influence of fairies.
   
   Oberon (King of the Fairies), and his queen, Titania, arrive in the same forest. Oberon enlists the mischievous Puck (aka "Hobgoblin" and "Robin Goodfellow") to apply the magical juice from a flower to Titania's eyes while she is sleeping. The juice makes the victim fall in love with the first living thing he or she sees upon awakening. Oberon also instructs Puck to spread some juice on Demetrius's eyes. Instead, Puck puts the juice on Lysander's eyes, causing him to fall in love with Helena. To correct the error, Oberon then orders Puck to apply the juice to Demetrius's eyes, causing him to also fall in love with Helena, much to her confusion (now having two suitors).
   
   Meanwhile, in a subplot, a band of "rude mechanicals" have been preparing a play in the forest about Pyramus and Thisbe for Theseus' wedding. Puck transforms the head of one actor, Nick Bottom, into that of an ass. When Titania is awakened by Bottom's singing, she immediately falls in love with him. Puck eventually restores Bottom's head, and lifts the spell from Lysander, but leaves Demetrius in love with Helena. The lovers conclude the night's events must have been a dream. Puck ends the play with a soliloquy.
   
   G. Merritt



5. The spirit of one of Shakespeare's richest plays is lighthearted laughter. The great impressario of the proceedings is Puck who in giving the 'love potion' to the wrong person, sets up the chaos of both Demetrius and Lysander loving Helena. There are numerous networks of parallel and contrast through the work , between the worlds of the royal humans, the fairies, and the craftsmen. The motif of dreaming and imagination play a strong part in the play. And the resolution in all the couples finding themselves in love and harmony at last is a supreme happy ending.
   This is one of Shakespeare's most delightful and amusing works, one of the richest comically in all the world of theater.

5 comments about An Actor Prepares.

1. Stanislavski is a familiar name in theatre circles. The legendary director of the Moscow Art Theatre wrote perhaps some of the most influential books on acting in the last century. I could list the big names who cite his influence (most famously, Marlon Brando and Sir John Gielgud), but the fact is his teachings have become so much a part of the way we approach theatre, that almost any actor in the English-speaking world (and abroad) can claim at least some influence.
   
   Elizabeth Hapgood's translation of Stanislavski's work (featured on this page) remains the most widely circulated among English speakers. Unfortunately, it is also highly problematic. By publishing her translations as two separate books "An Actor Prepares" and "Building a Character", Hapgood unintentionally misrepresented Stanislavski's original intentions. In actuality, "An Actor Prepares" and "Building a Character" were both written as two parts of a single book, called "An Actor's Work on Himself."
   
   Hapgood had worked with Stanislavski on an early version of Part One. However, Stanislavski continued to revise his manuscript even after Hapgood had returned home to America. What would eventually be published as "An Actor Prepares" was actually a much-abridged version of what she received from Stanislavski. Not only that, but it is missing Stanislavski's subsequent revisions.
   
   The translation itself is especially difficult to get through. The diction is quaint and Victorian and brings to mind Constance Garrett's dowdy translations of Dostoevsky. What's more is that Stanislavski's sense of humor is largely censored, in favor of contriving a more flowing narrative. While this is understandable, this drastically alters the reader's understanding of Stanislavski's system. The original featured more dialogue among the students to flesh out the concepts in better detail.
   
   To read a modern translation of Stanislavski's work in its complete form, check out Jean Benedetti's excellent An Actor's Work. Up until the publication of Benedetti's book, I would have been perfectly content to recommend the Hapgood version. But the release of the new translation, which is both more readable and truer to Stanislavski's intentions, now fully highlights how impoverished this edition actually is.



2. This book is very informative and resourceful. It teaches you the true method of acting.



3. the magic 'if' can transform worlds for you...the grand Master Stanislavski in a rough interpretation brings you his mystery of acting..has any acting technique been more misrepresented then 'the method'? ..read how MR S wanted to reach actors, how they went about rehearsing...how they realized their most important job was being true to the playwrights words..much to Anton Chekov's delight..how they built layer upon layer of developing a character..I think this book will enhance any artist, hold magic over them and let them develop their own magic 'if'..what if I was a king? what if I was a world famous dancer? what if I can make any dream come true? what if?



4. I had to buy this book for an acting class I am currently taking in college. If you were to open my book, you'll notice the bright color of my highlighter. It is highly informative and intellectually stimulating for those who want to be actors, or people who are simply interested in acting.



5. This book is an absolute MUST READ for all actors. I am convinced that no-one should be allowed on stage until they have read this book.
   
   Stanislavski's ideas form the basis of most modern acting techniques, as well they should. Before I studied Stanislavski, I had always felt there was something lacking in my acting and could never quite figure out what; I discovered it when I studied Stanislavski.
   
   My one complaint is that the translation is bad. The translator was NOT an actor, and many cuts were made to the original text. This has resulted in many confusions about what Stanislavski actually said.

2 comments about Spring Awakening: In the Flesh.

1. I purchased this book for my daughter who is a SA fan. She loved it! If you're interested in broadway shows expecially Spring Awakening then this book is for you.



2. Spring Amakening: In the Flesh is a fabulous guide to the broadway show, from conception to casting and beyond. It has lots of wonderful pictures of the cast, as well as interivews with original cast members, replacement cast, ensemble and the minds behind it all; Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater. A full libretto is an added bonus, as the info given in this book about the show and cast is wonderful. A must own for a fan of the show or any Broadway enthusiast.

5 comments about Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet (Dover Books on Dance).

1. First published in 1950, this ballet reference guide has stood the test of time. Who's it for? Ballet students and teachers, choreographers, or any ballet enthusiast. Here's what the book covers:
   
   -descriptions and definitions of over 1100 ballet steps (in alphabetical order)
   -how to say the darn words (worth the price of the book alone!)
   -illustrations showing you body positions for the more common ballet steps and movements
   -cross-references to other names for similar steps/positions that vary from the Russian, French and Italian schools
   
   A must have book that can easily be toted around, I doubt most readers will regret buying it. Other ballet resources I recommend include The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution for practitioners who have trouble with their feet.



2. This book really helps me learn all the ballet steps and poses. Anyone can read it and understand it. It teaches different styles, such as Cechetti, Russian, etc. I highly recommend it for any ballet lover at any level. This book is an EXCELLENT tool.



3. If you are a learning (or even trained) dancer,, you should definitely buy this book. Teachers- you should keep a copy in your studio library. My old dance teacher introduced me to this dictionary, and I continued to use it in my college dance classes and when I taught dance on my own.
   
   It's small enough to slip inside your dance bag, so you can take it with you to class. It's a fabulous resource for terminology, which is priceless to learning dancers. Because, there's nothing worse than going to a class when the teacher is of a different methodology. This one features several, including the more popular methods, like Cechetti. There are also some drawings to help you understand more clearly.
   
   This book will help you learn all your arabesques, positions, and more.
   A great tool!



4. It helped me visualize my eight body positions in order to put them in practice. It also helped me with spelling of different positions.



5. This book best serves those who have had enough experience with ballet to be able to understand the terms within the definitions themselves. Almost all ballet terms in this book contain other ballet terms within the definitions, and pictures are minimal (positions of the feet/arms, body in space, head, stage terms). If the dancer is not familiar enough with ballet terms, technique, and form, then this book can be overwhelming. I recommend this book to all teachers as well as teenagers who are serious about ballet (it's a must have). For younger students (9 years old and up), I recommend any ballet book that contains basic terms as well as pictures showing proper form/execution of these terms (pictures will also include proper alignment and proper turn-out as well as a clear explaination on how to work toward both).

5 comments about The Clean House and Other Plays.

1. I chose Sarah Ruhl's plays as a source of language for an advanced EFL course, wanting an example of contemporary American English. The situations and word play, however, make her work unsuitable for this. While I did appreciate her work from a literary point of view, I didn't really find her work on a par with what the hype had brought me to expect. She is definitely interesting, but perhaps she tries too hard to be different, with mixed results



2. 
   Before Sarah Ruhl was a playwright, she was a poet. This is not a great surprise. I mean, just look at the format, imagery and dialogue found in The Clean House and Other Plays. This is drama, yeah, but it is drama that even contains poetic line-breaks!:
   
   I feel I can deposit my pain
   right there--like a coin, into a hole.
   (from Melancholy Play, page 236)
   
   In a March 2008 New Yorker interview, Ruhl calls herself "a fabulist." She is someone whose characters build rooms of string and travel in raining elevators (Euridyce). In another story, Ruhl echoes Monty Python's idea of jokes that can kill--only hers are used as mercy killings (The Clean House). Ruhl's lesbian cowboy seems natural riding imaginary horses in Pittsburgh (Late: A Cowboy Song); and watch where you step, because the depressed are turning into almonds at almost every turn! (Melancholy Play)
   
   The experience of reading plays is a different one from that of reading other fiction or non-fiction works. Plays stretch the mind to consider subjects such as lighting, sound, and props. As a list given here, such material might be perceived as mundane and dull. In Sarah Ruhl's hands, they become magic. A lack of narrative and the addition of technical details doesn't mean that the nuances of emotion are left behind as something only the actors can manage. Tears, real tears, are no doubt regularly shed as Ruhl's readers feel the beautiful emotional-roller coaster moments on these pages: the strong father-daughter bond and ridiculousness of new romance in Euridyce; the love for parents and heartbreaking compassion of The Clean House; the true and false loves of Late: A Cowboy Song; and the sweet disorder of Melancholy Play.
   
   Ruhl's characters are full of wonderfully playful, bizarre contradictions: For example, the psychiatrist in Melancholy Play, LORENZO THE UNFEELING, takes every opportunity to enlighten the people he comes in contact with to the sad, tragic details of his childhood and to the fact that he not only feels, but has gone completely overboard, falling in love with his melancholy patient, Tilly. A Brazilian housekeeper detests housekeeping, and longs to be a comedian. A woman is irresistible to all men when she is miserable, but the moment she finds happiness, the world shifts and almost no one can stand her any longer.
   
   Perhaps most fun of all reading a Sarah Ruhl play are the stage notes, which one would never have the opportunity to enjoy if sitting in the audience and watching the thing. In Melancholy Play, for example, Ruhl has notes about the casting.
   
   Frances and Frank, we learn later in this play, are twins. However, in the world of this play, there is no need for twins to resemble each other. If your Frances and Frank look nothing alike, simply change this line on page 315: "TILLY: My God! You look exactly like her!" to "TILLY: My God! You look nothing like her!" or even: "TILLY: My God! You look a little bit like her!"
   
   The Clean House and Other Plays is a collection of silly, enchanting and weird stories that, despite their oddness and impossibilities, still hold the ring of truth. Ruhl writes in a way that is so human it is impossible not to be moved. Having never seen a Sarah Ruhl play produced, this writer can tell you that it's not the least bit necessary to enjoy this book. It stands on its own as a great piece of literature.
   
   This review first appeared on Night Times.



3. I read a profile of Sara Ruhl in THE NEW YORKER and was intrigued by the lack of psychologizing in her plays. So I bought a book of her plays. There's some good stuff in there, and some very cliched aspects as well. Ruhl seems to suffer from a bit of shame deriving from her white midwestern roots.



4. This anthology is reasonably priced, by a woman, and contemporary, rather than modern. My Absurdism students will be able to select which play or plays they wish to examine.



5. Sarah Ruhl is writing the very best contemporary drama. She's on fire in these plays.

5 comments about Othello (Folger Shakespeare Library).

1. I've been using the Folger library series for years now, and although the Norton Critical edition has its place, the Folger edition cannot be beat for clarity and accessibility. Pay the extra couple of bucks for the 5.5 x 8
   paperback rather than the smaller mass market paperback. The paper quality and illustrations are far superior in the larger version.



2. The most beautiful aspect of the play is Iago's ingenious deception of Othello. In every phrase, Iago knows just what to say to swing his Moor closer to the belief in Desdemona's infidelity. The subtle strategist to his general (and the puppeteer to Roderigo and Cassio), Iago is in full glory practicing his art of insinuation.
   
   Iago is the master of duplicity: "Divinity of hell! When devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows". Here he echoes Banquo in Macbeth: "To win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray's in deepest consequence". However, while in Macbeth the devious instruments of darkness were netherworldly creatures, here Iago himself takes on devil's work. Treachery plays here the most insidious part: it lays the ground for murder.
   
   Treachery itself takes its roots in hatred. While Richard III and Macbeth are murderers for their own advancement, Iago's guiding star in his hunt is hatred. His "I hate the Moor" at the end of the 1st act, breaking the flow of the soliloquy in which he derides Roderigo (and not unlike Richard III's "Ha!") is the essence of Iago in a line.
   
   The reasons for his hatred are not as clear cut. Iago knows that his being cuckolded by Othello is a mere suspicion (but willfully decides that he does not want to know for sure and will act as if it were true). This is his private (false) excuse for hating Othello. His public one, or at least the one he presents to Roderigo, is having been passed over in the pecking order of military ranking. But he only gives this argument to Roderigo and never repeats it in any soliloquies. And we know how much Iago can be trusted when he speaks to someone else...
   
   His take on Cassio is not much more lucid. Cassio is surely not married, and yet according to Iago, he is "a fellow almost damned in a fair wife" (whether this is one of Shakespearean slips where he forgot to give Cassio a wife or a mutation of "life" into "wife", the phrase is just too beautiful to disregard, even if it does not fit with the text). "He hath a daily beauty in his life that makes me ugly" complains Iago of Cassio. He also worries of having been cuckolded by the lieutenant. The former may signify Iago's fear of looking bad in the face of Cassio's promotion (although "daily" and especially "beauty" do not really fit, so the phrase could signify other things and overall seems obscure). The latter suspicion is just preposterous.
   So it appears that Iago, whom in this play Shakespeare gave most artful language, is sometimes inconsequential and opaque. While it may not have been Shakespeare's intent, one could conclude from this that hatred may exist for Iago without any real reasons at all. Some people fall in love for no reason, Iago may have fallen in hatred for no reason. Maybe Iago's excuses for his actions are just his awkward attempts at justifying his inexplicable hatred?
   
   In any case, with all his hatred and scheming, Iago is another spectacular Shakespearean villain endowed with inspired language. His art of intrigue ensures him a place among Shakespeare's leading characters (villains for the most part) and will entertain our enduring fascination with human nature's dark side...



3. The New Folger edition give a much better insight than other publishers of this Shakespearian Play.



4. Definitely Shakespeare stays true to his form and creates another literary masterpiece. Just like that of Romeo and Juliet, this is another tragic play. It is set around the early 1600s in England and tells the story of the marriage of Othello, a black man of high standings, and Desdemona, a white lady.
   
   Iago acts as the catalyst for the conflict, trying to disassemble the marriage and Othello and Desdemona. In Shakespeare's dialogue, he uses rather explicit imagery in describing the pair to others to arouse racial prejudice against their marriage. He does all this to get back at Othello for not promoting Iago to a higher position and giving the rank to another soldier. At the climax of the story, the "honest Iago" (yes, I remember this quote quite clearly, as it is mentioned multiple times and is an oxymoron because while everyone believes him to be honest, on the inside he is a clever schemer) successfully convinces Othello that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him.
   
   The story gains its momentum by revolving around the handkerchief which Othello gives to Desdemona.. Iago successfully steals it from her and gives it to Cassio, who thinks another lady has given it to him. When Othello sees the handkerchief in Cassio's hands all the thins Iago says comes back into his head, and he smother Desdemonda killing her.
   
   Shakespeare's play is of a man different from the rest of the people, he is the grey pebble on the sandy shore. This plays into his psyche, making him more susceptible to believe that Desdemona has betrayed him. He also incorporates the settings to his advantage from the more civilized and governed Venice to the island of Cyprus, a place where there is no law. When in Venice, there are no tragedies, all conflicts are resolved through talks and negotiations. However, when they move to Cyprus, the disputes are settled with fighting. The use of nature to determine their motives is another reason why Shakespeare is one of the best writers of his time.
   
   Shakespeare uses the underlying theme of revenge as the basis for his story. It all starts when Othello promotes Cassio to lieutenant rather than Iago, even between Cassio and his own lover, and even extending to Iago and his accomplice, a forlorn man who once wanted Desdemona's hand in marriage. This finally climaxes to Othello and Desdemona. It seems as if the only one who does not take a role in this cycle of revenge is Desdemona. She seems to accept her fate and prays before her death. In the play, she is the most pure of them all.
   
   With Shakespeare's clever banter in Othello and his use of figurative language, he makes this play to be an enjoying one. The story moves quickly and keeps one entranced with Shakespeare's language.
   
   Two words: Read it



5. Definitely another one of Shakespeare's masterpieces. The plot is just enticing and climatic, with many moments of uniqueness and suspense. Besides the awesome plot, it is the reader's engagement in each character's actions that draw this tragedy closer to every reader.
   
   In these 250 pages, Shakespeare accounts one of humanity's darkest secrets--namely vindication. Othello, the main protagonist, married to a beautiful Desdemona, is a revered Christian Moor and an ingenious general of the armies of Venice. Despite this high status, he is portrayed as an easy prey for Iago, the main antagonist. Having hired the less experienced Cassio as lieutenant, Othello has actually marked the beginning of his downfall. Working with Rodrigo who tries to win Desdemona's favor, Iago undertakes the task of destroying both Othello and Cassio. The remaining plot consists of Iago's numerous attempts, failures and successes. Iago, however, does not immediately resolve to using violence to satisfy his revenge, a decision that might surprise the reader at first. On the contrary, he succeeds to win Othello's trust through his malice, manipulative word choices and ironic statements. With Othello trust as his goal, Iago states, "Men should be what they seem, / Or those that be not, would they might seem none!" Hearing this, Othello would build more trust in Iago, who now seemingly shares the same moral principles of Othello. Using this recently gained trust for his advantage and Othello's ignorance, Iago seeds in Othello the thought of Desdemona's affair with Cassio, an action that is purely part of his machinations. The result is obvious: Othello immediately fires Cassio and hires Iago as the lieutenant for his recompense. However, this does not satisfy the antagonist, as he still has not destroyed Othello. Giving him further "proofs"--for these were merely part of his plan and thus not veritable--Iago establishes feelings of hatred and envy in Othello, who now confesses, "I do not think but Desdemona's honest." Othello's change in attitude is manifested as he calls his wife "the whore of Venice" and then "slaps" her, an act that downgrades her and demonstrates his fury. The plot from here is for you to find out. Although the plot is full of deception and destruction, Shakespeare succeeds in having a happy conclusion for this classic book.
   
   Knowledge of both the location and the era in which this book took place is definitely necessary to understand such terms as "the Moor," "Cyrus...Venice," and the abundant contrasts between "black" and "white." The book is set in the end of the sixteenth century, a period when Turkey tried to invade Venice. Most of the plot takes place in Cyrus, one of the Venetian cities attacked and later conquered by the Turks in 1570. Because of his war backdrop, Othello is referred to as "the general of Venice" throughout the book, amplifying his position as a revered leader in society. Othello's true race, on the other hand, has long been debated by critics. "Moor," nowadays, refers to the Islamic Arabic inhabitants of North Africa. In Shakespeare's time, the term might have either referred to Africans from other regions or tanned Europeans. Shakespeare often mentions "the black Moor," ensuring the addition of skin color in order to differentiate Othello from other Venetians. This difference of skin color, however, is ambiguous and should not be interpreted as a racial discrimination as the modern reader might believe.
   
   Overall, a book that describes an individual's vendetta and ultimate downfall, "Othello" is not only as entertaining as another classical masterpiece of Shakespeare's but also a source where readers can truly fathom what we call today Karma.

5 comments about Sanford Meisner on Acting.

1. Mr. Meisner's book should be in your collection if you are a serious student..on the Mt Rushmore of acting teachers he would be right up there with Hagen, Adler, Stanislavsky and Strasberg. Meisner goes beyond the 'method' to what are the greatest tools you can bring to any performance...listen and react...listen and react..if you master the first the reaction will come naturally..but the first is the most difficult for any beginning actor..you might think you're listening but chances are you're not..



2. Sanford Meisner shared some very cool ideas on the theatre, and a contrast to Stella Adler's talkative nature.
   
   They basically believe the same thing, but go about it in completely different ways. For a stage performer , and in a different way, any artist, this book is one of the many paths to a deeper and richer manifestation of your craft.
   
   A great read indeed.



3. I bought this book at a time when I bought a lot of other, more recently written, books on theater. The books were by Anne Bogart and others who wrote about techniques that are not the Method. I thought that I would get a Meisner book because I thought it would be good to get to know some of the history of acting... and Meisner was certainly important historically. I saw this book as a sort of "eat your vegetables". So, I left it for the last book of the bunch that I read...... and it turned out to be WONDERFUL!
   
   This book is INCREDIBLY not dryly written. It is SO interesting to read. It is written as a series of reports on a class that Meisner was teaching, so you get to follow along and learn the Method with his class and see where Meisner is coming from on his beliefs on the Method. The writing style is really interesting and easy to read because Meisner's speech is really interesting.
   
   This book is WONDERFUL!



4. This is different from other acting books in that the reader learns the technique through following the process of students in thier first year with Meisner. He never gives any direct, step-by-step, this-is-how-we-learn-to-act instruction. You have to be patient enough to follow the story and mine the diamonds for yourself. I found a few useful tidbits to add to my technique, but many of Meisner's tools don't work for me, for I'm an Adler girl at heart; however, I have also found it useful to understand the process of my colleagues who use Meisner's technique.



5. This excellent book is an edited transcript of an actual studio class, recorded during one of Sanford Meisner's two-year studio sessions. The reader begins at the beginning and tracks this group through the major phases of training, while getting to read Meisner's own words, and those of his students. If one already knows something about acting techniques and even Meisner, this book deepens and develops that understanding right from the horse's mouth; it charms and provokes myriad thoughts about the art of acting. It's awesome. However, if one is looking for an introduction to the "Meisner Technique" or to any other technique that branches from Stanislavski or The Group Theater, this book is too advanced -- and even somewhat opaque at times -- because it takes for granted certain underlying concepts and vocabulary.

5 comments about Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends from Cast-Off Socks and Gloves.

1. Martha Stewart featured this book on her show a month or so ago (summer 2008) and she and some celebrity made a dog and a bunny. They're funky little animals and look very easy to make. For how-to purposes, you probably don't need the book, just the idea...but the book is good inspiration and the thinking and planning is done for you. The book is fun to look at and would make a good kid's book too. I'm thinking an argyle sock would make a great sweater for one of these little stuffed friends to wear!



2. A delightful book with a cute story presentation as well as simple and clear instructions on how to make the puppets. I have recommended this book to art and craft teachers.



3. I have been having a blast making stuffed toys for my kids using the patterns from this book. The pictures alone make it a fun book to read. The patterns are not step by step leaving you to add a lot of your own creativity to the finished product.



4. This book was prefect. I was novice sewer with only little sewing knowledge when I bought this book. It was worth a million bucks. The instructions were easy to follow and within two days of buying the book I was sewing each of my friends two or three little sock and glove animals.
   It's great for last second gifts, birthday presents, and Christmas gifts.
   Who doesn't want a cute, little cuddly friend?
   I made myself three.
   I liked the way the book was setup in story format. Instead of just instructions there was colorful photography and a storyline.
   I'd recommend this for anyone from beginners to experts. Even months later, after I've had much more sewing experience I enjoy using the book and making more stuff animals!



5. This book is awesome. The toys are easy to make - some of them have been completed by my children aged 9 and 11 years old. There is only basic equipment required to make the toys and the stitching is easy. Step by step instructions of each toy and clothes to fit are also provided.
   
   A great gift for someone with young children or a baby on the way. I am going to make these for my friends who are expecting. They will make great cheap gifts for all - christmas, birthday etc. My children have enjoyed raiding their old socks to make new friends...

5 comments about The Tempest (Folger Shakespeare Library).

1. As Shakespeare's final play, The Tempest is appropriately a culmination of his motifs and themes amassed beforehand in previous work. You have the jester, the underhanded political aspirants, the outcast, the young naive fools hopelessly in lust, and the omniscient schemer behind it all. What may have disappointed Elizabethan audiences may have actually been this mix, since it was such a combination that it felt more as if the plot was just regurgitating old plot devices but rest assured, the Bard works up a fine troupe of spirits under a firm lead to work our minds.
   
   The story involves the shipwreck of Italian nobles that leaves them unscathed and in even better condition than on the ship save the fate of King Alonso's son Ferdinand. Meanwhile, the wizard Prospero calls upon his spiritual underling Ariel and receives confirmation that his revenge upon those who sentenced his exile has begun.
   
   Like all Shakespearean characters, they're real to the point that you may be disgusted at them and later realize how close you are with their vices. With a seeming reunion of all his characters, this makes for a perverse tale. Prospero commands a wide array of spells to delight and fright but once his tale of woe is told, it's pitiful that his learned nature led him to exile and pettiness and by the story's end he's the same. Antonio and Sebastian are heartless fiends who've only a mind for power by any means and even knowing this, we laugh at their sniping witty wordplays with their fellow nobles, particularly the saintly Gonzalo. Caliban is a tragic figure demonstrating the evils of colonial enslavement and even then his misadventures with the drunken self-proclaimed celestial monarch Stephano and Trinculo, the smart fool, so to speak, make great comedy.
   
   There's a great scene where Prospero realizes that Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo want to kill him, comic characters all against a wizard, and he takes it seriously. It's rightfully absurd but when his previous dictatorial behavior towards his deluded and imprisoned servants is recalled, it calls to mind Of Mice and Men, where Slim says, "Take a real smart guy and he ain't hardly ever a nice fella."
   
   When Stephano says to Caliban, "Come, kiss the book!" with a booze bottle, we realize just how intoxicating the Bard was and are tempted to leave it at that. But when bookworms and literary professors are observed in the throes of their obsession, maybe it's not such a ludicrous comparison after all.



2. I like Shakespeare, but the Bard was having an off day with this one.
   
   It rambled, it didn't have the down-to-earth feel of his better stuff, it had the passion of a comedy and the humor of a romance; it was tepid. It felt contrived thoughout. It would probably be a splendid opera, with the potential for great costumes, set, and songs, while noone minds the limp plot and saccharine ending.
   
   The thing I missed most was the stark exposure of human nature of his other works, the unadorned truth that shows up for better or worse. "The Tempest" showed a cranky old man miraculously transform into the joyful father of the bride despite the decades of solitude and grudge-bearing. I'm not following this, as mentioned it sounds operatic, not dramatic.
   
   E.M. Van Court



3. One of Shakespeare's most beloved works, The Tempest is a classic tale of adventure that combines revenge drama, romance, and comedy, all of it driven by magic and the supernatural. The play also uses manifold references to ancient myth to develop its sense of seabound peril, while drawing brilliant parallels to the colonial impulse that was then rapidly on the rise in Europe. Indeed, one of The Tempest's most singular triumphs is how it metaphorically addresses the complexities of colonialism in ways that somehow manage to speak to 20th and 21st century concerns. Of course, Shakespeare being the genius that he is, there's more to it than that- this is also a story of love, revenge, redemption, and political intrigue, full of well-drawn characters and unexpected plot turns. It doesn't rank with Shakespeare's best (in my opinion, anyway)- it doesn't have the stunning emotional impact of Hamlet or the labyrinthine psychological exploration of Macbeth. It's a gem, but a slightly minor one compared to his greatest masterpieces. But then again, what isn't?



4. This play is a fantasy and romance. The story is of a wise old magician and his unworldly daughter. There is a gallant young prince and a cruel, scheming brother. It is very much like a fairy tale written in Shakespeare's wonderful prose. In it ancient wrongs are righted and true lovers live happily ever after. The play is also an allegory, and it holds so much of Shakespeare's mature reflections on life. It is enjoyable.



5. The book was recieved in good shape and very fast. We ordered several bookes from different places and this was the first one we recieved.