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The Importance of Being Earnest with Connections
by Oscar WildeHolt McDougal Library, High School with Connections
The Importance of Being Earnest: A Play
by Oscar WildeThe controversial comedic play from a master dramatist that shattered social conventions in England. Oscar Wilde&’s most brilliant tour de force, a witty and buoyant comedy of manners, has delighted millions with countless productions since its first performance at London&’s St. James&’ Theatre in 1895. The Importance of Being Earnest is celebrated not only for the lighthearted ingenuity of its plot, but also for its inspired dialogue, rich with scintillating epigrams still savored by all who enjoy artful conversation. From the play&’s effervescent beginnings in Algernon Moncrieff&’s London flat to its hilarious denouement in the drawing room of Jack Worthing&’s country manor in Hertfordshire, this comic masterpiece keeps audiences breathlessly anticipating new bons mots and fresh plot twists from moment to moment. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People (First Avenue Classics ™)
by Oscar WildeJack Worthing gets antsy living at his country estate. As an excuse, he spins tales of his rowdy brother Earnest living in London. When Jack rushes to the city to confront his "brother," he's free to become Earnest and live a different lifestyle. In London, his best friend, Algernon, begins to suspect Earnest is leading a double life. Earnest confesses that his real name is Jack and admits the ruse has become tricky as two women have become enchanted with the idea of marrying Earnest. On a whim, Algernon also pretends to be Earnest and encounters the two women as they meet at the estate. With two Earnests who aren't really earnest and two women in love with little more than a name, this play is a classic comedy of errors. This is an unabridged version of Oscar Wilde's English play, first published in 1899.
The Impossible Dream: The Cracked Necklace
by Halima Ezzahra ElbakouchiIn winter, in the beginning of an heavy snow, when a thick curtain appeared on the glass to prevent seeing; by lynching lamps from houses’ roof. A ten years kid started screaming “Mom, mom, …… mom”. It was a gloomy funeral, as the death of the mother Tekyami Kiya. The presence was so dejected, the father Tekyami Tadashi, Tekyami Dean the brother and some other family. As the ceremony finished, the family went back home, Akio went to his bed, putting his head under the pillows and started crying, repeating the memories of his mom that never go. Memories that never started yet, he quickly fell asleep. He was tired ... exhausted ... and alone... The memory of the date “the sixth of February” the snowfall time and the spread of frosts, the memory of the death of the mother, who will be absent, left a sad small family. She had been sick for years, and the doctors were confused about her poor health, but they indicated that it was related to her emotional state. After his sleeping, Akio’s dream started to live with him.
The Improv Dictionary: An A to Z of Improvisational Terms, Techniques, and Tools
by David CharlesThe Improv Dictionary: An A to Z of Improvisational Terms, Techniques, and Tools explores improvisational approaches and concepts drawn from a multitude of movements and schools of thought to enhance spontaneous and collaborative creativity.This accessible resource reveals and interrogates the inherited wisdoms contained in the very words we use to describe modern improv. Each detailed definition goes beyond the obvious clichés and seeks a nuanced and inclusive understanding of how art of the moment can be much more than easy laughs and cheap gags (even when it is being delightfully irreverent and wildly funny). This encyclopedic work pulls from a wide array of practitioners and practices, finding tensions and commonalities from styles as diverse as Theatresports, Comedysportz, the Harold, narrative long-form, Playback Theatre, and Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. Entries include nuanced definitions, helpful examples, detailed explorations of the concepts in practice, and framing quotes from a leading practitioner or inspirational artistic voice.The Improv Dictionary offers valuable insights to novice improvisers taking their first steps in the craft, seasoned performers seeking to unlock the next level of abandon, instructors craving a new comprehensive resource, and scholars working in one of the numerous allied fields that find enrichment through collaborative and guided play.Each significant entry in the book is also keyed to an accompanying improv game or exercise housed at www.improvdr.com, enabling readers to dig deeper into their process.
The Incident at Antioch / L’Incident d’Antioche: A Tragedy in Three Acts / Tragédie en trois actes (Insurrections: Critical Studies in Religion, Politics, and Culture)
by Alain BadiouThe Incident at Antioch is a key play marking Alain Badiou's transition from classical Marxism to a "politics of subtraction" far removed from party and state. Written with striking eloquence and extraordinary poetic richness, and shifting from highly serious emotional and intellectual drama to surreal comic interlude, the work features statesmen, workers, and revolutionaries struggling to reconcile the nature and practice of politics.This bilingual edition presents L'Incident d'Antioche in its original French and, on facing pages, an expertly executed English translation. Badiou adds a special preface, and an introduction by the scholar Kenneth Reinhard connects the play to Paul Claudel's The City, Saint Paul and the early history of the Church, and the innovative mathematical thinking of Paul Cohen. The translation includes Susan Spitzer's extensive notes clarifying allusions and quotations and hinting at Badiou's intentions. An interview with Badiou encompasses the play's settings, themes, and events, as well as his ongoing literary and conceptual experimentation on stage and off.
The Incident at Antioch/L'Incident d'Antioche
by Alain BadiouThe Incident at Antioch is a key play marking Alain Badiou's transition from classical Marxism to a "politics of subtraction" far removed from party and state. Written with striking eloquence and extraordinary poetic richness, and shifting from highly serious emotional and intellectual drama to surreal comic interlude, the work features statesmen, workers, and revolutionaries struggling to reconcile the nature and practice of politics. This bilingual edition presents L'Incident d'Antioche in its original French and, on facing pages, an expertly executed English translation. Badiou adds a special preface, and an introduction by the scholar Kenneth Reinhard connects the play to Paul Claudel's The City, Saint Paul and the early history of the Church, and the innovative mathematical thinking of Paul Cohen. The translation includes Susan Spitzer's extensive notes clarifying allusions and quotations and hinting at Badiou's intentions. An interview with Badiou encompasses the play's settings, themes, and events, as well as his ongoing literary and conceptual experimentation on stage and off.
The Incredible Talking Machine
by Jenni SpanglerPull back the curtain and enter a world where mystery and magic take centre stage . . . Twelve-year-old Tig works at the Theatre Royale, cleaning, selling tickets and doing anything else that is asked of her by her tyrannical boss, Mr Snell. But Tig will do whatever it takes to get closer to her dream – to become a Stage Manager and spend her days inventing new ways to imagine and build the intricate machinery and props that bring the exciting productions to life! But when a strange new act – a talking machine – arrives at the Theatre Royale, it moves and behaves in a way that Tig just can&’t work out. It&’s as though it&’s alive somehow . . . And when the machine appears to be hiding a dangerous secret, Tig must race against time to solve the mystery, before everything and everyone she cares about is lost forever. A gloriously gothic adventure from an original new voice in middle-grade. A gloriously gothic adventure with a magical twist from an original new voice in middle-grade. Perfect for fans of Michelle Harrison, Sophie Anderson and Emma Carroll. Praise for Jenni Spangler&’s debut novel, THE VANISHING TRICK: A thrilling, original, evocative and eerie tale - I adored it!&’ Michelle Harrison, author of A Pinch of Magic 'A thrilling page-turner. Madame Pinchbeck is a gloriously Dickensian villain&’ Abi Elphinstone, author of Sky Song 'Ghosts, gadgets, likeable villains and unlikely heroes: The Vanishing Trick is a dark and dazzling adventure&’ Emma Carroll, author of Letters from the Lighthouse 'A completely enthralling tale, oozing with atmosphere and originality&’ Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's Island
The Indian Theatre: Its Origins and Its Later Developments... (Routledge Revivals)
by R. K. YajnikFirst published in 1933, The Indian Theatre provides a comprehensive overview of the origin and the later developments of theatre in India under European influence with special reference to Western India. It discusses important themes such as the early Indian stage; the ancient Hindu stage; the rise of modern theatres; stage-versions of Shakespearean comedies; stage-versions of Shakespearean tragedies; influence of non-Shakespearean plays and the general influence of British drama.The first four chapters provides the religious basis of the Sanskrit drama, it's essentially idealistic, poetic and romantic atmosphere along with its characteristic contribution of the rasa theory. The second part of the book discusses the rise of the European theatres, mostly amateur in character, in the three great cities of India- Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. This is an important historical reference work for students and scholars of Indian theatre, theatre history, and theatre and performance studies.
The Indispensable Zinn: The Essential Writings of the "People's Historian"
by Howard ZinnA &“well-chosen anthology of the radical historian&’s prodigious output,&” from A People&’s History of the United States and lesser known sources (Kirkus Reviews). When Howard Zinn died in early 2010, millions of Americans mourned the loss of one of the nation&’s foremost intellectual and political guides; a historian, activist, and truth-teller who, in the words of the New York Times&’s Bob Herbert, &“peel[ed] back the rosy veneer of much of American history to reveal sordid realities that had remained hidden for too long.&” A collection designed to highlight Zinn&’s essential writings, The Indispensable Zinn includes excerpts from Zinn&’s bestselling A People&’s History of the United States; his memoir, You Can&’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train; his inspiring writings on the civil rights movement, and the full text of his celebrated play, Marx in Soho. Noted historian and activist Timothy Patrick McCarthy provides essential historical and biographical context for each selection. With a foreword by Noam Chomsky and an afterword from Zinn&’s former Spellman College student and longtime friend, Alice Walker, The Indispensable Zinn is both a fitting tribute to the legacy of a man whose &“work changed the way millions of people saw the past,&” and a powerful and accessible introduction for anyone coming to Zinn&’s essential body of work for the first time (Noam Chomsky).
The Infernal Machine & Other Plays
by Jean CocteauFour full-length plays by one of the greatest dramatists Europe has produced. Among the great figures who pioneered the modern movement in world literature, none showed himself more versatile than France's Jean Cocteau. Poet, novelist, critic, artist, actor, film-maker, Cocteau was also one of the greatest dramatists Europe has produced, with over a dozen plays which are frequently revived, not only in France, but in translation in many other countries. For this collection, fine translations of four full-length plays, one short play, and the "Speaker's Text" for the Cocteau-Stravinsky opera Oedipus Rex have been selected. The longer plays (The Infernal Machine, Orpheus, Bacchus, Knights of the Round Table) are re-creations of classic myth and legend--poetic and highly original interpretations of certain timeless themes which have inspired great drama through the ages. The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party is, by contrast, merely a "curtain-raiser," but remarkable as un jeu d'esprit, revealing the wit and psychological penetration for which Cocteau is famous.
The Inspector
by Nikolai Gogol Larissa Volokhonsky Richard Pevear Richard NelsonA revelatory new translation of Gogol's comedy by renowned playwright Richard Nelson and Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky - the foremost contemporary translators of classic Russian literature including the best-selling Oprah's Book Club selection, Anna Karenina - marks the first of a series of translations of important Russian plays over the next ten years.
The Inspector General (Dover Thrift Editions: Plays)
by Nikolai GogolConsidered the high point of Gogol's writing for the stage and a masterpiece of dramatic satire, The Inspector General skewers the stupidity, greed, and venality of Russian provincial officials. When it is announced that the Inspector General is coming to visit incognito, Anton, the chief of police, hastens to clean up the town before his arrival. Local officials scurry to hide evidence of bribe-taking and other misdeeds, setting the stage for the arrival from St. Petersburg of Ivan, a penurious gambler and rake who is promptly taken by the townspeople to be the dreaded Inspector General. Ivan, and his servant, Osip, soon take advantage of the situation with hilarious results. First performed in 1836, the play transcends regional and national boundaries to offer a biting, highly entertaining glimpse of universal human foibles and failings.
The Inspector-General
by Nikolai GogolWhen rumors of a visit from a high-ranking bureaucrat reach a small town, the chief of police scrambles to conceal the evidence of bribery and other misdeeds. Considered the high point of Gogol's stagecraft and a masterpiece of dramatic satire, this play lampoons the stupidity and greed of provincial Russian officials.
The Intercultural Performance Handbook
by John MartinThe Intercultural Performance Handbook opens up a new world of technique for performers. The first ever full-length, fully illustrated manual for practitioners, it provides:*a guide to the physical, vocal and improvisational dynamics drawn from world performance styles*a new vocabulary with which to interpret plays from around the globe*games to use for exploring rhythm, movement, balance, tension and gesture, breathwork, stylisation and the use of the voice*a practical approach to creating vibrant theatrical work.Studies on intercultural performance are usually written by scholars and reasearchers. John Martin explains the definition and development of intercultural performance studies from the perspective of an experienced practitioner. He provides exercises, practical advice and a clear training process for the inquiring actor or director.This book is a process of discovery, carefully written so as to develop understanding and move towards empowerment for the adventurous theatre-maker.
The Intimacy Coordinator's Guidebook: Specialties for Stage and Screen
by Brooke M. HaneyThe Intimacy Coordinator's Guidebook: Specialties for Stage and Screen explores the role of the intimacy choreographer with an in-depth look at specializations that exist within the profession.With contributions by over 30 industry professionals, this book aims to bring awareness to a wide range of needs a project may have and how intimacy professionals use their cultural competency specialists in practice to create the most compelling storytelling. In Part One, the book addresses the scope of practice of an intimacy professional by discussing competency, finding your lens and tangential fields in the industry like fight directors, mental health coordinators and cultural competency specialists. Part Two covers specialties like working with minors, prosthetics, intimacy and disability, staging queer intimacy, working with fat actors, Black American intimacy, dance, working on scenes of trauma, sexual violence and non-consent, and BDSM. Between each chapter is a conversation with an actor, director or producer on their experiences working with an intimacy coordinator. In Part Three, the book looks at what it means to be qualified and intimacy professionals' hopes for the future of the industry.The Intimacy Coordinator's Guidebook is an invaluable resource for directors and producers looking to hire an intimacy professional, as well as in-depth study for those who are training or practicing in the field of intimacy for performance.
The Introverted Actor: Practical Approaches
by Rob Roznowski Carolyn Conover Heidi KasevichDo you have to be an extrovert to succeed as an actor? This book offers ideas to create inclusive acting environments where the strengths of the introverted actor are as valued as those of their extroverted counterparts. As this book shows, many introverts are innately drawn to the field of acting, but can often feel inferior to their extroverted peers. From the classroom to professional auditions, from rehearsals to networking events, introverted actors tell their stories to help other actors better understand how to leverage their natural gifts, both onstage and off. In addition, The Introverted Actor helps to reimagine professional and pedagogical approaches for both actor educators and directors by offering actionable advice from seasoned psychology experts, professional actors, and award-winning educators.
The Invention
by Brad Gromelski6 Characters with Audience Participation / The play involves the efforts of the Narrator and three Fun Merchants to assemble a toy machine they have invented. Conflict arises when Kalibad, a toy spy, arrives and attempts to sabotage the invention. The main character in the show is The Audience, whose vocal and physical participation is necessary for the play to exist. The children of the audience shout warnings of Kalibad's arrival, carry and actually assemble the invention on stage, put together a cage and trap Kalibad inside of it, and co operate in other tasks. If the children are successful in their efforts, they receive a surprise souvenir of their adventure. Playing time is forty five minutes to one hour, depending upon the amount of participation desired. No stage is necessary.
The Invention of Romance
by Conni MassingThirtysomething Kate has devoted much of her adult life to her career as a museum curator. She’s just been tasked with mounting an exhibit about the history of romance and love despite her own string of romantically unsuccessful relationships. Intent on better curating the show, Kate investigates love in books and on hilariously disastrous dates. As her love life enters a comical death spiral, her long-widowed mother rekindles an old romance with a man she co-starred with in a play sixty years ago. Finding the partial script of her mother’s play, yellow with age and dog-eared, Kate sets out to complete its missing ending.
The Invention of Shakespeare, and Other Essays
by Stephen OrgelIn his own time, Shakespeare was not a monument, but a man of the theater whose plays were less finished artifacts than works in process. In contrast to a book, a thing we have come to think of as final and achieved, a play is a work for performance, with each performance based only in part on a text we call a script. That script may well have had imperfections that the actors may or may not have noticed as they turned it into a performance. There were multiple versions of the scripts and never a "final" one. Every revival of a play—indeed, every subsequent performance—was and always will be different. Nevertheless, when we study Shakespeare, we are likely to come to him via printed texts that are scripts masquerading as books, and the impulse is to turn them into finished artifacts worthy of their author's dignity.In The Invention of Shakespeare, and Other Essays Stephen Orgel brings together twelve essays that consider the complex nature of Shakespearean texts, which often include errors or confusions, and the editorial and interpretive strategies for dealing with them in commentary or performance. "There is always some underlying claim that we are getting back to 'what Shakespeare actually wrote,'" Orgel writes, "but obviously that is not true: we clarify, we modernize, we undo muddles, we correct or explain (or explain away) errors, all in the interests of getting a clear, readable, unproblematic text. In short, we produce the text that we want him to, or think he must have written. But one thing we really do know about Shakespeare's original text is that it was hard to read."
The Investigation: Oratorio in 11 Cantos
by Peter WeissHubert Selby Jr. began as a writer of short stories and he excels at this form. He offers a passionate empathy with ordinary dreams, a brilliant ear for the street and for the voices of conscience and self-deceit that torment us all.
The Invisible Actor
by Lorna Marshall Yoshi OidaFirst Published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
The Invisible City: Travel, Attention, and Performance
by Kyle GilletteThe Invisible City explores urban spaces from the perspective of a traveller, writer, and creator of theatre to illuminate how cities offer travellers and residents theatrical visions while also remaining mostly invisible, beyond the limits of attention. The book explores the city as both stage and content in three parts. Firstly, it follows in pattern Italo Calvino's novel Invisible Cities, wherein Marco Polo describes cities to the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan, to produce a constellation of vignettes recalling individual cities through travel writing and engagement with artworks. Secondly, Gillette traces the Teatro Potlach group and its ongoing immersive, site-specific performance project Invisible Cities, which has staged performances in dozens of cities across Europe and the Americas. The final part of the book offers useful exercises for artists and travellers interested in researching their own invisible cities. Written for practitioners, travellers, students, and thinkers interested in the city as site and source of performance, The Invisible City mixes travelogue with criticism and cleverly combines philosophical meditations with theatrical pedagogy.