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Rope
by Patrick HamiltonThe brilliantly tense play that became Hitchcock's masterpiece, starring James Stewart.Believing themselves to be intellectually superior to their contemporaries, flatmates Brandon and Philip murder their friend David Kentley purely to see if they can get away with it. They then throw a cocktail party, serving food from the top of the trunk where they have hidden David's body. Their guests include both David's father and fiancée, as well as college lecturer Rupert Cadell, who becomes increasingly suspicious as the evening wears on.
Three Plays for Puritans
by George Bernard ShawShaw believed that theatre audiences of the 1890s deserved more than the hollow spectacle and sham he saw displayed on the London stage. But he also recognized that people wanted to be entertained while educated, and to see purpose mixed with pleasure. In these three plays of ideas, Shaw employed traditional dramatic forms - Victorian melodrama, the history play and the adventure story - to turn received wisdom upside down. Set during the American War of Independence, The Devil's Disciple exposes fake Puritanism and piety, while Caesar and Cleopatra, a cheeky riposte to Shakespeare, redefines heroism in the character of the ageing Roman leader. And in Captain Brassbound's Conversion, an expedition in Morocco is saved from disaster by a lady explorer's skilful manipulation of the truth.
Plays Political: The Apple Cart, On the Rocks, Geneva
by Dan Laurence George Bernard ShawWhile some of Shaw’s earlier plays are still performed, his later plays, such as the ones in this volume, are barely known. As the collective title indicates, the themes here are political; yet, frankly, it is doubtful how seriously we can now take Shaw as a political thinker. Despite writing in the 1930s, he has little to say of the nature of totalitarianism: although he satirises Fascist dictators in “Geneva”, the satire is disappointingly mild. Neither did Shaw appear to foresee (on the evidence of these plays, at least) the imminent collapse of the British Empire.But it is Shaw the dramatist rather than Shaw the political philosopher who still holds our attention – even in plays as explicitly political as these. He had a sharp intellect and a quirky sense of humour, and his dialogue still glints and sparkles: he couldn’t write a dull line if he tried. No matter how serious the themes he addresses, the crispness of his writing and his lightness of touch still scintillate.Shaw seems, perhaps unfairly, out of fashion nowadays. But even in these lesser-known works, he demonstrates his matchless ability, still undimmed, to provoke and to entertain.
The Taxi-Dance Hall: A Sociological Study in Commercialized Recreation and City Life
by Cressey Paul G.First published in 1932, The Taxi-Dance Hall is Paul Goalby Cressey’s fascinating study of Chicago’s urban nightlife—as seen through the eyes of the patrons, owners, and dancers-for-hire who frequented the city’s notoriously seedy “taxi-dance” halls. Taxi-dance halls, as the introduction notes, were social centers where men could come and pay to dance with “a bevy of pretty, vivacious, and often mercenary” women. Ten cents per dance was the usual fee, with half the proceeds going to the dancer and the other half to the owner of the taxi-hall. Cressey’s study includes detailed maps of the taxi-dance districts, illuminating interviews with dancers, patrons, and owners, and vivid analyses of local attempts to reform the taxi-dance hall and its attendees. Cressey’s study reveals these halls to be the distinctive urban consequence of tensions between a young, diverse, and economically independent population at odds with the restrictive regulations of Prohibition America. Thick with sexual vice, ethnic clashes, and powerful undercurrents of class, The Taxi-Dance Hall is a landmark example of Chicago sociology, perfect for scholars and history buffs alike.
The Spiral Staircase
by Ethel White"Adept at laying one icy finger on the back of your neck" - SpectatorHelen Capel is hired as a live-in lady-help to the Warren family in the countryside. She enjoys the eccentric household and her duties, but her peaceful and simple life is soon disturbed by a series of mysterious murders in the isolated community.As Helen's employer, Professor Sebastian Warren, battens down the hatches and locks all the doors of their remote country house, the eight residents begin to feel safe. But somewhere out there lurks a murderer of young girls. As the murders crawl closer to home, Helen starts to wonder if there really is safety in numbers--and what happens when those numbers start to dwindle?
Tidings of Joy
by Elizabeth McfaddenShort Christmas drama \ 10 boys, 6 girls, extras \ Int. \ A young couple, faced with eviction from their home on Christmas Eve, is befriended by a group of boys and girls from the neighboring church. There is a plea for charity at the Christmas season and a reminder that any home that shelters a baby shares the august beauty of the Nativity story. A beautiful Christmas story that charmingly combines modern characters with the Bible.
World Drama, Volume 1: 26 Unabridged Plays
by Barrett H. ClarkVolume 1 of this two-volume set contains 26 plays including Aeschylus "Prometheus Bound"; Sophocles "Antigone"; Seneca "Medea"; Marlowe, "Dr. Faustus"; Heywood, "A Woman Killed with Kindness"; Johnson, "Every Man in His Humour"; Beaumont and Fletcher "The Maid's Tragedy"; Sheridan "The School for Scandal"; plus plays from the Orient, medieval plays and more.
Ben Jonson (Routledge Library Editions: Renaissance Drama)
by John PalmerWhile most critical writing on Jonson concentrates on the plays, poems or masques seen in isolation, this title, first published in 1981, ranges across the genres to explore Jonson’s vision as a whole. The author points to the inner connections that make of the rich variety of Jonson’s writing a single coherent body of work. We see Jonson exploring the relations between culture and society, the difficulties of ideal virtue in a far from ideal world, and above all the problems of art itself. Combining a wide-ranging discussion of Jonson’s interests with a detailed examination of his major works, this book provides a balanced critical introduction to one of the most complex and fascinating figures in English Literature.
Ben Jonson (Routledge Revivals)
by John PalmerOriginally published in 1934, Palmer’s biography of famous playwright Ben Jonson delves into his life and works and what he achieved in both. As first poet laureate of England, Jonson’s life presents a fascinating look into the state of literature and theatre in renaissance Britain which Palmer presents in great detail. This title will be of interest to students of literature.
Black Coffee
by Agatha ChristieFull Length Play / Dramatic Comedy, Mystery Thriller / 10m, 3f / Interior Set. This little known mystery will surprise and delight Christie fans. The story concerns a physicist named Sir Claude Amory who has come up with a formula for an atom bomb (Black Coffee was written in 1934!). In the first act, Sir Claude is poisoned (in his coffee, naturally) and Hercule Poirot is called in to solve the case. He does so after many wonderful twists and turns in true Christie tradition.
Plays Extravagant: Too True to be Good, The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles, The Millionairess
by Dan Laurence George Bernard ShawThis is a collection of the plays of George Bernard Shaw that includes "The Millionairess", "Too True to be Good" and "The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles".
The Rock: A Pageant Play
by T. S. EliotThe Nobel Prize–winning author created the words for this unique play about religion in the twentieth century.The choruses in this pageant play represent a new verse experiment on Mr. Eliot’s part; and taken together make a sequence of verses about twice the length of “The Waste Land.”Mr. Eliot has written the words; the scenario and design of the play were provided by a collaborator, and the purpose was to provide a pageant of the Church of England for presentation on a particular occasion. The action turns upon the efforts and difficulties of a group of London masons in building a church. Incidentally, a number of historical scenes, illustrative of church-building, are introduced. The play, enthusiastically greeted, was first presented in England, at Sadler’s Wells; the production included much pageantry, mimetic action, and ballet, with music by Dr. Martin Shaw.Immediately after the production of this play in England, Francis Birrell wrote in The New Statesman: “The magnificent verse, the crashing Hebraic choruses which Mr. Eliot has written had best be studied in the book. The Rock is certainly one of the most interesting artistic experiments to be given in recent times.” The Times Literary Supplement also spoke with high praise: “The choruses exceed in length any of his previous poetry; and on the stage they prove the most vital part of the performance. They combine the sweep of psalmody with the exact employment of colloquial words. They are lightly written, as though whispered to the paper, yet are forcible to enunciate . . . . There is exhibited here a command of novel and musical dramatic speech which, considered alone, is an exceptional achievement.”
The Complete Plays
by John M. SyngeThis volume includes the complete texts of all the plays by J.M. Synge. Produced at the Abbey Theater which Synge founded. Represents one of the major dramatic achievements of the 20th century.From the Paperback edition.
Why Teachers Go Nuts
by Preston PowellBurlesque, Comedy, Short Play \ 8m, 7f \ An insane discussion of the age old problem: "are teachers driven nuts or are teachers nuts to begin with?" Moving, unperturbed, in a veritable bedlam of a classroom, and accepting the most insane answers as logical and academically correct, Miss Abigail fails to so much as notice the frantic efforts of her pupils to reduce the classroom to shambles. A godsend to the director who has neither time nor talent at his disposal. All parts, except that of the teacher, are short and easily memorized.
Building A Character (Bloomsbury Revelations Ser.)
by Constantin StanislavskiBuilding a Character is one of the three volumes that make up Stanislavski’s The Acting Trilogy. An Actor Prepares explores the inner preparation an actor must undergo in order to explore a role to the full. In this volume, Sir John Gielgud said, this great director “found time to explain a thousand things that have always troubled actors and fascinated students.” Building a Character discusses the external techniques of acting: the use of the body, movement, diction, singing, expression, and control. Creating a Role describes the preparation that precedes actual performance, with extensive discussions of Gogol’s The Inspector General and Shakespeare’s Othello. Sir Paul Scofield called Creating a Role “immeasurably important” for the actor. These three volumes belong on any actor’s short shelf of essential books.
De viva voz: Conferencias y alocuciones
by Federico García LorcaLa totalidad de los textos escritos por Federico García Lorca para ser leídos en voz alta: conferencias, alocuciones e intervenciones públicas. Federico García Lorca es uno de los poetas y dramaturgos más célebres de nuestra literatura, y su amplia obra ha sido representada, leída, editada y estudiada desde que el poeta fue asesinado en 1936. Sin embargo, son poco conocidas sus conferencias y presentaciones en público, un conjunto que se ha publicado de forma muy dispersa. Este volumen presenta por primera vez la totalidad de esas charlas y alocuciones, e incluye algunos textos inéditos de su madurez. Escritos para ser léidos en voz alta, todos tienen la particularidad de mostrarnos las preocupaciones estéticas y sociales del gran autor granadino, acercándonos a su pensamiento de un modo fresco y directo. La edición está a cargo de Jesús Ortega y Víctor Fernández, quien ha editado de 2017 en adelante la biblioteca Lorca en Debolsillo, con una mirada renovadora de obras que parecían ya muy conocidas.
Early Plays
by Eugene O'Neill Jeffrey H. RichardsThis volume brings to readers a selection of Eugene O'Neill's early work, written between 1914 and 1921 and produced for the stage between 1916 and 1922. Included here are: seven one-act plays, The Moon of the Caribbees, Bound East for Cardiff, In the Zone, The Long Voyage Home, Ile, Where the Cross Is Made, and The Rope; and five full-length plays, Beyond the Horizon, The Straw, Anna Christie, and the classics The Emperor Jones and The Hairy Ape. The majority of the plays are heavily influenced by German expressionism-Freud, Nietzsche, Strindberg, and the radical leftist politics in which O'Neill was involved during his youth. Included in this unique collection is the little known and highly autobiographical play, The Straw, which draws on O'Neill's confinement in the Gaylord Farm Sanatorium.
La dama boba | El perro del hortelano
by Lope de VegaEl presente volumen reúne dos obras maestras de Lope de Vega, El perro del hortelano y La dama boba. Lope Félix de Vega Carpio es uno de los dramaturgos más celebrados de la literatura universal. En España renovó la forma de hacer teatro a finales del siglo XVI y principios del XVII, creando una comedia nueva que cosechó los éxitos del público y del lector y sentó las bases del drama contemporáneo. La dama boba y El perro del hortelano son dos comedias de 1613 que pertenecen a lo que ha venido en llamarse «comedia urbana». Se trata de dos de las obras más conocidas del Fénix de los Ingenios, en las que se analiza el tema de amor, el del honor y el de las relaciones paternofiliales. La presente edición está a cargo de Ismael López Martín, profesor en el departamento de didáctica de las lenguas y de las ciencias humanas y sociales de la Universidad de Zaragoza y especialista en teatro español. Su estudio introductorio y el aparato de notas que ha diseñado constituyen una aportación fundamental. Edición de Ismael López Martín
First Person Singular
by Florence RyersonSharp Crisp Sketches done in the first person singular tense.
Mary McCarthy's Theatre Chronicles, 1937–1962: Mary Mccarthy's Theatre Chronicles, 1937-1962 And On The Contrary
by Mary McCarthyThe American theatre comes alive in Mary McCarthy&’s provocative anthology of essaysHer literary writings and dramatic criticism have appeared in the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books. Mary McCarthy&’s Theatre Chronicles gathers together a wide-ranging collection featuring a cast of playwrights, actors, and directors that reads like a &“who&’s who&” of American theatre. With chapters ranging from &“The Unimportance of Being Oscar&” to &“Odets Deplored,&” this lively and witty volume opens a revealing window onto every aspect of theatre. McCarthy brings singular productions of the world&’s most famous plays to vivid dramatic life while dissecting literary giants like Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. She offers her controversial opinion on everything from the American school of realism as epitomized by Brando to what creates a great actress to how a badly written play can still make for good theatre.With passages on theatre figures from Shakespeare to Shaw to Ibsen and O&’Neill, this is a must-have for theatre lovers and armchair critics everywhere.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Mary McCarthy including rare images from the author&’s estate.
Musical Instruments
by Darcy KuronenEnhanced with twenty-five audio and twenty-three video clips of expert musicians performing on rare and historical instruments, this e-book edition of Musical Instruments brings the world-renowned collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to life. Musical instruments are among the most meaningful artifacts produced by humankind, a marriage of technology, artistry, symbolism, religion, and entertainment. This title in the MFA Highlights series presents more than a hundred examples, spanning a breadth of centuries and cultures, to invite readers to experience a brilliant array of instruments as producers of both aural and visual delight. The pieces included here - which range from an ancient Greek trumpet to a modern lap steel guitar, and from earthenware panpipes to the complex Indonesian gamelan - are remarkable not only for the myriad sounds they produce, but also for their varied and often extraordinarily beautiful appearance. Musical Instruments offers a vivid encounter with a rich collection, enhanced to provide an accessible and fascinating introduction to the artistry and significance of musical instruments around the world.ABOUT THE AUTHORDarcy Kuronen is Department Head and Pappalardo Curator of Musical Instruments at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Musical Instruments
by Darcy KuronenEnhanced with twenty-five audio and twenty-three video clips of expert musicians performing on rare and historical instruments, this e-book edition of Musical Instruments brings the world-renowned collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to life. Musical instruments are among the most meaningful artifacts produced by humankind, a marriage of technology, artistry, symbolism, religion, and entertainment. This title in the MFA Highlights series presents more than a hundred examples, spanning a breadth of centuries and cultures, to invite readers to experience a brilliant array of instruments as producers of both aural and visual delight. The pieces included here - which range from an ancient Greek trumpet to a modern lap steel guitar, and from earthenware panpipes to the complex Indonesian gamelan - are remarkable not only for the myriad sounds they produce, but also for their varied and often extraordinarily beautiful appearance. Musical Instruments offers a vivid encounter with a rich collection, enhanced to provide an accessible and fascinating introduction to the artistry and significance of musical instruments around the world.ABOUT THE AUTHORDarcy Kuronen is Department Head and Pappalardo Curator of Musical Instruments at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Of Mice and Men and The Moon Is Down
by John SteinbeckThis Penguin Classics edition celebrates Steinbeck’s dramatic adaptations of his most powerful short novels, Of Mice and Men and The Moon Is Down, featuring a foreword by award-winning actor James Earl Jones. Of Mice and Men represents an experiment in form, as Steinbeck put it, "a kind of playable novel, written in novel form but so scened and set that it can be played as it stands. ” A rarity in American letters, it achieved remarkable success as a novel, a Broadway play, and three acclaimed films. Of Mice and Men received the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play in 1937-1938. A number of acclaimed actors have interpreted the iconic roles of George and Lennie for stage and screen, including James Earl Jones, John Malkovich and Gary Sinise. The Moon Is Down uncovers profound, often unsettling truths about war and human nature. It tells the story of a peaceable town taken by enemy troops, and had an extraordinary impact as Allied propaganda in Nazi-occupied Europe. This Penguin Classics edition of the theatrical adaptations of Steinbeck’s two classic short novels are essential to actors, playwrights, filmmakers and directors studying the dramatic work of the Nobel Prize winning author of The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. .
Three Greek Plays: Prometheus Bound, Agamemnon, The Trojan Women
by Edith HamiltonThree classic Greek tragedies are translated and critically introduced by Edith Hamilton.
Euripides IV: Rhesus, The Suppliant Women, Orestes, Iphigenia in Aulis (The Complete Greek Tragedies #6)
by Euripides David Grene Richmond LattimoreVolume 4 of the Grene and Lattimore editions offers the most comprehensive selection of the Greek tragedies available in English comprising Rhesus, The Suppliant Women, Orestes, and Iphigenia in Aulis.