Average customer rating:
- Absolutely necessary
- The best guide
- All the facts ma'am and nothing but the facts
- A Joy To Read
- Useful Historical Analysis
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Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Works of Shakespeare
Isaac Asimov
Manufacturer: Gramercy
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Asimov's Guide to the Bible: The Old and New Testaments (2Vols. in One)
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World of Shakespeare: The Complete Plays and Sonnets of William Shakespeare (38 Volume Library)
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Asimov's Chronology of the World
ASIN: 0517268256
Release Date: 2003-09-02 |
Book Description
Shakespeare's genius is marked by his rare ability to appeal to theatergoers of all types and all levels of education. But for most modern folks, the Greek and Roman mythology and history, let alone the history of England and the geography of sixteenth-century Europe that his works are laden with, are hardly within our grasp. Isaac Asimov comes to making obscure issues clear to the layperson, selects key passages from 38 of the great bard's plays plus two of his narrative poems and, with the help of beautifully rendered maps an figures, illuminates us about their historical and mythological background.
Customer Reviews:
Absolutely necessary.......2007-01-21
This is the book if you want to start exploring Shakespeare. And don't get me wrong: it is not shallow -- on the contrary! -- but it is a very uncomplicated reading. Totally worth it.
The best guide .......2006-11-03
As usual with Asimov works, this guide is absolutely superb!! I fully recommend it to readers attacking Shakesperare for the first time
All the facts ma'am and nothing but the facts .......2006-01-19
Asimov was a tremendous information- processor. He could take any subject in the world and give you the basic information about it. He also understood in the scientific and mathematical books , the principles and laws of the subject.
Here he gives a great deal of information. The book has everything but the ' spirit of Shakespeare'. It has Information but no Poetry.
Some of the great literary critics of Shakespeare( which Asimov is not) caught in their reading a spirit of Shakespeare which Asimov does not.
This does not mean that this guide cannot be useful. But reading it cannot tell you what Shakespeare truly is, and why Shakespeare's work has been so loved. For that you must read it as poetry.
A Joy To Read.......2005-11-27
This book is 100% analysis and comments, it contains no works. For that you need another book as a reference as you read this present book. Of all the Shakespeare analysis books, this is book by Asimov is one of the best books available, and very reader friendly and entertaining.
Here is the analogy. Your hobby is Shakespeare and you have just won the lottery. You have decided to quit your day job, shun the world, sit down, and go over every one of Shakespeare's plays, dissect each scene in chronological order, find out where the characters' names came from, how the plot relates to original source stories such as the myth of King Lear, etc. You research such facts - as they might be available - on whether Shakespeare really did invent the plot of the Tempest all on his own, or as Asimov thinks perhaps it was based on a boat crash in Bermuda. You would go on and on... looking at all the interesting details and side notes plus you would find some maps and drawings. Then - possibly five years later - you would take all the notes, hire Tom Clancy or some other well known modern novel writer and together you would write this easy to read 750 page reference book. Perhaps you could sell a few copies.
That would be your labour of love, and that it exactly what we have here. Asimov has taken the time to methodically go through all the major works, divide them into three groups, i.e.: Roman-Greek and ancient tales, Italian-Mediterranean more modern tales, and finally the English-Europe stories starting with King Lear. He does not need a writer's help - he brings that to the table. Each play is treated in a short chapter and gets about 20 to 40 pages of analysis, general source comments, and specific comments on a few key lines. He has all the skills needed to keep our attention, make it simple, give us lots of background trivia plus the key guidance, and make it all entertaining.
I think most would agree that the best book on Shakespeare is the 3500 page monster: The Norton Shakespeare. But the present book is friendlier and at 750 pages easier to read. So this is an excellent reference where one can get a very fast and painless summary of all the works with many interesting details on lines and characters scene by scene without feeling lost or overwhelmed - as sometimes happens with Norton - a book that one can barely lift. Asimov's book is a must buy for most Shakespeare lovers even if you own other books. Simply put this book is a joy to read, an integral part of any Shakespeare library or fine on its own. Asimov spent all that time and made a serious effort, and now we can enjoy it for a few dollars.
Useful Historical Analysis.......2005-06-04
While watching or reading one of Shakespeare's plays, it's interesting to read the notes of some of the different critics. Peter Levi does a wonderful job following the poetry and language of Shakespeare as it develops over his lifetime, in the context of the other writers of his era. Harold Bloom, of course, finds in Shakespeare both a mirror and an impulse for a leap forward in literature and therefore in society. Bloom has fallen in love with certain of Shakespeare's characters (Falstaff, Hamlet, etc.) and uses them as a yardstick for all others.
Asimov takes a more historical view. He has done impressive research into the characters and times. His "Guide to Shakespeare" is useful for its insights into all of the plays, but I found it most useful for the English histories. In the eight plays of the Wars of the Roses --from Richard II, through the Henrys, and culminating in Richard III-- Asimov tracks the family trees and politics of the nobility, spots anachronisms, and does a wonderful job of simplifying the sometimes bewildering array of characters and historical references. Of course, even uneducated audiences in Shakespeare's day would have understood some of these arcane references without a guidebook, much as a modern US audience would easily understand references to Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln. With his research and clear writing, Asimov brings the history plays --and indeed all of the plays-- back to life.
Average customer rating:
- I hated for it to end
- A true feast --
- Ms. Frazer has written better
- Fast-Paced, Entertaining, Gripping
- Snail-paced
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A Play of Isaac (Joliffe Mysteries)
Margaret Frazer
Manufacturer: Berkley
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The Hunter's Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries)
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The Widow's Tale (Dame Frevisse Medieval Mysteries)
ASIN: 0425197514
Release Date: 2004-08-03 |
Book Description
When his band of traveling players are taken in by a patron, Joliffe and company find that murder has taken their place in the spotlight--and it's up to them to catch a killer in the act.
Customer Reviews:
I hated for it to end.......2006-06-04
I've read this book a few times and still find it entertaining every time. I don't know how to explain it but reading this book is a happy experience. Ms. Frazer's writing makes me see everything so clearly. I enjoyed these characters and look forward to meeting them again.
A true feast --.......2005-01-07
Some years ago, the scuttlebutt was that a mystery had to have a murder in the first chapter. Not only the first chapter, but as close to page one as possible. If the story couldn't be made to fit that requirement -- too bad. No sale. And we'd have missed this marvelous book, in which the first murder doesn't happen until page 116!
Thank goodness that's no longer the case. A PLAY OF ISAAC by Margaret Frazer is not a fast-paced, whiz-bang type of story. It is layers deep, with full-bodied characterizations and lavishly described surroundings so that on nearly every page, one can see and hear and smell and taste- and almost feel the world in which the book is set. It's a lovely, languid reading experience that will stay with you for a good while after you've finished it.
In 1453, the world was fairly well run by the church. Most folks couldn't read, but could remember saint's days and church festivals-with a little help from the monks and priests who lived and worked in the churches and abbeys. Some of the bigger festivals, such as Corpus Christi, meant a holiday from work, so was an even bigger event. Adding to the teachings of the church, groups of players delivered morality plays, and it was not uncommon for several of these to be given in a day's time, by various minstrel troups in scattered locations throughout a larger city such as Oxford.
It is there we meet Joliffe and the others of his band of players: Thomas Basset, the playmaster; his maybe-widowed-maybe-not daughter Rose, and her son Piers, plus Ellis who has aspirations other than acting. He'd be Rose's second husband in a minute, if she'd agree. Rose cannot be a player, of course, but she's the costumer, scenery deviser, props master, chaperone, and general manager, nonetheless. Even Piers plays many parts.
While settling in for the festivities, the troup is `discovered' by an Eden-child, Lewis, who may indeed be simple, but he uses the wits he has to better advantage than the so-called normal folks around him. He is a wealthy young man who is fostered by the wealthy, merchant Penteney family, and is even betrothed to their daughter, Kathryn. In fact, the banns will most likely be posted during the festival, in the presence of Lord and Lady Lovell, who will be visiting her parents.
In this tense time, with a weak king on the throne (Henry VI) the ever-constant threat of Lollardy is a grave offense. Along with the Lovells comes the first murder, and skeptical Joliffe mistrusts nearly everyone, although the acting crowner Barentyne seems reasonable and fair. Between them, they'll get to the bottom of the various mysteries, which may prove unsatisfactory to some readers, but are all perfectly sensible to the era in which the crimes take place.
If you're at all interested in theater, you'll relish the remarkable research done by the author, and attention to details paid to the still-somehat-young art of that time. It's amazing how sophisticated players and playing could be all those centuries ago.
If you need a fast-paced, shoot-'em-up type of story to keep you happy, this isn't that sort of book. If you like history, theater, words and characters about whom you'd like to know much, much more, then this is YOUR book. And soon, with luck, there'll be more to come in this new series by the author of the Dame Frevisse Medieval Mystery series.
Ms. Frazer has written better.......2004-09-18
Interesting characters, but some logical flaws. Overall, fairly mediocre. Find a better book.
Fast-Paced, Entertaining, Gripping.......2004-08-22
This one is Frazer at her finest. Why paperback, though? I would think her sales would assure her a hardcover! Anyway, once again, she manages to wend her way through a complex mystery, and neatly draws the threads together at the end. Believable time-piece.
Snail-paced.......2004-08-21
I read all the "Tales Of . . ." books with enthusiasm. I was surprised to find this first in a new series so slow-moving. It was hard to find a plot through all the boring details. There was a surge of hope on pages 116 and 208, but this book never got going as far as I was concerned. Even Joliffe, from The Servant's Tale, lost his charming and witty personality in this one. It seemed as if the people using the Margaret Frazer pen name lent it to somebody else.
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Anthology of Living Theater
Edwin Wilson , and
Alvin Goldfarb
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
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ASIN: 0072317299 |
Book Description
This anthology of 17 plays offers a convenient and affordable alternative to ordering individual play scripts, with the additional benefit of a general introduction and headnotes.
Average customer rating:
- BRAVO ! Let's all become actors with 'flying fingers' . . .
- FOR DEAF AND HEARING CHILDREN
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Moses Sees a Play (Moses Goes to)
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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Can You Hear a Rainbow?: The Story of a Deaf Boy Named Chris (Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Learning Book)
ASIN: 0374350663 |
Book Description
A lively performance by the Little Theatre of the Deaf
Actors from the Little Theatre of the Deaf are coming to Moses' school, and Moses and his classmates are going to see a play! A class from another school joins them, and Moses is introduced to Manuel, who has just moved to the United States. Manuel doesn't know English or sign language yet. Moses, being deaf, knows how hard it can be when no one understands you, so he tries communicating with Manuel using body gestures, while also teaching him some simple signs.
This delightful book about Moses incorporates clear and colorful pictures, written English, and American Sign Language (ASL). Detailed diagrams of the signs are included so that readers can learn along with Manuel.
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Customer Reviews:
BRAVO ! Let's all become actors with 'flying fingers' . . ........2006-09-28
Author-artist Isaac Millman has created a captivating series of books for deaf or hard-of-hearing children - and for all who have concerns about those who are hearing-impaired. My computer helped me stumble on these books & follow the road to 'Serendip'. What Luck!
"Moses Sees a Play" not only teaches the uninitiated like me some A.S.L. (American Sign Language) but it injects understanding and fun. There is a storyline revolving around young students at a school for the deaf - - and their interaction with others who DO have hearing. They make new friends, and they are motivated to do their own 'acting-out' which reminds us that 'acting out' sometimes means making trouble!
So Reviewer mcHAIKU wonders if Isaac Millman will work on a story about resolving conflict, and how large is the vocabulary of average hearing-impaired children, anyway?
Your watercolors have great appeal & keep readers focused on those flying fingers. Would you please make some Halloween paperdolls of MOSES and his friends? Thank you for the wonderful concept & for stimulating my 'continuing education'.
FOR DEAF AND HEARING CHILDREN.......2004-06-05
Today, Moses and his school have some special visitors. They are the actors of The Little Theatre of the Deaf. They present plays in a special way. Moses' teacher, Mr. Samuel invites a hearing class to see the play with Moses' class. Manuel is with the visiting class. He is new and speaks Spanish. Moses knows Manuel feels different and tries to sign to him. Manuel and Moses discover they do have something in common and a friendship begins.
So what is it that draws Manuel and Moses together? Moreover, how does The Little Theatre of the Deaf present the Cinderella? You will have to read the book to find out!
Millman writes and illustrates the Moses series. Millman's modest illustrations blend perfectly with the reflective storylines he creates. The Moses series' easy-going, imaginative approach teaches deaf awareness in an unassuming way. Learning new signs with each book is an added bonus. Moses is an inspirational role model for both hearing and deaf children. This is one series I highly recommend.
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Newton's Darkness: Two Dramatic Views
Carl Djerassi , and
David Pinner
Manufacturer: Imperial College Press
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ASIN: 186094390X |
Book Description
"What purpose is served by showing that England's greatest natural philosopher is flawed
like other mortals?" asks one of the characters in Newton's Darkness. "We need unsullied heroes!" But what if the hero is sullied? At stake is an issue that is as germane today as it was 300 years ago: a scientist's ethics must not be divorced from scientific accomplishments. There is probably no other scientist of whom so many biographies and other historical analyses have been published than Isaac Newton all of them in the standard format of documentary prose because of their didactic purpose to transmit historical information. Newton's Darkness, however, illuminates the darker aspects of Newton's persona through two historically grounded plays dealing with two of the bitterest struggles in the history of science.
The name of Isaac Newton appears in virtually every survey of the public's choice for the most important persons of the second millennium. Yet the term "darkness" can be applied to much of Newton's personality. Adjectives that have been used to describe facets of his personality include "remote", "lonely", "secretive", "introverted", "melancholic", "humorless", "puritanical", "cruel", "vindictive" and, perhaps worst of all, "unforgiving". The trait most relevant to the present book is Newton's obsessively competitive nature, which was often out of proportion to the warranted facts, as demonstrated in three of Newton's best-known bitter conflicts: with the physicist Robert Hooke, the astronomer royal John Flamsteed, and a German contemporary of almost equal intellectual prowess, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz the last fight eventually turning into an England vs Continental Europe competition. It is two of these three relentless drawn-out battles that are illuminated in Newton's Darkness in the form of historically grounded drama.
After a summary of the historical evidence, the book starts with the Newton-Hooke struggle (Chapter 2), which was conducted mano a mano, and is then followed by little-known aspects of the Newton-Leibniz confrontation (Chapter 3), which was fought largely through surrogates notably the infamous, anonymous committee of 11 Fellows of the Royal Society.
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- Oh, what might have been!
- Surpasses the produced film on so many levels.
- Fascinating--the "I, Robot" movie that WASN'T filmed
- A blockbuster we'll never see...
- Fascinating read, yet has serious structural problems
|
I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay
Isaac Asimov , and
Harlan Ellison
Manufacturer: Aspect
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Book Description
Until the recent announcement of the Will Smith/Alex Proyas collaboration scheduled for release in 2004, numerous attempts had been made to adapt Isaac Asimov's classic story-cycle, I, Robot, to the motion picture medium. All efforts failed. In 1977, producers approached multiple-award-winning author Harlan Ellison to take a crack at this "impossible" project. He accepted, and produced an astonishing screenplay that Asimov felt would be "The first really adult, complex, worthwhile science fiction movie ever made." That screenplay is presented here in book format, brought to scintillating life by the illustrations of artist Mark Zug. After you read it, then decide: Is this not the greatest science fiction movie never made?
Customer Reviews:
Oh, what might have been!.......2007-04-06
I Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay will appeal to fans of both Ellison and Asimov. Ellison does a masterful job, using Asimov's stories as a springboard for his script. That script is a thing of beauty, a synthesis of the two authors--Ellison preserves and celebrates Asimov's work even as he puts his own distinct mark on the material. The result stands as a tribute to Asimov's overwhelming contribution to science fiction, and to Ellison's skill and professionalism as a scriptwriter. Kudos are also in order for the the outstanding illustrations provided by the talented Mark Zug, which compliment and enhance the text.
Surpasses the produced film on so many levels........2006-04-03
I've enjoyed reading many screenplays before, but this is one of my all time favorites. The favorite when it comes to Sci-Fi (although Harlan Ellison would most likely perfer Speculative fiction). The Screenplay is many things:
An adult Speculative Fiction tale.
A merging of Issac Asimov's i,robot stories.
A story that touches you on an emotional level.
Here's what it's not:
An action thriller.
A movie with a hip actor who will explain to us that black people don't like cats.
A long commercial for Converse and Audi.
This is a mature tale in the vain of sci-fi classics. It's the ten percent of "Sci-fi" Sturgeon wanted people to point to when they point to the genre. After seeing how much the produced version was dumbed down, it's doubtful this film could be made. It would be a great film, at least critical acclaim wise, but with the belief that movie patrons are idots who need an explosion ever five minutes, it's doubtful.
Fascinating--the "I, Robot" movie that WASN'T filmed.......2004-08-19
This screenplay should be said to be "inspired" by the book _I, Robot_, since it takes the world described in Asimov's short story collection and extends it in all manner of ways. Four of Asimov's short stories appear in this book in one form or another, usually as flashbacks. The story, though, is of one reporter's quest to find robopsychologist Susan Calvin, who, in her later years, has isolated herself almost completely from the outside world. The reporter tries every avenue possible to learn more about his subject as he pursues the goal of actually interviewing her.
This is a screenplay, not a novel. Reading it takes some getting used to; it uses abbreviations freely ("CU" for close-up, etc.) and is formatted as the movie script that it is. There are color plates of illustrations based on the screenplay (perhaps from a storyboard for the proposed film?). They are numbered by scene so that the reader can find the part of the action the picture is depicting. There are also occasional black and white drawings in the main text. The illustrations are quite evocative and set the scene well.
The story is a fun read, but near the end it gets a little weird (a metaphysical contest is a little hard to decipher). But overall, I liked this take on the book and wonder how it would have looked as a movie.
A blockbuster we'll never see..........2004-07-31
With the release of the new I, Robot movie, there are probably a lot of people confused by the different versions of I, Robot that exist. If you are a fan of Isaac Asimov's works, then you should probably steer clear of the new movie starring Will Smith. Published accounts I have read have indicated that the studio acquired the rights to the I, Robot stories and then took an already existing script (having nothing to do with Asimov's stories) changed some character's names, and added the three laws of robotics. Hardly, does justice to some of the most famous science fiction stories ever written.
However, years ago, Harlan Ellison did write a screenplay for an I, Robot movie, that does keep to the spirit of the Asimov stories. In fact, in this reviewer's opinion, this screenplay ties the stories together and adds a level of emotion that make it more powerful and memorable than Asimov's original book version. The character of Susan Calvin is, little by little, given real depth - and her saga will bring a tear to your eye on more than one occasion.
Despite the fact that it is written as a screenplay, making it somewhat more awkward to read than straight prose, once you begin to read, it is impossible to put down. I read it in one sitting, in the time it took to...well...watch a movie.
Upon completion, part of me was sad that this was not the version that was filmed, for it would have been a classic movie. But, I am grateful that this illustrated screenplay version exists. Do yourself a favor and buy it. As you read, it will become your own personal blockbuster, whose images will remain in your heart and mind long after the lights come up in your local theater. And we have Harlan Ellison to thank for it.
Fascinating read, yet has serious structural problems.......2004-07-26
I hate to rain on the parade of some other readers, but, from a screenwriter's standpoint, I found some serious problems that would have to be remedied, before the screenplay could be filmed.
First, however, I'll praise it for its fascinating ideas and visual richness, and for having a woman protagonist at a time (1978) when it was not yet common in the science fiction film genre. I agree that the "Citizen Kane" like approach has merit, and, in one sense, works better than "Kane," becuase the subject of the reporter's investigation is still alive, and that adds to the suspense. I also detected some "Apocalypse Now" influence, even though the controversial Vietnam War film had not yet been released. Susan Calvin has similarities to Kane, but also to Kurtz, and I don't think it's just a coincidence that Harlan Ellison says he pictured Martin Sheen as the man sent to find her. The probable three hour plus length of the resulting film did not bother me, although I imagine how it must have bothered the studio executives. Today, with special effects costs no longer the issue they once were, it could be done as a Sci Fi Channel miniseries.
My problem with the script has to do with the relative contributions of the four Asimov stories to the plot, and with how that plot is resolved. Even though I have not read the original Asimov works, I guessed the big surprise at the end almost from the very beginning. (I also made an early guess about Susan Calvin's bodyguards, but the screenplay neither confirms nor denies it.)
The first story (Robbie), works well and contributes its share to the overall story. The two stories in the middle (Speedy and Herbie), although they stand on their own very well, contribute little to the overall story, in relation to the amount of time spent on them. Also, the Herbie story sets something up, which has the potential to pay off big later on, but never does. The fourth story (Lenny/Steven Byerley), which ultimately resolves the plot, is given the least thorough treatment. One part of it is very detailed, but the rest is glossed over and/or told second hand. The result is a disappointingly awkward and abrupt ending, which leaves gaping holes. (There's also the matter of something similar to "Colossus: The Forbin Project" being dropped in very late with no foreshadowing.)
That last and most important of the stories needs fleshing out, while some of the earlier, less relevant, material could be shortened or cut. Alternatively, I would suggest building on developments in the second and third stories, following the example of the first, so that the fourth story follows their lead and fulfills the character arcs in a more satsifying way.
I imagine Harlan Ellison never received this kind of advice. If he's right that the "studio vegetable" never bothered to read the script, then the studio never gave him the constructive criticism that was needed to save the project. I agree with Ellison that it is a tragedy that one studio executive, for no other reason than a personal vendetta over a remark, was able to block any version of this script from ever being filmed. Now, instead, we have a dumbed down action picture, which lifts Issac Asimov's title, a couple of his characters, and his Three Laws, but, otherwise, has nothing to do with his stories.
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Candles to the Sun
Tennessee Williams
Manufacturer: New Directions Publishing Corporation
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Spring Storm
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Something Cloudy, Something Clear
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Mister Paradise and Other One-Act Plays
ASIN: 0811215741 |
Book Description
The first full-length play by novice playwright Thomas Lanier Williams to be produced, Candles to the Sun was premiered by The Mummers, a semi-professional and socially aware theatre troupe in St. Louis on March 18, 1937, and received rave reviews in the local press. Set in the Red Hills coal mining section of Alabama and dealing with both the attempts of the miners to unionize and the bleak lives of their families, the play, according to St. Louis Star-Times critic Reed Hynds, is "an earnest and searching examination of a particular social reality set out in human and dramatic terms."
Working principally from a script supplied by Jane Garrett Carter (who played Star in the original production), Dan Isaac, as he did in his edition of another "early" Williams' play, Spring Storm, uses his directorial and scholarly skills to prepare a version as close as possible to the 1937 production while providing contemporary readers (or actors) with the necessary social, political and theatrical context to make the play accessible and relevant once more.
Customer Reviews:
What a beginning.......2005-03-20
Tennessee Williams wrote CANDLES TO THE SUN in 1937 at Washington University in St. Louis, for a "semi-amateur" theater group called the Mummers. Now, nearly seventy years later it is in print in a lovely edition from New Directions, his longtime publisher. This was his first play to receive a production; he hadn't even adopted the sobriquet "Tennessee" yet. It's a piece of social realism, relatively speaking, and the main characters are coal miners and the activists who seek to unionize them. Underneath it all you can see the outlines for the play of power and greed that became SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH several decades in the future.
A bleak chorus of coal miners speaks in poignant Walker Evans terms about the terrible lives they are forced to live in the Depression. "My kids are swole up in the belly from not gettin' fed." Another agrees, "Yestiddy I caught my youngest puttin' dirt in her mouth." Third Miner: "Hell, mine eat grass for supper." Against the darkness a tremulous love story, between "Star" and "Red" struggles to see expression. STAR: "I didn't want to be tied down with Jake Walland or any of his kind. That's what I meant by wanting freedom. Now I don't want it any more. I want the kind of life that you could give me and if I can't have that kind of life, Red? I don't want any kind of life at all. Yeah. That's how gone I am!"
You'll be "gone" too when you read CANDLES TO THE SUN. Just close your eyes and you're a mile underground with coal dust in your lashes.
PS, When will we get a reading edition of THE MAGIC TOWER, the play he wrote just around the same time for the same group?
I don't even know if THE MAGIC TOWER is a fantasy or a realistic play.
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Isaac Air Freight: The Works 2
Dan Rupple , and
Dave Toole
Manufacturer: Meriwether Publishing
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Issac Air Freight: The Works : Sketches from the Premier Christian Comedy Group
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Service With a Smile: 52 Humorous Sketches for Sunday Worship
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The Best of the Jeremiah People
ASIN: 156608069X |
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Spring Storm
Tennessee Williams
Manufacturer: New Directions Publishing Corporation
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Camino Real.
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Candles to the Sun
ASIN: 0811214222 |
Book Description
When Tennessee Williams read Spring Storm aloud to his playwriting class at the University of Iowa in 1938, he was met with silence and embarrassment. His professor, the renowned E. C. Mabie, remarked as he got up and dismissed the seminar, "Well, we all have to paint our nudes!" Tom's earlier comment in his journal that the play "is well-constructed, no social propaganda, and is suitable for the commercial stage" seems accurate enough in 1999, but woefully naive deep in the Depression when the play's sexual explicitness--particularly its matter-of-fact acceptance of a woman's right to her own sexuality--would have been seen as not only shocking but also politically radical. Spring Storm would later be disavowed by the author as "simply a study of Sex--a blind animal urge or force (like the regenerative force of April) gripping four lives and leading them into a tangle of cruel and ugly relations." But the solid and deft characterizations of the four young people whose lives intertwine--the sexually alive Heavenly Critchfield, her earthy lover Dick Miles, Heavenly's wealthy but tongue-tied admirer Arthur Shannon, and the repressed librarian Hertha Nielson who loves Arthur--are archetypes of characters we will meet again and again in the Williams canon. Epic in scope, a bit melodramatic in execution, tragic in outcome, Spring Storm created a wave of excitement among theatre insiders when it was given a staged reading at The Ensemble Studio Theatre's Octoberfest '96. This edition has been prepared, with an illuminating introduction, by Dan Isaac who initiated the Octoberfest production.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting.......2000-03-11
I had the chance to see the first Theatrical Production of this play, done at a local theater here in Northern California. It was wonderful, and the book is the same. I especially liked the aunt!
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Abraham and Isaac: Text from "The Chester Miracle Plays"
J. Martin Pitts
Manufacturer: Old Stile Press
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