Reviews (41)

The Tragedy of the Tragically Unaesthetically Pleasing Review
"The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare proves to be an amazing read if one thoroughly enjoys the challenge of deciphering the selective form of writing and occasionally complicated dialect. This classic play is based on the true, factual account of the assassination of Julius Caesar as it truly took place in 44 B.C. Of course, Shakespeare has completely made the story his own through the use of comic relief, characterization, and wonderful original composition. Julius Caesar, the ambitious and prideful dictator of Rome, has returned home from a victorious battle against his fellow Triumvirate, Pompey. As he celebrates and relishes his absolute power, little does he suspect the growing opposition of conspirators, some of whom he would never expect. This read is certainly worthwhile if one has a good taste for tragedy and does not mind a challenge.

Great edition of a great play
I really enjoyed reading this edition of the play. Each scene is proceded by a summary of the secene and followed by commentary on the scene, and there are notes alongside the text explaining unusual words/phrases. As an actor, I have been reading Shakespeare for quite awhile, and I still found this book very helpful. If you are new to reading Shakespeare, I particularly recommend this because you will find it very helpful.

Excellent Shakespeare Classic
Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar in about 1599. The play was the first of three Roman plays. Shakespeare based the source material for the play on a translation of a work by the Greek philosopher and biographer Plutarch, called "The lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans". Shakespeare, like Plutarch, praises and criticises the actions of the main characters in the assassination of Julius Caesar. However, the historical events in the play are fairly accurate, although the playwright sometimes changed the sequence and timing of events and added his limitless imagination to produce a timeless play that has been enacted and enjoyed by millions of people worldwide over the centuries.
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Subjects:  1. Assassination    2. Assassins    3. Book Notes    4. Caesar, Julius    5. Cliff's/ Monarch / Barron's Book Notes    6. Conspiracies    7. Drama    8. Plays    9. Shakespeare    10. Study Guides    11. Drama / Shakespeare    12. Julius Caesar    13. Outlines, syllabi, etc    14. Shakespeare, William   

Reviews (1)

El mejor libro para hacer teATRO para niños
Este libro, es uno de los m�s importantes para los credores, profesoresy maestros que toienen interes de ahacer teatro con y para los ni�os. Analiza los mas diversos aspectos del tetaro para ni�os, dando una informaci�n ricae importante. Como havrelo, en donde encontrar materiales, propuestasdiversas, fotos, tecnicas, Es importante porque en espa�ol no se puedeebcontrar un material tan rico y especializadoRead more

Subjects:  1. Drama in education    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Elementary    5. Elementary School Creative And Manual Arts    6. Teaching Methods & Materials - Arts & Humanities    7. Teaching Methods & Materials - Classroom Planning    8. Drama, theatre, acting    9. Language Arts & Disciplines / Study & Teaching    10. Teaching of a specific subject   

Reviews (5)

Not what I thought it would be
I teach drama/theater in a low income public school. I bought the book because my school has very few resources and I thought this might be useful. As it turned out the book was hardly used during my first year teaching. My biggest problem with this book is that it is not very user friendly for a teacher who just wants to add some fun to a class but not a complex game. In other words the book needs to make the games simpler so the kids can pick them up faster and have more fun. This might not be problem for teachers in high school as your students might be more mature and able to handle more complex games. But for middle school teachers tread lightly. Also if you have a bunch of behavior problems in your class then forgot about it. In my experience I found the worse the behavior the better they were at spoiling fun classroom games. Be warned.

Theater Games for the Classroom: A Teacher's Handbook
EXCELLENT!!Inspiring. Well Organized.So many great ideas for the new or seasoned acting teacher.

My bible!
As a teacher of drama to many low-income, urban, and "difficult" adolescents, this is the book that I find most useful, alive, and inspiring!Simply wonderful for anyone trying to bring the best out of young actors! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acting    2. Drama in education    3. Education    4. Education / Teaching    5. Educational games    6. Elementary    7. Performing Arts    8. Study and teaching    9. Teaching Methods & Materials - Classroom Planning    10. Theater - General    11. Drama, theatre, acting    12. Performing Arts / Acting & Auditioning   

Reviews (9)

Great for all ages
I used this book to teach a summer drama class for a local daycare to grades 1st-5th.The kids couldn't get enough!I used this book the whole summer, and it taught them how to work togather, even with their age differences.

very helpful and fun!!
I was actually looking for kids monologue and scene books, but this book caught my attention, because of the good reviews, and I ordered it as well.It is fantastic!!Some old favourite theatre games I'd forgoten and lots of new fun ones!!Also curriculum ideas for classes beyond theatre games.I can't wait to teach my class today using these new tools!I'll be using this book for along time.

Well written - highly interactive for all ages
Great Book...well written, easy to follow exercises!Lisa Bany-Winters has written a highly comprehensive and interactive book packed full of theater exercises with great tips for additions to each exercise.This book is terrific for elementary school teachers, camp activity leaders, children's parties and of course, children's drama instructors.I highly recommend this book to anyone who knows a wanna-be star! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    2. Children's plays, American    3. Children: Grades 3-4    4. Drama in education    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Performing Arts - Theater    7. Play    8. Plays    9. Sports & Recreation - Games - General    10. Drama, theatre, acting    11. Hobbies, quizzes & games    12. Juvenile Nonfiction / Performing Arts / Theater   

Reviews (91)

Deception and Treachery
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a dramatist whose genius is universally acknowledged, with a reputation as an actor, playwright and poet. He lived in an age of vast and significant changes characterised by the rise of the middle class and of a centralised government and the disappearance of medieval religious beliefs. England was transforming into a modern state. This was a time when self-realisation, self-respect and boldness of thought and action was idealised. Shakespeare's drama merely reflected the dramatic times of the age.
Yale's may be the best edition of Macbeth
Virtually all editions of Macbeth will have at least some annotations. Rummaging through five different editions, I preferred the Yale University Press version, edited by Burton Raffel, as having the most comprehensive and comprehensible notes, as well as an excellent introduction to Shakespeare's play. Raffel not only explains the meanings of obscure words, but also gives brief notes pertaining to relevant history, geography, stage directions, etc, that are rarely addressed as fully by other editors. In addition, Raffel frequently gives the proper way to stress the syllables in a line when reading it aloud, which can be extremely helpful. (However, in most places these stresses need to be very subtle, so that you don't sound like "taDUM taDUM taDUM".) And Yale's page layout is among the clearest that I've seen.
Shakespeare's Darkest Play
In a sense, Shakespeare treaded on Gothic elements in his play Macbeth, which premiered after Queen Elizabeth had died and King James, who had heritage in Scotland, became the new King of England. James knew about his infamous ancestor Macbeth and commissioned the Bard to write a thrilling work of theatre which recounted the historic tale of Macbeth. There really was a Macbeth, but much of the story is fictional, save for the names of people and places. Macbeth is Shakespeare's darkest tragedy. On the New Folgers Library Edition, we are treated to the very best of scholarly information regarding the creation of the play, and the political and theatrical world of Shakespeare's day. This is the best printed version of Macbeth you will find today. And for this reader, it is a play perfect for this Halloween season. The plot, without giving much of it away in a summary, is quite simple but powerful in its impact. In Medieval England, the minor nobleman Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth plot to murder the current king of Scotland. Their ambitions are spurred when three mysterious witches foretell their success. However, as Macbeth maintains power, he becomes fearful of losing it. He orders the deaths of allies and friends out of insecurity. Eventually his own ambition becomes his downfall and a new king arises. Since its premiere, Macbeth has been rumored to be "cursed". Throughout the years, including the twentieth century, reports of accidents and even deaths have circulated involving certain productions of Macbeth. The elements in the play are dark and quintessentially Gothic- flying daggers, constant darkness and fog, ghosts, witches, apparitions including dead kings and bloody children. In the 19th century this would encompass the material of Gothic literature but in Shakespeare's time it was part of thrilling drama. Supernatural beings like ghosts were featured in other Shakespeare tragedies -Hamlet and Julius Caesar for instance. The belief in witches was prevalent in Puritan/Protestant/Catholic England, after all this was still the time of the Inquisition. So the featured Three Witches would have actually been regarded as a true part of history even. This play has many fine moments. All of Macbeth's quotes are memorable but especially his "Out, Out Brief Candle! Life is but a walking shadow..." The role of Lady Macbeth, if played well, can be the signature role of many actresses. She is Shakespeare's most evil creations. She drives Macbeth to murder because she is perhaps even more ambitious than him. Her being a female is her only setback. But she is an empowered and vile woman, even regarded as something of a witch herself. The play inspired several film versions including director Roman Polanski's version in 1971 and in the 19th century an opera by Verdi.
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Subjects:  1. 11th cent    2. 11th cent.    3. Cartoons and comics    4. Classics    5. Drama    6. King of Scotland,    7. Literature: Classics    8. Macbeth,    9. Plays    10. Plays / Drama    11. Scotland    12. Shakespeare    13. Macbeth   

Editorial Review

Mozart's last opera, the simultaneously comic and serious fairy tale Read more

Reviews (21)

The Definitive Magic Flute
I'm usually dismissive of most Die Zauberflotes because I find the overall quality of the singers and recording lacking.Then I came upon this recording...I have to say that it is simply the most amazing Die Zauberflote I've ever heard!The orchestrations to the singers to the conductor himself...everything is mind-blowing!I'm not a Mozart person, but if I really like a recording of his I will buy it.This is an excellent way to introduce yourself to the Flute, especially since there is such a wonderful introduction accompanying this extremely famous opera.And the Queen of the Night-Edda Moser!!!Amazing!Simply amazing!No other Queen has conveyed that much drama into her singing.This is the Flute.I would suggest Marriner's version if I hadn't seen this one, but then here is a Flute with all the greats in it!Get it now!

A great way to learn about opera, suitable for young or old.
I received this as a gift from a mislead but well-meaning relative. Needless to say, I have never been a fan of opera. However, I was surprised that I was actually able to enjoy this book and accompanying CD. The book begins with a brief biography of Mozart, and then offers a prose overview of the story (extremely helpful for understanding!). The second half of the book contains the libretto, or text, of the opera. The original German forms one column on the left-hand side of each page, and the English translation is printed on the right. This way one can follow along with the story while listening to the music, even if you don't know a word of German. Throughout the entire book there are pictures from different stage performances of The Magic Flute. The musical recording is of high quality, contained on two disks that fit into pockets on the inside front and back cover of the book. Wonderful story-telling
P. Craig Russell's drawing style seems especially apt for stories of enchanted lands and beings. His lines are light and airy, and he sets a mood nicely with color. In other words, he is ideally suited to illustrate this story.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1756-1791    2. Audio: Juvenile    3. Children's 9-12 - Music    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    5. Genres & Styles - Opera    6. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus,    7. Music    8. Music - Classical    9. Opera    10. Operas    11. Stories, plots, etc    12. Zauberflote    13. Drama, theatre, acting    14. Fairy tales, folk tales, fables, magical tales & traditional stories    15. Fantasy    16. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus    17. Non-Classifiable    18. Science fiction    19. Zauberflöte   

Reviews (3)

Good book
The person who received this book as a gift loves the plays in it for their class.

great theatre resource, plays fun just to read too
Coleman A. Jennings was a professor of mine at the University of Texas at Austin, and this collection was a required textbook for his class. Instead of selling back the book when the semester was over, I kept it, because the plays are such good ones. As the Booklist review says, the anthology includes original plays as well as adaptations of well-known folk and fairy tales. Pretty Good
This book has many different and interesting plays for kids of all ages. Though, for most of them you need a lot of people, they are still pretty good. Thats why I give it 4 stars. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American    2. Anthologies (multiple authors)    3. Children's plays    4. Children's plays, American    5. Collections    6. Drama    7. Juvenile Literature    8. Performing Arts - Theater    9. Play Production    10. Plays    11. Plays / Drama    12. Performing Arts / Theater / General   

Reviews (3)

Very usable - great resource!
You will use this book over and over. I teach gifted upper elementary and middle school drama students. This book is one of my favorites - it is likely to be one of yours too.

101 Drama Games is excellent!!!
101 Drama Games for Children is a really excellent book! I highly recommend it for all parents and older children to buy if you deal with children in any way. I teach a drama class of 5-7 yr olds in our homeschool group and it's been a real lifesaver for me! I also have 3 children and I use it with them too. I consider it a must-have book! It's catagorized by the different age levels by a little picture in each corner of each new activity so you can flip through and find a game for the age group you need. It's excellent for birthday parties, or any group games: camps, Girl Scouts, etc. I highly recommend every parent get one of these books! B.J.O.

Great Resource
I teach theatre classes for kids from age 3.5 to 18 and thisbook is one of the few I've seen that gives a good number of ideas foreach age group, and it gives you an idea of which games are age appropriate.This is a valuable tool that I would recommend to anyone who teaches, or just those who are stay-at-home parents who need new ideas for playing with their kids in creative and dramatic ways. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 2-3    2. Drama    3. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    4. Games    5. General    6. Teaching Methods & Materials - Workbooks    7. Drama, theatre, acting    8. Hobbies, quizzes & games   

Reviews (1)

Invaluable Tool
Structuring Drama Work is both a deliciously practical and a tacitly theoretical handbook for teachers/leaders of drama.This is no small feat for a book that is only eighty-four pages in length.Neeland's book deftlyexamines the infinitely important notion of the structures and conventionsused when teaching, facilitating andlearning through theatre/drama; whileit concurrently argues for the need for flexibility when designing for andworking with students of theatre/drama. David Booth sums up the conceptof theatre explored in this book when he describes the author's view oftheatre as, "a meaning-making endeavour that interprets life and helpsus to understand our world" (P.1).The strength of this book is thatit does not get bogged down by such an ambiguous or esoteric definition;rather, it uses this definition to elucidate the potential power of dramain each of the lives of those who choose to suspend their disbeliefs (P.72)and participate in the collective endeavour of theatre. Most of thebook is a compilation of current conventions applied in drama/theatre andused to enhance the educative process of expressing the world throughsymbolic form.Context-building, narrative, poetic and reflectiveconventions are explored in detail; they range from simple games to tableauto complex conventions like whole-group role-playing.Rather than focus onexamples ad infinitum, Neeland focuses on the description, culturalconnections and learning opportunities of each convention.This is wherethe power of the book is located; teachers, rather than just mimicking rote exercises, are given the reasons for the use of the convention andappropriate times to employ it.This fulfills an absolute requirement ofteaching: the ability to answer the students' legitimate question of"Why are we doing this?!?". On page seventy-nine there is adiagram that clearly illustrates the purpose of the conventions described. My initial response was that I would give this diagram to my students;however, on page eighty-two Neeland writes, "To be too definite andclear about the intentions and focus of thework in advance is to deny thestudents the power and experience of being artists."Neeland isarguing here that the power of the Gestalt or "Aha!" component oflearning should not be too quickly dismissed.My feeling now is that Iwould let the needs of the group I was working with dictate whether or notto reveal the purpose of the unit to them.I believe this is in line withNeeland's tacit theory, that the needs of the group supersedes the needs ofthe program or the teacher.The teachers who employs Neeland's methods,over time, will likely learn to wed teaching the conventional structures ofdrama to the spontaneous needs of the students. Neeland's adoption ofthe female form of the third person pronoun and his use of the term"teacher/leader" demonstrates, I believe, his implicit subversionof the current pedagogical patriarchal paradigm.Neeland appears to beundermining the role of the teacher as the repository of Truth.Hisexamples are wonderfully open-ended and he appears to be encouragingteachers to employ both conventions and there own examples according to theneeds of the students.His theoretical approach can be glimpsed throughinstructions like, "... whereas well-researched context-building actionand the controlled pace of reflective action may produce challenges toassumptions and prejudices." (P.74). This is an invaluable bookboth as an easy to use reference of theatrical/dramaticconventions and asa reminder of the endless and fruitful possibilities of learning throughtheatre. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Drama in education    3. Education    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Teaching Methods & Materials - Arts & Humanities    6. Drama, theatre, acting    7. Literary Criticism / Drama    8. Theatre, drama   

Reviews (22)

Dancin and Singin in the streets
I liked the movie.I admit, yes this teen, has a soundtrack of west side story.I found the movie very funny when the guys where singing and dancing but admittedly I cried at the end.This story was very good.

A logical pairing of 2 great theatrical works
This is two books in one: the text of William Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" and the text of "West Side Story," the 20th century musical with a book by Arthur Laurents and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The book also includes an introduction by Norris Houghton, who notes, among other things, that WSS is based on R&J. Each text tells the story of a love affair between a young woman and a young man who are caught between warring factions. Jeany's review
Romeo & JulietRead more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Classics    3. Juvenile Nonfiction    4. Performing Arts - Theater    5. Plays / Drama    6. Shakespeare    7. Juvenile Fiction / Performing Arts   

Reviews (5)

Everything you need to know
A really thorough guide to every pointe shoe there is out there, a great history of the technique, and lots of advice on pointe work.A great purchase for anyone interested in pointe work, but there's perhaps so much information on different shoes that it could be confusing for beginners.

A remarkable manual and examination of ballet dancing
Now in a new and expanded second edition, The Pointe Book: Shoes, Training, & Technique is a remarkable manual and examination of ballet dancing pointe shoes, and the methodologies used by professionals. Choreographic experts Barringer and Schlesinger apply their years of knowledge and personal experience in the world of fitting and training with pointe shoes to matter-of-factly present how dedicated and athletic individuals achieve remarkable feats of grace and balance. Packed with detail, The Pointe Book is as comprehensive as can be covering everything from different types of shoes to the hazards of learning to walk on one's toes to resources for help with pointe-related injuries and much more. Highly recommended for anyone with a professional or casual interest in the world of ballet.
The pointe book
I have found this book very interesting to read, and somewhat helpful. The book is American based which means that not all the information is relevant to an Australian reader such as myself. The second half of the book presents detailed pointe classes which are very helpful, but if you are not familiar with all the terminology you will need a ballet dictionary to use the information. Over all I have found this book interesting and helpful from a student point of view but also think it would be a good read for anyone who loves ballet. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballet dancing    2. Ballet slippers    3. Dance - Classical    4. Genres & Styles - Ballet    5. Juvenile literature    6. Performing Arts    7. Performing Arts/Dance    8. Ballet   

Reviews (1)

Start their Emotional Intelligence Young
As an Emotional Intelligence instructor (EQ) and coach, I habitually find adults whose emotional life was nourished in an intelligent way when they were kids.My Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio: Juvenile    2. Biography & Autobiography - Music    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    4. History - Other    5. Juvenile Nonfiction    6. Juvenile literature    7. Music - General    8. Opera    9. Theater - General    10. Juvenile Nonfiction / Performing Arts / Theater   

Subjects:  1. Audio: Juvenile    2. Ballet    3. Children's 9-12 - Performing Arts    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    5. Juvenile Nonfiction    6. Juvenile literature    7. Music - Classical    8. Performing Arts - Dance    9. Juvenile Nonfiction / Music / Classical   

Reviews (2)

Bravo!
What a great book! If you do theatre with kids, this is a great resource. The engaging format draws young readers into the text, has lots of excellent pictures, and provides sections about all aspects of theatrical production, including design and technical theatre. We do Shakespeare with 6th graders and have found this book to be a gold mine of activities and information for theatre kids and adults. Bravissimo!

The perfect gift book for aspiring young performers
Break A Leg!: The Kids' Guide To Acting & Stagecraft by Lise Friedman (former dancer with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and an Adjunct Professor, new York University) is a charmingly presented, authoritative, resource-filled "how to" book for young actors and actresses from grade school through high school who would like to act their school theatrical productions, in community theater, the professional stage, or in television and film. Individual chapters address simple warmups, learning to project one's voice, theater games, staying in character, and much more. Break A Leg! is the perfect gift book for aspiring young performers and a highly recommended addition to school and community library reference collections! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acting    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. Children: Kindergarten    4. Drama    5. Juvenile Nonfiction    6. Juvenile literature    7. Production and direction    8. Theater    9. Drama, theatre, acting    10. Interactive & activity books & packs    11. Juvenile Nonfiction / Drama   

Subjects:  1. Drama in education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Elementary    4. Elementary School Creative And Manual Arts    5. Performing Arts    6. Performing Arts/Dance    7. Secondary School Creative And Manual Arts    8. Theater - General    9. Drama, theatre, acting    10. Performing Arts / Theater / General    11. Teaching of a specific subject   

Reviews (1)

EHHH! Boring
I nearly fell asleep reading these reader plays. History can be fun but not with these long and tiresome plays. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American    2. Education    3. Plays / Drama   

Reviews (1)

If any of your children like Science...this is the book!
What a great book, with lots of plays, activities and interesting projectsand experiments for children. My 10 year old loves it!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 4-6    2. Education / Teaching    3. Juvenile Nonfiction    4. Performing Arts - Theater    5. Science & Nature - General    6. Study & Teaching    7. Teaching Methods & Materials - General   

Reviews (23)

The Best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This monologue book is by far the best of them all. there are monologes for boy or girls of all ages. there are all kinds of different monologes. sad, happy, or funny. Whatever kind you are looking for you can find it all in this monologue book.

It Got Me To HOLLYWOOD!!
Magnificent Monologues for Kids is truely magnificent!! I have used several monologues from the book in my auditions and they worked. Some are hilarious and others dramatic but all very fun to perform. After meeting Chambers, it is easy to see that his high energy level carries over into his books and it is easy to get energy from them.

Thumbs up from a working teen in Hollywood!!!!
I am a 14-year-old actress and I know for a fact that it is extremely difficult to find monologues that are relevant to today's kids and teens. Chambers books are current and up to date with today's television shows and feature films.
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Subjects:  1. Acting    2. Children's 9-12 - Plays / Drama    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    4. Children: Grades 1-2    5. Drama    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Monologues    9. Performing Arts - Theater   

Reviews (1)

Wonderful Book!
A must-have book.Informative and excellently written.Gives all the information you want on Public speaking. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. General    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Public Speaking    6. Speech    7. Drama, theatre, acting    8. Language Arts & Disciplines / Speech    9. Public speaking / elocution   

Reviews (1)

Leaning the language of drama...

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Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. General    4. Improvisation (Acting)    5. Performing Arts (General)    6. Secondary    7. Study And Teaching Of Specific Subjects    8. Study and teaching (Secondary)    9. Teaching Methods & Materials - Arts & Humanities    10. Theater    11. Theater - General    12. Drama, theatre, acting    13. Teaching of a specific subject