Theater Books

Tuesdays with Morrie

Jeffrey Hatcher, Mitch Albom

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2118 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague.  Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.

For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder.  Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?

Mitch Albom had that second chance.  He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life.  Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college.  Their rekindled relationship turned into one final "class": lessons in how to live.

Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world.

The Groucho Letters: Letter From And To Groucho Marx

Groucho Marx

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

No personage is too big, no nuance too small, no subject too far out for Groucho’s spontaneous, hilarious, and ferocious typewriter. He writes to comics, corporations, children, presidents, and even his daughter’s boyfriend. Here is Groucho swapping photos with T. S. Eliot (”I had no idea you were so handsome!”); advising his son on courting a rich dame (”Don’t come out bluntly and say, ’How much dough have you got?’ That wouldn’t be the Marxian way”); crisply declining membership in a Hollywood club (”I don’t care to belong to any social organization that will accept me as a member”); reacting with utmost composure when informed that he has been made into a verb by James Joyce (”There’s no reason why I shouldn’t appear in Finnegans Wake. I’m certainly as bewildered about life as Joyce was”); responding to a scandal sheet (”Gentleman: If you continue to publish slanderous pieces about me, I shall feel compelled to cancel my subscription”); describing himself to the Lunts (”I eat like a vulture. Unfortunately the resemblance doesn’t end there”); and much, much more. That mobile visage, that look of wild amazement, and that weaving cigar are wholly captured, bound but untamed, in The Groucho Letters.

Of Mice and Men (Play) (DPS Acting Edition)

John Steinbeck

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1104 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

One of the most popular books in American Literature-and for good reason! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This wonderful book is one of the most popular books written by Nobel prize winner-John Steinbeck.

It is also probably one of the most popular books in American Literature.

Set during The Great Depression,The story is about two migrant farm workers-George Milton(who is a cynical man) and Lennie Small(who is very big,strong but mentally disabled and reliant on George to look after him) and how they dream of owning their own piece of land.

Due to something Lennie has done(which was actually sort of a misunderstanding),the pair must go to a ranch in Soledad,California, to make money and escape the trouble they are in.

The book is an amazing tale of friendship and the heartbreaking thing George must do at the end to save his friend Lennie is so touching.

I first read this book for GCSE and it is now one of my favourite's.

It is a definite 'must read' and I would recommend it 100%

Editorial Review:

Tragic tale of a retarded man and the friend who loves and tries to protect him. With illustrations from the movie starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise.

Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children: Adapted for the Theatre by Salman Rushdie, Simon Reade and Tim Supple (Modern Library Paperbacks)

Salman Rushdie

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 181 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The original stage adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, winner of the 1993 Booker of Bookers, the best book to win the Booker Prize in its first twenty-five years.

In the moments of upheaval that surround the stroke of midnight on August 14--15, 1947, the day India proclaimed its independence from Great Britain, 1,001 children are born--each of whom is gifted with supernatural powers. Midnight’s Children focuses on the fates of two of them--the illegitimate son of a poor Hindu woman and the male heir of a wealthy Muslim family--who become inextricably linked when a midwife switches the boys at birth.

An allegory of modern India, Midnight’s Children is a family saga set against the volatile events of the thirty years following the country’s independence--the partitioning of India and Pakistan, the rule of Indira Gandhi, the onset of violence and war, and the imposition of martial law. It is a magical and haunting tale, of fragmentation and of the struggle for identity and belonging that links personal life with national history.

In collaboration with Simon Reade, Tim Supple and the Royal Shakespeare Society, Salman Rushdie has adapted his masterpiece for the stage.

Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends from Cast-Off Socks and Gloves

Miyako Kanamori

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wow! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

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

Sock and Glove 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

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

Editorial Review:

Easy to make...easy to love!

Sock and Glove presents thirteen delightful softy projects that are quick to make-and certain to amuse and delight. Full of individuality and mischief, these stuffed creations are all pieced together from ordinary socks, gloves, and mittens. Step-by-step illustrations and instructions make it easy to craft and dress a whole menagerie, including monkeys, elephants, piglets, bunnies, and even an insouciant fish.

Endearing to adults and children alike, these whimsical creatures make perfect gifts and inspiring companions.

Animal Farm

George Orwell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1156 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Animal Farm is instructive for our presidential election. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

2008 is the ideal time to apply the principles that we have learned from Animal Farm and apply them to November's 2008 Presidential election. Just as Napolean, the pig, instigated a rebellion against the owner of the farm (Jones) by talking about how great things will be once the animals ruled the farm, today we are told by the Obama Democrats that once Bush and the Republicans are thrown off the farm (Washington), that all will be well, that things will look wonderful, and that none of us will ever be hungry again. In Animal Farm, though, the animals were far worse off after Mr. Jones was kicked off the farm. Like Obama, Napolean also did not have any experience in running a farm, but this did not stop him from stating that he would be more competent and able to handle the farm. Further, once Napolean took charge of the farm, the interests of the other animals started to decline more and more. He started to remove any sense of democratic principles by eliminating the need for public comment and strongly took action against any potential dissent. This is exactly where the Obama Democrats want to take our country--first, by stating that they (and he alone) can manage the country -- even though there is no experience to suggest that he ought to, and secondly, by eliminating any form of dissent by destroying talk radio and also by heavily regulating and taxing the internet in order to suppress the one free and open medium that is available to counter their message. The lesson of Animal Farm is clear: those who claim to provide us with utopia on earth often will create hell instead through dictatorship, centralization of authority, and a desire to obtain power for power's sake. If we learn the lessons of Animal Farm, our nation will be far better off.

Editorial Review:

George Orwell's 1945 satire on the perils of Stalinism has proved magnificently long-lived as a parable about totalitarianism anywhere-and has given the world at least one immortal phrase: "Everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others."This new dramatization sticks very closely to the book, and the production has toured all over England, Scotland, Wales and Romania in Orwell's centenary year. "Dare I say it . . . as good as the book."-Guardian

Wicked: The Grimmerie, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Hit Broadway Musical

David Cote

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 124 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Wicked is not just a musical, it is a phenomenon. Every week 15,000 people pack New York+s Gershwin Theatre to see the show. The most successful musical on Broadway in 2004, Wicked is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire. It tells the story of Elphaba, the headstrong Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the good witch, growing up in the Land of Oz. The show has cast a spell on fans, many of whom return for second and third viewings. In 2005, the show begins an extensive tour across the United States and Canada, hitting major cities such as Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and many more.This beautifully packaged, whimsical keepsake is designed to resemble the Grimmerie, an ancient book of spells that Elphaba uses in the show. Wicked: The Grimmerie offers fans a behind-the-curtains peek at the musical, profiles of the cast and creative team, and inside stories, with full-color photographs throughout. Some of the irresistible special features include an -Ozian+ glossary, spells, an illustrated family tree, and a step-by-step look at how Elphaba gets green before each show-everything fans need to relive the Broadway experience day after day.

Much Ado about Nothing (Cambridge School Shakespeare)

William Shakespeare

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 289 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Much Ado about...Nothing 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 3 people found this review helpful.

It's as the title implies..nothing this film did nothing for me. None of the actors really seemed to sparkle or stand out (maybe that guy from House but barely). This movie also features Keanu Reeves in one of his worst acting roles since Bram Stoker's Dracula. It seems to me I get Shakespeare's dramas better than I get his comedies.The lines are supposedly witty and funny, funny to who an audience from ol' Willie's century? Maybe, or maybe the performance was too dumbed down to make it either but I digress.
There are some scenes I find totally pointless and dumb. The opening shot of the menfolk returning homes from a battle or something riding thier horses over the hill to some extremely corny triumph music "RIDING HORESES YAH! WOO look how cool we look riding slow-mo on our horses while making constipated faces. And another shot of the men and women getting ready to go greet each other by getting cleaned up, they show [...] shots of both sexes (though I think they linger disturbingly longer on the women) just for the sake of having [...] shots. And be warned the lighting for the mens shot has you seeing a little more than you want to.
Tell me when there's a good Shakespeare adaptation I can rave about Ciao!

Editorial Review:

This new edition of Much Ado About Nothing is part of the established Cambridge School Shakespeare series and has been substantially updated with new and revised activities throughout. Remaining faithful to the series' active approach it treats the play as a script to be acted, explored and enjoyed. As well as the complete script of Much Ado About Nothing, you will find a variety of classroom-tested activities, an eight-page colour section and an enlarged selection of notes including information on characters, performance, history and language.

Inside Inside

James Lipton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

A Most Enjoyable Journey 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

James Lipton provides the reader with a modestly-written account of his multi-faceted career and his many accomplishments. It is easy to journey with him from his initial efforts to earn money for law school to his accomplishments on radio, in television, on the stage and, finally as a (the?) principal of the Actors' Studio. That's the first half of the book. The second half is a review of many of the actors, actresses, writers and directors who were interviewed by him on "Inside the Actor's Studio" arranged with emphasis less on the individuals and their fame and more on their mettle. For devotees of the program, it is another wonderful journey with Lipton. For those who have not watched his television series on Bravo and who don't know James Lipton, it is an introduction to a most talented and accomplished individual who has a wonderful story to tell. "Inside Inside" is a most enjoyable read.

Editorial Review:

“An unqualified hit” (Library Journal) that offers behind-the-scenes close-ups of hundreds of celebrated artists— from the founder and host of Inside the Actors Studio.

Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived

Ralph Helfer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 135 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

padded with meaningless dialogue, reads like fiction 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Much of the book is imagined dialogue between the elephant trainer and various characters. The relationships with parents, girlfriend and elephant are unrealistically idealized. The theme is pantheism and the trainer even assumes he was also an elephant in another life. I was not even able to finish this book.

Incredible! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a fantastic book and stands as the only book outside of Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and McCarthy's The Road that I've actually felt compelled to buy and give to others. I read the book solely because it too was pushed my way by someone urging me to read it despite it not being my typical cup of tea. The story was fantastic and every bit the tear-jerker you've read about elsewhere. A triumph of spirit and the bond that can be built between man and animal. I cried like a blubbering baby in my backyard while turning the pages of this book - and have enjoyed inflicting the same upon others. It's really, really good - and not just for animal lovers. Beats the heck out of stinker Life Of Pi too.

Editorial Review:

Spanning several decades and three continents, Modoc is one of the most amazing true animal stories ever told. Raised together in a small German circus town, a boy and an elephant formed a bond that would last their entire lives, and would be tested time and again; through a near-fatal shipwreck in the Indian Ocean, an apprenticeship with the legendary Mahout elephant trainers in the Indian teak forests, and their eventual rise to circus stardom in 1940s New York City.

Modoc is a captivating true story of loyalty, friendship, and high adventure, to be treasured by animal lovers everywhere.