Book picks similar to
Fear and Misery in the Third Reich and Senora Carrar's Rifles (Bertolt Brecht Collected Plays, Vol 4, Pt 3) by Bertolt Brecht
nadia-s-books
theatre
university-set-texts
20th-century
Six Characters in Search of an Author
Luigi Pirandello - 1921
His most celebrated work, Six Characters in Search of an Author, embodies the Nobel Prize-winning playwright's innovations by presenting an open-ended drama on a stage without sets.First performed in 1923, this intellectual comedy introduces six individuals to a stage where a company of actors has assembled for a rehearsal. Claiming to be the incomplete, unused creations of an author's imagination, they demand lines for a story that will explain the details of their lives. In ensuing scenes, these "real-life characters," all professing to be part of an extended family, produce a drama of sorts — punctuated by disagreements, interruptions, and arguments. In the end they are dismissed by the irate manager, their dilemma unsolved and the "truth" a matter of individual viewpoints.A tour de force exploring the many faces of reality, this classic is now available in an inexpensive edition that will be welcomed by amateur theatrical groups as well as by students of drama.
Underfoot in Show Business
Helene Hanff - 1962
Each year there are hundreds of stagestruck kids arrive in New York determined to crash the theatre, firmly convinced they're destined to be famous Broadway stars or playwrights.
A Life Worth Living
Lady Colin Campbell - 1997
She enjoyed privileges, but her teenage years were blighted, leaving her unable to receive essential medical treatment until she was 21. She became a model and a designer, and in the 1970s embarked on a short and violent marriage to Lord Colin Campbell. In this autobiography she writes of a life-long struggle to be accepted as the woman she is. She tells of her formative years in Jamaica and New York, her many love affairs, her connection with members of the Royal Family, her activities as a socialite and international charity organizer, and her current life as the fulfilled mother of two adopted Russian children.
The Way She Spoke
Isaac Gomez - 2019
That's the best case scenario for a woman on the streets of Juárez, Mexico. Kate del Castillo (La Reina del Sur) delivers a stunning one-woman performance that transports listeners from a New York stage to the treacherous streets of Juárez, Mexico, where thousands of women have been murdered in an ongoing epidemic of violence. Written by Isaac Gomez (Steppenwolf's La Ruta) and based on his intimate interviews, the way she spoke is a raw and riveting exploration of responsibility and follows one playwright's journey to give voice to a city of women silenced by violence, fear, and a world that has turned a deaf ear to their stories. This poignant and unforgettable play is directed by Obie and Lucille Lortel-winner Jo Bonney.
Visit to a Small Planet
Gore Vidal - 1956
Visit to a Small Planet was first presented on February 7, 1957 at the Booth Theatre, New York City.The action of the play takes place in the house of Roger Spelding outside Manassas, Virginia.The time is next summer.Act IEarly evening of a summer's day.Act IIScene 1: The next morning.Scene 2: That evening.Act IIIAn hour later.
Norma Jeane Baker of Troy
Anne Carson - 2019
Norma Jeane Baker of Troy is a partly spoken, partly sung performance piece by poet, essayist, and scholar Anne Carson, and an exploration of the lives and myths of Marilyn Monroe and Helen of Troy—iconic beauties who lived millennia apart.A thrilling and thoughtful meditation on the destabilising and destructive power of beauty, this had its world premiere at The Shed in New York City, starring Ben Whishaw and Renée Fleming.
Erma Bombeck: A Life in Humor
Susan Edwards - 1997
Here is Erma Bombeck, laughing her way through childhood, marriage, motherhood, and celebrity status, even keeping her sense of humor as she battled terminal illness.