AMAZING THEATRES OF THE WORLD 2022 - Review

Amazing Theatres of the World: Theatres, Arts Centres and Opera Houses by Dominic Connolly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: April 14, 2022

The photographs in this book are gorgeous, and the accompanying brief text, including an introduction by Tim Rice ("Beauty and the Beast" lyricist), shines light on the importance of theatres everywhere. Mr. Rice writes, "The love of theatre spans cultures - every society cherishes performance in a communal setting."

The most novel and creative architecture is not necessarily on Broadway, the West End, or Europe but in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australasia. The author has selected pictures of the exteriors and interiors of the theatre proper but has included dressing rooms, backstage areas, and other unique details.

This book would make a wonderful gift for a theatre lover and you might want a copy on your coffee table!

Thank you to NetGalley / Amber Books Ltd, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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GOOD COMPANY (2021)

Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The story sounds familiar enough, encompassing everyday lives of the sort we all live. Mostly told by Flora, a voice actor; Margot, a television actress, and Julian, the founder of a theater group called Good Company, we learn of friendships, infidelity, betrayal, and the difficulty of sending a child off into the world.

With a backdrop of stage and screen productions, the plot becomes far more interesting. Because the story is book ended by two photographs, the information seems to be revealed in pixels gathered to create a picture of the past twenty years. You have to hope these good but flawed people will have the happy ending they deserve.

"Good Company" was a happy read for me. The writing made me immediately comfortable. I enjoyed the dialogue and sense of humor the author infused.

Read the book or better yet, listen to Marin Ireland read the audio book, as I did. When it ends you will miss her voice telling you about the lives of these interesting people. Adept at characterizations and different voices, she makes it look easy.

Highly Recommended!

A copy of was provided to me by HarperAudio /Net Galley for an honest review.

Publisher: HarperAudio (April 26, 2021)
Unabridged Audiobook:  8 Hours, 59 Minutes, 4 Seconds 

Narrator: Marin Ireland

ASIN: B08M41GSLY

Short Takes 4/6/17

Today's mail brought me a review copy of The Bronx Kill by Philip Cioffari, an author with whom I am not familiar. "The complexity and durability of friendship stand at the heart of . . . an extraordinary novel that earned high advance praise from Kirkus Reviews."

Blogger/Librarian Marlyn Beebe posted a link to Facebook that I just had to share. Check out 100 Must-Read Books with Plot Twists. I've actually read 20 of these titles and they are all as advertised!

Excerpts from SinC Links:

The mystery world mourns the death of Colin Dexter, creator of Inspector Morse and the inspiration behind “Lewis” and “Endeavour.” HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING

“The Play That Goes Wrong” upends the mystery whodunit. This knockabout mystery farce from London trades on the perverse comfort of watching things go smash in a safe, contained environment. ONE OF THE PRODUCERS IS A COLLEGE CLASSMATE.

NY Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris is launching a new fantasy series set in a fractured America. The first book in the trilogy, TEXOMA, will debut in 2018. JUST READ MY FIRST (AND LAST) AURORA TEAGARDEN.

Early in March, SinC released the 2016 Monitoring Report, the annual report which highlights media coverage of books by female crime novelists. It has been at the cornerstone of the Sisters in Crime mission for 30 years. I MONITOR DEADLY PLEASURES FOR THIS PROJECT.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN HOLLYWOOD WITHOUT REALLY ACTING (2014)

How to Succeed in Hollywood without really Acting by Peter Skagen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you want to work in the movies as an actor, get a copy of this book right now! Even if you are just curious about how things work in the industry, you should read this book!

Every business has its own language, rules, and etiquette. Unless you have contacts (i.e. family) already working on films, you are apt to make mistakes that label you as a newbie. In most cases, they aren't looking for untested talent. Everyone connected with a film wants people who can make them money by KNOWING WHAT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO DO, DOING THEIR JOB, and NOT WASTING TIME. And that, according to the author, is more important than talent. Movies cast types. Do you know your type?

You can avoid a lot of missteps and be ready when opportunity knocks using the information author Peter Skagen has shared. Kagen, an actor, writer, and producer, explains necessary audition skills and how to behave on set once you are cast. Highly detailed, the book is also very readable, full of personal anecdotes and stories about well-known actors with some great quotes thrown in. The fact that there is a lot of repetition underscores the importance of some of the guidelines being shared.

I have worked in live theater all my life and had no idea how different working in film was. The reader also gets some insight into the variety of jobs that make up the team necessary to get a movie made. I have already shared this book with several talented young friends who want to 'make it' in Hollywood. This is required reading.

BOTTOM LINE: Great information and advice in a readable format that you can't get anywhere else. This book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to those interested in film acting. 

Title: How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Really Acting

Author: Peter Skagen

Genre: Non-Fiction

Publisher:  Poubelle Publishing

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

No. of Pages: 332

Copyright: December 30, 2014

ISBN-10: 099376570X

ISBN-13: 978-09937657047

Disclaimer: An advanced copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher/Net Galley for review purposes. 

"Peter Skagen – the un-acting coach -- is a working film and theater actor, screenwriter, playwright, producer, director and coach with an MA in screenwriting from California State, Northridge. Through his wildly successful in-person courses, he has helped countless actors achieve their dream of becoming not just screen actors, but working screen actors. He focuses on story, craft, business, and real-world technique -- the 90% of the business that doesn't take talent." (From GoodReads)
 

FINAL CURTAIN: AN EDNA FERBER MYSTERY (2014)

Final Curtain: An Edna Ferber Mystery by Ed Ifkovic
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Here we go again. Another book re-imagining the life of a real person. I am not a fan although this mystery featuring famous writer Edna Ferber is gracefully executed.

When Net Galley offered me a review copy, I was tempted because the mystery takes place in Maplewood, New Jersey where Edna has agreed to take part in a professional summer stock production of her play (written with George S. Kaufman) The Royal Family. Edna is a charming amateur sleuth.

Set in 1940, the author adds interesting historical facts and creates fascinating characters. The four other books in the series each feature a different time period and famous person. Final Curtain goes on sale June 3, 2014 from Poisoned Pen Press.

Bottom Line: Recommended if you enjoy historical mysteries featuring literary figures as crime-solvers, try this cozy series.

Title: Final Curtain: An Edna Ferber Mystery
Author: Edward Ifkovic
Genre: Cozy historical mystery
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
ISBN: 1464202923
No. of Pages: 250 pages
Copyright: June 12, 2014
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Source: NetGalley

DISCLOSURE: Invited by NetGalley to request and receive this title for an honest review. 

Edward Ifkovic taught literature and creative writing at a community college in Connecticut for over three decades. His short stories and essays have appeared in the “Village Voice, America, Hartford Monthly”, and “Journal of Popular Culture”. A longtime devotee of mystery novels, he fondly recalls discovering Erle Stanley Gardner’s ‘Perry Mason’ series in a family bookcase. (from Poisoned Pen website)

NORTH OF HOLLYWOOD (2012)

North of Hollywood by Rick Lenz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Getting to know Rick Lenz through his memoir North of Hollywood was great fun especially since I live in his hometown of Jackson, Michigan.

Those of us who are consumers of entertainment forget that only a chosen few rise to the top supported by an army of talented performers who, perhaps through no fault of their own, just didn't quite become the famous star they were shooting for.

Lenz gives us an insider's view of what it means to have a career that never quite soars. He is willing to let us see a bit of the craziness and frustration involved. But he remains kind, never naming the well-known person responsible for introducing his daughter to hard drugs.

Make no mistake. This book is not literature. It is episodic, loosely connected, and random. Some readers/reviewers seemed to have trouble following. If you just go along for the ride, you will have a great time remembering all the famous people, movies, and plays mentioned.

Anyone who has attempted to become a performer will recognize the struggle. If you ever had a dream in your life of becoming famous but gave up and decided to do something else, read this book. It may put things in perspective for you!

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AUDITION FOR MURDER (1985)

Audition for Murder (Maggie Ryan, 1967) by P.M. Carlson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What I especially loved about P.M. Carlson's AUDITION FOR MURDER is that she really knows her theater and she really knows her Shakespeare!

That being said I'd have to agree with one reviewer who wrote that people who understand theater and have been exposed to Shakespeare's Hamlet would love this mystery while others would not enjoy it at all.

The author's insightful descriptions of how directors and actors approach a part would probably strike the general mystery reader as obtuse and unnecessary. It drew me in and made the story special.

Maggie Ryan, a student who is running lights for a production of Hamlet, is an extraordinary sleuth. A gymnast and math major, she impresses from her first attention-drawing entrance. Setting the story on a college campus in the 1960s of Viet Nam protests is clever too. It allows for a clearly defined group of suspects, all well-drawn by the author.

Married professional actors Nick and Lisette, with problems of their own, sign on to spend a semester as artists-in-residence at a small upstate college. But someone apparently isn't happy with Lisette playing Ophelia and strange and sometimes dangerous things start to happen.

Besides beautiful use of language, I look for inventiveness and surprise in books and love those the best. P.M. Carlson has managed to do both things while writing quotable sentences!

Here are a couple of quotes that caught my fancy.

"Excellence is often unwelcome and difficult to forgive."

And on acting:

"The perfect detail, the instant that sends shivers down your spine...Those performances when somehow for an instant or two we connect with the universal. With eternity. When it happens, if it happens, it's worth any amount of time. It's worth your whole life."

Unfortunately there is only one other Maggie Ryan mystery. MURDER IS ACADEMIC. Both titles have just been reissued by The Mystery Company/​Crum Creek Press trade paperback and Ebook, 2012.

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Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures (2012)

Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures by Emma Straub
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

My relationship to this book may be different from other readers. Having grown up performing in summer stock with theatrical aspirations, I was excited to read about those wonderful days. What I took away instead was the role of women in an earlier time and how that affected the arc of their lives.

Elsa Emerson got to Hollywood by marrying a fellow actor. Once there, the Studio contracted with both of them but she soared as Laura Lamont. The Studio not only changed her name but also her hair color. She did what she was told and did it well. But times change and marriages fade. To survive, Laura turned her life over each time to someone else, usually a man. Her second husband was the love of her life but even he guided and protected her.

When good times left her behind, Laura allowed herself to float along wherever life's currents took her all the while wondering how she had gotten there.

Emma Straub is a lovely writer. To me Laura's story is a cautionary tale about not being an authentic person. But somehow the story does not feel fleshed out. It feels unsatisfactory. Laura holds us at arms length the same way she interacts with those she professes to love.

FTC Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Beautiful Ruins (2012)

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had to leave the room and find a private space to finish this book because I found it so moving.

What attracted me to the story is not, in the end, what affected me so deeply.

Italy has been a theme in my life recently and that, connected with Hollywood and theater, sounded passingly interesting. But, of course, as is often the case, the story was nothing like what I expected and that alone was worth the time.

In 1962 a young actress falls ill on the set of CLEOPATRA, the Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton fiasco. She arrives by water taxi at the fictitious Porto Vergogna to convalesce at the 'Adequate View Hotel'. The owner is smitten.

Covering fifty years, the story jumps between the past and the present and involves a myriad of characters, but we are never lost. I worried about reading a book that mixes truth and fiction but it is handled seamlessly and logically here.

And after caring about so many people who are woven through this story of love, life decisions, and unfulfilled dreams, I was grateful the author answered the questions in my mind making this an incredibly magical book.


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Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary Approves F-bomb

Stratford Shakespeare Festival / Andrew Eccles photographer

After just witnessing the inestimable Christopher Plummer's A WORD OR TWO at Stratford last week, I find no joy in these words now officially to be included in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. Plummer led the audience through the words contained in everything from the Bible to Shaw to Shakespeare to more contemporary poets that created his love of language.

The program introduction said "The purpose of A WORD OR TWO is simply to celebrate language which seems to be fast vanishing from our midst." Approval of the term F-bomb certainly supports that statement.

Other additions this year include “sexting,” “flexitarian,” “obesogenic,” “energy drink,” “life coach,” “man cave,” “brain cramp,” and “bucket list.” The Oprah-inspired “aha moment” made the cut, as did the Stephen King-popularized “earworm.” Read it and weep by clicking HERE.

To cheer yourself back up, read this wonderful interview with Christopher Plummer.
 

Living in a Foreign Language: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Love in Italy by Michael Tucker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Years ago I read Michael Tucker's first book I Never Forget a Meal: An Indulgent Reminiscence and remembered enjoying it. Our lives had some parallels growing up on the East Coast and attending the same college studying theater so I was curious.

All this spurred me to read his first novel After Annie, which just came out this year, about imagined lives based on his relationship with his wife, Jill Eikenberry. Click HERE for what I had to say!

And if that wasn't enough, I requested from my local library Living in a Foreign Language: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Love in Italy, which he wrote in 2007. As one person said in a review, don't read this while you are hungry!

Doesn't everyone share that dream of moving to another country and finding a new life? Most of us will never act out that dream but we can experience it vicariously through charming memoirs like this book. I found the bits and pieces shared concerning the difficulties of the acting professional interesting and have found a new appreciation for Italian food, with which Michael Tucker is seriously in love. The people he meets, the discoveries he makes about Italy, and his love of life in general make this great fun.

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After Annie (2012)

After Annie by Michael Tucker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Herbie Aaron is one half of a celebrity marriage. . .But when Annie  dies of cancer, Herbie is lost."

I wanted to like this book. Then I started reading it and I didn't think that was going to happen. First of all, I didn't much like Herbie or the lifestyle he described. The sex and booze we all suspect is indulged in by theatrical types is very much in evidence. And, of course, since the author (and his wife) are well-known performers, we assume the book is built on their relationship and lives, whether that is true or not.

But something happened after a few pages and I fell in love with the characters. All of them. Even Herbie.

This is the first book in a long time that has made me really laugh and cry. (It says something like that on the cover, but for once it's true.) You'll want to hang out with these people. You'll think about making changes in your life and relationships. And because theater has been my life long passion, I can attest to the fact that the advice about acting and how to approach a role is truly insightful.

After all, Herbie is unique and seeing through his eyes makes you rethink the way you understand your own struggles. You'll be sorry to leave his world when the story ends.

Although this is Tucker's first published novel, he has written three other books of nonfiction about food and family. His bio says he is a writer and an actor. Both are more than true.


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The Drama Book Shop

Why I never made a visit to The Drama Book Shop on one of my infrequent trips to New York City, I can't say. This legendary location caters to actors and others in the theatrical profession. They have 8,000 plays in stock and a 50-seat theatre downstairs. They have even been awarded their very own Tony.

Read more about this fabulous Midtown Manhattan book store HERE.

Why is Contemporary Art Addicted to Violence?

This is the title of a review by Laura Kipnis for The New York Times: Books Update  (July 14, 2011). She is writing about The Art of Cruelty: A Reckoning by Maggie Nelson. It is a question that has been on my mind recently along with the greater use and acceptance of profanity.

After reading the review, which claims that complaints about violence in the media are almost always aimed at low-brow fare while giving 'cultural' events a pass, the reviewer noted that Maggie Nelson avoids that accusation aiming "at the fine arts, literature, theater — even poetry".

I'm adding this title to my reading list. You can read the whole review HERE.

Carver's Manual on Community Theatre Directing (2010)

Carver's Manual On Community Theatre Directing by James C. Carver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a must read for everyone interested in directing community theatre. Although I have forty plus years of experience, I read every page of Carver's book. In his preface he writes, "I always want to hear other director's thoughts on directing, because I steal anything that works." I can see myself pulling my copy out every time I agree to direct a show in the future just to feel I haven't forgotten anything. And Carver stresses that there is a particular list of issues associated with community theatre primary of which is the fact that "most of the people who come to us have talent, but no craft".

The other thing he mentions briefly at the end of the book, which made a big impact on me, was that we don't have a national theatre in our country. He proposes it should be our community theatres, which are in nearly every community, and involve more people than any regional or professional theatre!

It was reassuring to hear from someone else that my experiences over the years are normal and that my instincts are right. Thank you, James Carver.


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Callan Books in Stratford, Ontario

For the last four years I have traveled with friends to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada. The one place I always make a point to visit is Callan's Bookstore at 15 York Street. They have been in business for 22 years and apparently are a destination for many book lovers.

One site lists Callan's specialties as "Canadiana, mysteries, theatre, cookery, history, classics and contemporary fiction. An eclectic selection and knowledgeable staff." Each year I come away with new authors, often Canadian, that I would never find on my own. It is the only time I 'browse' for books during the year since my list of books 'to read' is so long. This year's treasures are Last Reminder (Stuart Pawson), A Sea of Troubles (Donna Leon), and Theatre (David Mamet).

David Mamet's THEATRE (2010)

After reading Terry Teachout's comments about David Mamet's new book, called simply Theatre, I searched for it and found that the Ann Arbor District Library had a copy on order. I have requested that my local library purchase a copy as well but it may be a while before I get to read it. Check out what Teachout has to say about the book  here and comments about Mamet's top plays here.

The Play That Changed My Life (2009)

The American Theatre Wing Presents the Play That Changed My Life: Americas Foremost Playwrights on the Plays That Influenced Them by Ben Hodges


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Subtitled 'America's Foremost Playwrights on the Plays That Influenced Them', I have not been able to discern why these particular nineteen playwrights were chosen and some others were not. That having been said, I found all the essays/interviews fascinating. Closest to my own experiences with theater growing up were those of Christopher Durang. He knew and loved "Fiorello" and "Carnival" both of which I saw in try-out in Philadelphia as a teen. He also had attended the Paper Mill Playhouse where I was lucky enough to perform with the Children's Theater from the John B. Kelley Playhouse in the Park (now long gone). David Ives's story of being inspired by Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn in "A Delicate Balance" and then meeting them years later was touching. But the story that most affected me was that of Doug Wright, who made me cry. The two people who most influenced him were taken away long ago by A.I.D.S.

Highly readable and inspirational, this is a great book for anyone interested in theater. It certainly made me think about the experiences the propelled me to love theater.

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Backwards and Forwards (1983)

Backwards & Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays by David Ball


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another overdue book from the library. Recommended by 'becoming a dramaturgist' friend Deb, I had to ask my local library to find it somewhere else in the state. By the time I got the book, the time allowed to read, even this slim book, was not adequate.

Author David Ball was a professor in the Drama Department at Carnegie Mellon when he wrote this book. He has impeccable credentials since then as well. That being said, I found some of his writing rather juvenile. He refers to those who don't understand a play as "dumb readers". Once you get past those types of comments, which are probably meant to draw in the especially educated readers of his book and as a joke, his concept of playreading is fascinating.

His primary suggestion is that you cannot understand a play in totality unless you can connect all the dots. Why do things happen? What propels them?  He posits that by being able to start at the end and work your way to the beginning of the play you will see those important connections.

Using HAMLET as a major focus, he discusses how the play can be built to the best advantage for performance. This is an important book for anyone interested in directing, playwriting, or dramaturgy.

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