Browse Results

Showing 15,101 through 15,125 of 15,462 results

The Methuen Drama Handbook of Gender and Theatre (Methuen Drama Handbooks)


This is a guide to contemporary debates and theatre practices at a time when gender paradigms are both in flux and at the centre of explosive political battlegrounds.The confluence of gender and theatre has long created intense debate about representation, identification, social conditioning, desire, embodiment, and lived experience. As this handbook demonstrates, from the conventions of early modern English, Chinese, Japanese and Hispanic theatres to the subversion of racialized binaries of masculinity and femininity in recent North American, African, Asian, Caribbean and European productions, the matter of gender has consistently taken centre stage. This handbook examines how critical discourses on gender intersect with key debates in the field of theatre studies, as a lens to illuminate the practices of gender and theatre as well as the societies they inform and represent across space and time. Of interest to scholars in the interrelated areas of feminist, gender and sexuality studies, theatre and performance studies, cultural studies, and globalization and diasporic studies, this book demonstrates how researchers are currently addressing theatre about gender issues and gendered theatre practices. While synthesizing and summarizing foundational and evolving debates from a contemporary perspective, this collection offers interpretations and analyses that do not simply look back at existing scholarship, but open up new possibilities and understandings. Featuring essential research tools, including a survey of keywords and an annotated play list, this is an indispensable scholarly handbook for anyone working in theatre and performance.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

by William Shakespeare

The fairies of the forest interfere with the lives of mortals attending the wedding feast of Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Hipployta, and the realms of mortals and fairies collide on one magical midsummer night.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

by William Shakespeare Shane Weller

In this most famous of Shakespeare's comedies four mismatched lovers and a troupe of actors become tangled in a quarrel between the fairy king and queen. Love portions and transformed identities create a night of confusion that must be set right.

Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle (Modern Plays)

by Mr Henry Lewis Mr Henry Shields Jonathan Sayer

Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer, the multi award-winning team behind the sold-out global smash hit The Play That Goes Wrong and the BBC comedy series The Goes Wrong Show, star in this hilarious new comedy by Mischief.Join the 'Mind Mangler' as he returns to the stage following a disappointing two-night run at the Luton Holiday Inn conference centre, suite 2b. His new two-man show solo spectacular is predicted to spiral into chaos as he attempts to read your mind...Following a sold out run at the Edinburgh Festival this summer, Mind Mangler is a guaranteed night of 'laugh filled, mind-bending silliness' (Broadway World) that will leave you gasping for breath. Not to be missed!

Mixed Company: Three Early Jamaican Plays (Oberon Modern Playwrights)

by Cecily Waite-Smith Louis Marriott Sylvia Wynter

In 2012 Jamaica celebrates the 50th anniversary of Independence.Mixed Company is a collection of three of the finest early Jamaicantheatrical works, written for the most part before the dawn ofIndependence.Written in 1954 (The Creatures by Cicely Waite-Smith), 1960 (Bedwardby Louis Marriott) and 1970 (Maskarade by Sylvia Wynter), the playsare examples of works conceived with a Jamaican audience in mind,a Jamaican audience conscious of the melting pot in which it lived.Each offers a unique perspective on the spirit of a people whoheld on to traditional beliefs and customs in the face of colonialopprobrium as the populace struggled to gain its political, socialand cultural independence.

The Mob

by John Galsworthy

The Moon Is Down

by John Steinbeck

In this masterful story set in Norway during World War II, Steinbeck explores the effects of invasion on both the conquered and the conquerors. As he delves into the emotions of the German commander and the Norwegian traitor, and depicts the spirited patriotism of the Norwegian underground, Steinbeck uncovers profound, often unsettling truths about war—and about human nature. The Moon is Down had an extraordinary impact as Allied propaganda in Nazi-occupied Europe, and despite efforts to suppress it, the book was secretly translated into French, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, German, Italian, and Russian, and hundreds of thousands of copies circulated Europe, making it by far one of the most popular pieces of propaganda during the war. Few literary works of our time have demonstrated so triumphantly the power of ideas in the face of cold steel and brute force. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm: Belongings; The Wasp; Mum; When the Long Trick's Over; The Passenger (Contemporary Dramatists)

by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm

In her first collection of plays, Olivier award-winning playwright and screenwriter Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's talent for writing complex female characters is on dazzling display. Belongings (2011): "Malcolm's writing is sharp and witty but also very powerful in places. Her use of humour can be shocking but it helps to balance out the weighty issues being explored: guilt, gender and family politics, sex as both a commodity and a weapon. Touching, funny and brutal, this is – on many levels – an impressive first work." - ExeuntThe Wasp (2015): "Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's two-hander is sprung like a bear trap, a play with very sharp teeth." - The StageMum (2021): "Lloyd Malcolm, who resurrected a 17th-century feminist poet for her riotous 2018 hit Emilia, here spills the dark side of modern maternity: exhausted anxiety, love-hate co-dependency, what happens when your very worst fears come true." - Evening StandardWhen The Long Trick's Over (2022): "Grief can feel like drowning. And in Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's play about a swimmer with the challenge to cross the Channel, it is voluminous." - GuardianThe Passenger (2021): Originally commissioned and produced by Shakespeare's Globe, this piece recounts the experience of the author's childhood terrors. A shadowy figure who follows. Has it followed us here? How will she escape him? The Passenger was staged as a part of the first Terrifying Women showcase at the Golden Goose Theatre, London, in October 2021.Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's play Emilia became a hit show in summer 2018 before transferring to the West End in 2019, winning three Olivier awards. Her adaptation of her play The Wasp completed filming at the end of 2022 starring Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer and directed by Guillem Morales. Her play Belongings was shortlisted for the Charles Wintour Most Promising Playwright Award. She formed Terrifying Women with Abi Zakarian, Sampira and Amanda Castro in 2021 with an aim to producing more horror in theatre.

The Mountaintop (Student Editions)

by Katori Hall

The Mountaintop is published here as a Methuen Drama Student Edition, featuring notes and commentary by Harvey Young, Dean of the College of Fine Arts, Boston University, USA. The introduction offers a discussion of key themes including race, identity, politics, magical realism, one-act plays, historical figures and martyrs.The night before his assassination, Martin Luther King, Jr. retires to room 306 in the now-famous Lorraine Motel after giving an acclaimed speech to a massive church congregation. When a mysterious young maid visits him to deliver a cup of coffee, King is forced to confront his past and the future of his people.Portraying rhetoric, hope and ideals of social change, The Mountaintop also explores being human in the face of inevitable death. The play is a dramatic feat of daring originality, historical narration and triumphant compassion.

Mr Punch (Modern Plays)

by Steve Byron Joana Geronimo

You have to see things from all angles. May save your life one day.A dark and “Punchy” comedy exploring stubborn tradition and the shining light that acceptance can bring.Steve Byron and Joana Geronimo's Mr Punch follows Norman, a solitary and now lonely figure of fun, with a dependence on drink and a long life of self-destruction and small mindedness. Norman has returned from a funeral carrying his recent departed father's life in a suitcase. A father whom he blames for his actions, situations and what the world might call a 'wasted life'. When a faraway family move in next door, Norman's attitudes, pity-party and beliefs may have to change.But there's no show without Punch. Mr Punch is told against the backdrop of 21st century Britain, with the use of puppetry and extremely dark humour. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle, in September 2023.

Much Ado About Nothing

by William Shakespeare

Two couples—Benedick and Beatrice, and Hero and Claudio—must overcome deception, gossip, and, occasionally, their own misplaced pride if their love is to persevere.

Mule Bone: A Comedy of Negro Life

by Zora Hurston Langston Hughes

Holiding an exceptional place in the history of African-American theater, Mule Bone is the energetic and often farcical play co-written by Harlem Renaissance luminaries Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. The play centers on a two-man song-and-dance team and the woman who comes between them. Jealousy between the men erupts with the use of a mule bone as a weapon, and the ensuing hilarity and chaos splits the town into two factions.

Multisensory Shakespeare and Specialized Communities (Shakespeare and Social Justice)

by Sheila T. Cavanagh

How can theatre and Shakespearean performance be used with different communities to assist personal growth and development, while advancing social justice goals?Employing an integrative approach that draws from science, actor training, therapeutical practices and current research on the senses, this study reveals the work being done by drama practitioners with a range of specialized populations, such as incarcerated people, neurodiverse individuals, those with physical or emotional disabilities, veterans, people experiencing homelessness and many others. With insights drawn from visits to numerous international programs, it argues that these endeavors succeed when they engage multiple human senses and incorporate kinesthetic learning, thereby tapping into the diverse benefits associated with artistic, movement and mindfulness practices. Neither theatre nor Shakespeare is universally beneficial, but the syncretic practices described in this book offer tools for physical, emotional and collaborative undertakings that assist personal growth and development, while advancing social justice goals. Among the practitioners and companies whose work is examined here are programs from the Shakespeare in Prison Network, the International Opera Theater, Blue Apple Theatre, Flute Theatre, DeCruit and Feast of Crispian programs for veterans, Extant Theatre and prison programs in Kolkata and Mysore, India.

Murder Among Friends: Violation Of Philia In Greek Tragedy

by Elizabeth S. Belfiore

Modern scholars have followed Aristotle in noting the importance ofphilia(kinship or friendship) in Greek tragedy, especially the large number of plots in which kin harm or murder one another. More than half of the thirty-two extant tragedies focus on an act in which harm occurs or is about to occur amongphiloiwho are blood kin. In contrast, Homeric epic tends to avoid the portrayal of harm to kin. It appears, then, that kin killing does not merely occur in what Aristotle calls the "best" Greek tragedies; rather, it is a characteristic of the genre as a whole. In Murder Among Friends, Elizabeth Belfiore supports this thesis with an in-depth examination of the crucial role ofphiliain Greek tragedy. Drawing on a wealth of evidence, she compares tragedy and epic, discusses the role of philia relationships within Greek literature and society, and analyzes in detail the pattern of violation ofphiliain five plays: Aeschylus'Suppliants, Sophocles'PhiloctetesandAjax, and Euripides'Iphigenia in TaurisandAndromache. Appendixes further document instances of violation ofphiliain all the extant tragedies as well as in the lost plays of the fifth and fourth centuries B.C.E.

My Neighbour Totoro (Modern Plays)

by Tom Morton-Smith

Winner of the 2023 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.Joe Hisaishi and Royal Shakespeare Company present Studio Ghibli's My Neighbour Totoro.My Neighbour Totoro is a captivating coming-of-age tale that celebrates the wondrous magic of childhood and the transformative power of imagination. Two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, embark on the summer of their lives in the idyllic countryside. With their mother recovering from an illness at a rural convalescent hospital, their father decides to relocate the family so they can be closer to her.As they explore their enchanting new surroundings, Mei discovers fantastical creatures and encounters Totoro, the ancient and loveable guardian of the forest. Satsuki initially doubts her younger sister's claims, but soon finds herself joining in on their thrilling adventures. Along with their new friends, the siblings embark on a journey through a mystical world teeming with spirits, sprites, and breath-taking natural wonders. The stage production is adapted by Tom Morton-Smith from the feature animation by Hayao Miyazaki, directed by Phelim McDermott featuring music by Joe Hisaishi, in collaboration with Nippon TV and Improbable. This edition was published to coincide with the production at London's Barbican Centre, in November 2023.

National Theatre Connections 2024: 10 Plays for Young Performers (Plays for Young People)

by Luke Barnes Titas Halder Mojisola Adebayo Sian Owen Josh Azouz Abi Zakarian Alexis Zegerman Charlie Josephine Elgan Rhys Yasmeen Khan

National Theatre Connections 2024 draws together ten new plays for young people to perform, from some of the UK's most exciting and popular playwrights. These are plays for a generation of theatre-makers who want to ask questions, challenge assertions and test the boundaries, and for those who love to invent and imagine a world of possibilities.The plays offer young performers an engaging and diverse range of material to perform, read or study. Touching on themes like trans-rights, the mental health crisis, colonial history, disability activism, and climate change, the collection provides topical, pressing subject matter for students to explore in their performance.This 2024 anthology represents the full set of ten plays offered by the National Theatre 2024 Festival (eight brand-new plays, and two returning favourites), as well as comprehensive workshop notes that give insights and inspiration for building characters, running rehearsals and staging a production.

Nineteen Gardens (Modern Plays)

by Magdalena Miecznicka

We were bound by the same dreamTo be there and to own itor to destroy itNearly two years after the end of their affair, John and Aga meet once more. Each has filled the void left by the other: he has withdrawn into his world of wealth and privilege; she has found herself working as a chambermaid to support her family. Both recognise that the spark between them is still there. Will they rekindle what they had, or is an altogether darker game about to be played out…?Magdalena Miecznicka's Nineteen Gardens is a lyrical human comedy, by turns seductive, enigmatic and explosive. The author of several novels and plays in Polish, this is Miecznicka's first play in English.This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at London's Hampstead Theatre, in November 2023.

Nye (Modern Plays)

by Tim Price

One man's dream of the NHSFrom campaigning at the coalfield to leading the battle to create the NHS, Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan is often referred to as the politician with greatest influence on our country without ever being Prime Minister.Confronted with death, Nye's deepest memories lead him on a mind-bending journey back through his life; from childhood to mining underground, Parliament and fights with Churchill in an epic Welsh fantasia.Tim Price's surreal and spectacular journey through the life and legacy of the man who transformed Britain's welfare state premiered at the National Theatre starring Michael Sheen as Nye Bevan. This edition was published to coincide with the original production in February 2023.

The Odyssey: (It's a Really Really Really Long Journey) (Plays for Young People)

by Nina Segal

It starts – like many stories – with a man.A man leaving – heard that before?A man going off to find his fortune.A man going off to start a war.Telemachus was just a baby when his dad Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War. Now he's almost grown he sets off on a quest to find him, even if his mum is not convinced. Luckily he has the muses - and some great tunes - to guide him on his heroic journey.Join Telemachus on an epic adventure through stormy seas and strange lands, filled with mystical creatures, dangerous monsters and enchanting sirens - plus two talking sheep - and discover what really makes a true hero.This fun, musical re-telling of Homer's classic story The Odyssey is adapted by Nina Segal, with the original production directed by Jennifer Tang.This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at Unicorn Theatre in London, in March 2024.

Oedipus Rex

by Sophocles

Considered by many the greatest of the classic Greek tragedies, Oedipus Rex is Sophocles' finest play and a work of extraordinary power and resonance. <P><P>Aristotle considered it a masterpiece of dramatic construction and refers to it frequently in the Poetics. <P>In presenting the story of King Oedipus and the tragedy that ensues when he discovers he has inadvertently killed his father and married his mother, the play exhibits near-perfect harmony of character and action. <P>Moreover, the masterly use of dramatic irony greatly intensifies the impact of the agonizing events and emotions experienced by Oedipus and the other characters in the play. <P>Now these and many other facets of this towering tragedy may be studied and appreciated in Dover's attractive inexpensive edition of one of the great landmarks of Western drama. <P>A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

Refine Search

Showing 15,101 through 15,125 of 15,462 results