Drama Book Shop announces upcoming events and new material available for purchasing.
New Plays and Musicals
REASONS TO BE PRETTY by Neil LaBute
A love story about the impossibility of love, REASONS TO BE PRETTY introduces us to Greg, who really, truly adores his girlfriend, Steph. Unfortunately, he also thinks she has a few physical imperfections, and when he casually mentions them, all hell breaks loose. A hopelessly romantic drama about the hopelessness of romance, REASONS TO BE PRETTY is a gorgeous play.
Acting Edition: $8.95
THE 39 STEPS
Adapted by Patrick Barlow
From the Movie of Alfred Hitchcock
WINNER! 2 Tony® and Drama Desk Awards, 2008 WINNER! BEST NEW COMEDY Laurence Olivier Award, 2007 The 39 Steps, is Broadway's longest running comedy, playing its 500th performance on Broadway, May 19th, 2009!
Acting Edition: $9.95
OCCUPANT by Edward Albee
"The play also touches on themes that echo throughout Mr. Albee's work: the unreliability of memory, the chimerical nature of language and particularly the alchemical brew of "truth and illusion" (to borrow a much-used pair of words from "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?") by which people define themselves."-The New York Times
Acting Edition: $10.95
Distracted by Lisa Loomer
"A smartly comic, sharply observant and surprisingly humane play." -Associated Presss. "A chronically entertaining comedy." -New York Daily News. "Five stars. My favorite comedy of the year!" -Time Out.
Acting Edition: $8.95
Terre Haute by Edmund White
A famous author comes face-to-face with America's most notorious terrorist. One has a story to write, the other has a story to tell. As the clock ticks on death row, a strange bond grows between the two men. Filled with clever sparring and raw emotion, this is a taut drama that touches on the definitions of freedom and the need for love.
The Daily Telegraph in London hailed Terre Haute as, "topical, transgressive and thrillingly dramatic."
"White has captured the amusingly constricted voices of the patrician novelist and the plebian terrorist cannily and cogently." -Charles Isherwood, The New York Times
Acting Edition: $9.95
Events
Thursday, February 11, 2010
from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Shakespeare to Shepard (FREE CLASS)
A free acting class with Actress/Coach Sybil Lines. A wine & cheese reception follows.
For actors intrigued, nervous, or thrilled at working on Shakespeare's characters, this workshop is a free sample class with Actress/Coach Sybil Lines. Her visceral approach makes it suitable for beginners as well as more seasoned professionals.
SHAKESPEARE TO SHEPARD, a 6-week acting course, is planned to start in February.
SHAKESPEARE TO SHEPARD is an acting workshop that explores the similarities and differences in tackling Shakespeare's works compared to modern American playwrights. There will be scene study work on modern writers (Mamet, Albee, Miller, etc.) and Shakespeare. Sybil encourages the exploration of the primal needs that prompt a character to speak. She encourages an actor to do the detective work into the character by analyzing the use of the words. The class uses exercises that help the actor find the psychological and emotional intensity. There are also exercises to develop the energy and appropriate physical power for classical texts. Exercises from her classical course, "Shakespeare from the Loins," will also be included in the workshop. Through them, the actor will be more comfortable with heightened language and meter, while avoiding phony tonal qualities and sing-song delivery.
When writers choose to write a drama over a novel or poem, they entrust the completion of their communication to an actor. It is up to you to fulfill that trust with an approach that focuses on organic specificity, modulation and new thought while honing technical skills that enable the full expression of a passionate imagination.
SYBIL LINES has appeared on BBC television and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as work on Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theaters. To read her full bio please visit dramabookshop.com
Wednesday, February 17, 2010, at 7:00 p.m.
Conversation with The Pearl Theatre:
Charles Dickens' HARD TIMES (FREE)
A night of performances from Charles Dickens' HARD TIMES and conversations with Artistic Director and Dramaturge of the Pearl Theatre.
In conjunction with The Pearl Theatre Company's stunning adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic Hard Times, The Drama Book Shop presents a conversation with Director J.R. Sullivan, and Dramaturge Kate Farrington.
This whirlwind adaptation of Dickens' saga features six actors portraying more than two dozen characters. It is placed inside the darkest industrial landscape but it is a place filled with honesty, loyalty, and joy. This event will feature readings from the play by members of The Pearl's Resident Acting Company.
