The best actors in the world

Sample

Jean Wilson

"The plays of Elizabethan and Jacobean England, and Shakespeare's work in particular, are usually presented in a purely literary context; the material context is relatively neglected. Yet the setting, staging and costuming of Shakespeare's plays are not only fascinating subjects in their own right; they also illuminate aspects both of the playtext and of contemporary social and cultural history." "The Archeology of Shakespeare sets out to right this imbalance in theatre studies by systematically investigating the material evidence that bears upon the theatre and theatrical presentations of Shakespeare's day. The astounding discovery in 1989 of the foundations of the Rose theatre, followed later in the year by the uncovering of the site of Shakespeare's own Globe theatre, have transformed our knowledge of the subject. Dr. Wilson assesses the results of these investigations in relation to what is known of the other theatres of London, and supplements her findings by the study of contemporary art forms, especially tomb sculpture, an under-used body of material that throws considerable light on the interiors and staging practices of Elizabethan playhouses." "Chapters on the social and cultural background to the Elizabethan theatre, as well as on Shakespeare himself, provide the context to the fascinating detail of the 'archeology'. Nearly ninety illustrations of contemporary paintings, sculptures and buildings complement the text."--BOOK JACKET.

Sample

Samuel Crowl

In this lively study of both modern film and stage productions of Shakespeare, Samuel Crowl provides fascinating insights into the ways in which these productions have been influenced by one another as well as by contemporary developments in critical approaches to Shakespeare's plays. Crowl's study demonstrates the surprising resonances between Roman Polanski's 1971 film of Macbeth and Adrian Noble's heralded recent production of the play for The Royal Shakespeare Company; argues that Orson Welles's films of Othello and Chimes at Midnight are not only brilliant re-imaginings of Shakespeare in another art form but make a powerful contribution to our contemporary understanding of performance as interpretation; and chronicles the impact of Peter Hall's creation of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1960 on performance approaches to Shakespeare in the past thirty years. Shakespeare Observed provides full interpretative readings of key recent Shakespeare productions in England and includes an intimate behind-the-scenes glimpse into the rehearsal process which produced Ron Daniels's emotionally charged version of Romeo and Juliet for the RSC in 1980. The final chapter uses Kenneth Branagh's highly successful film of Henry V as a summary example of the trends and influences Crowl's study traces, seeing the film as gathering its interpretative energies from both Olivier's famous film version of the play and Adrian Noble's stage production featuring Branagh as the king. Written in a style which places a premium on capturing the vivid and often dazzling moments of stage and film performances of Shakespeare, Crowl's study will be of interest to the avid film and theater-goer as well as to the scholar and student. Shakespeare Observed joins a growing list of recent critical works which have significantly expanded and redefined the boundaries of Shakespeare studies in our time.

Sample

W.M. Spellman

"The Latitudinarians and the Church of England, 1660-1700 reexamines the religious thought of a group of important divines within the Church of England from the Restoration of 1660 until the emergence of Deism and the beginning of the Enlightenment in the late 1690s."--BOOK JACKET. "The Latitudinarians were so named by contemporary critics for their willingness to accept the political and religious changes imposed during the Interregnum, a period of extremely factious religious debate. Modern scholars have closely identified the practical theology of these moderate churchmen with the rise of Deism and religious rationalism after the Glorious Revolution. W. M.^ Spellman challenges that association by focusing on several aspects of faith important to an understanding of the Latitudinarian movement: the Latitudinarian estimate of human nature and the impact of original sin; the place of reason, grace, and divine providence in the process of salvation; and the purpose of moral reform in a theological system where works were without merit."--BOOK JACKET. "In each of these areas, Spellman shows how the Latitudinarians maintained positions indistinguishable from those championed by their supposedly more orthodox peers within the restored Church of England. Rather than associating the Latitudinarians with later, and often independent, developments in the life of the Church, Spellman returns the moderate divines to the unique seventeenth-century historical context in which the movement originated."--BOOK JACKET.^ "Spellman explores the basis of the Latitudinarian search for a more reasonable faith and a comprehensive Church of England in light of the experience of civil war, sectarian violence, and the rebirth of academic skepticism, and he concludes with an analysis of the fundamental issues that divided the moderates from their younger Deist admirers."--BOOK JACKET. "A substantial addition to our knowledge of the religious and intellectual life of Restoration England, The Latitudinarians and the Church of England, 1660-1700 enriches our knowledge of an important but relatively misunderstood chapter in English religious life."--BOOK JACKET.

Sample

Susan Squires

ONE DESIRE Jane Blundell's keen intellect and wit have always set her apart from her marriage-minded peers. But such differences are nothing compared to the change that comes upon her when she is infected by a blood sample in her father's laboratory. Suddenly, her veins resonate with a terrifying exhilarating power. Dr. Blundell takes Jane to the Scottish highlands where she collides with the only man who can understand her hunger- and slake her unending desire... ONE DESTINY Callan Kilkenny has returned to England from Marrakech, still filled with self-loathing at the deeds he committed in the name of a beautiful depraved vampire. Now that he has tracked down Dr. Blundell in hopes of a cure, he has also found a kindred spirit in Jane. Her passion and her blood call to Callan, fueling a carnal need that shocks them both with its intensity. But others have come in search of the cure, too... for reasons that are sinister and deadly. And to save Jane, and the rest of their kind, Callan must risk everything-even his last chance at redemption.