Performing Arts
The Birth of Tragedy
This is one of Nietzsche's early academic writings - a scholarly theory about Ancient Greek theatre, specifically tragedies. In a nutshell, …
The Speaking Voice
From the Preface of The Speaking Voice: principles of training simplified and condensed: "This book offers a method of voice training w…
Stories From Wagner
Eleven stories of eleven operas by Richard Wagner: Das Rheingold. Die Walküre. Siegfried. Götterdämmerung. Parsifal. Lohengrin. Ta…
Buffalo Bill from Prairie to Palace
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody is one of the legends of the American western frontier. As a teen he rode for the pony expr…
Institutio Oratoria
Marcus Fabius Quintilianus was of Spanish origin, being born about 35 A.D. at Calagurris. At Rome he met with great success as a teacher and…
Screen Acting
Silent film star, Mae Marsh, recounts her life as an actress in this publication, what she deems as being the answer to thousands of letters…
The Sins of Hollywood
Exacerbated by several high-profile Hollywood scandals, a wave of anti-Hollywood rhetoric tried to paint the movie capital as a veritable ho…
The Humbugs of the World
P. T. Barnum exposes some of the chief humbugs of the world with his usual entertaining style. He looks at medicine and quacks, ghosts, witc…
Herrmann's Book of Magic
Herrmann's Book of Magic offers a comprehensive exploration of the art of magic, blending practical techniques with the secrets of illusion.…
A Dialogue Concerning Oratory
The scene of the Dialogus de Oratoribus, as this work is commonly known, is laid in the sixth year of Vespasian, 75 a.D. The commentators ar…
Struggles and Triumphs
The 1873 edition of the autobiography of the founding genius of the "Greatest Show on Earth," P.T. (Phineas Taylor) Barnum. It d…
Sawdust and Spangles
Subtitled "Stories and Secrets of the Circus", this book tells some of the stories of circuses in the era of P.T. Barnum from the …
The Cinema of Orson Welles
Acclaimed director Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon) was, early in his career, a film critic. It was during this time t…
Hollywood
Serialized in Shadowland from November 1921 to February 1922, Hollywood: Its Morals and Manners is Theodore Dreiser's shocking four part exp…
Modern Magic
This "how-to" book covers everything for the 1800's illusionist, from stage presence & dress, program and stage arrangement, t…
The Miracle Mongers
The Miracle Mongers offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of stage performers and the extraordinary feats they claim to accomplish. Wr…
Broadway Is My Beat
Broadway Is My Beat is a captivating radio series that takes listeners on a journey through the vibrant world of New York City's theater dis…
Behind the Footlights
In this collection of essays the author gives us an opportunity to peek into the mysterious life of the theatre; she recalls her numerous co…
The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin
This work is by Harry Houdini, and was an attempt, by him, to undermine the public reverence for the man regarded as the master of modern ma…
The Voice and Public Speaking
I write for public speakers. I wish to take them into my confidence. I feel I can do them good. My object is to help them to speak with grea…