A stranger takes over a role in a play, leaving the rest of the cast to ponder his motives. Two minutes into the second act, there is a knock on Nicolas Boehlmer’s dressing-room door, just as he’s smoking his last cigarette before having to go back on stage . . . and, without thinking, he says,“Come in,” still in character. He quickly finds himself bound, gagged, and stripped by a man who appears to be his mirror image: costumed in the same wig, make-up, and clothes. Nicolas is powerless to prevent his usurper from going out and playing his role—with increasingly ridiculous consequences. Is this “upstaging” the act of a depraved amateur? Sabotage by a rival? A piece of guerrilla theater? A political statement? Whatever the cause, Nicolas and his fellow actors soon find their play—and their lives—making less and less sense, as the parts they play come under assault by this irrational intruder.

A stranger takes over a role in a play, leaving the rest of the cast to ponder his motives. Two minutes into the second act, there is a knock on Nicolas Boehlmer’s dressing-room door, just as he’s smoking his last cigarette before having to go back on stage . . . and, without thinking, he says,“Come in,” still in character. He quickly finds himself bound, gagged, and stripped by a man who appears to be his mirror image: costumed in the same wig, make-up, and clothes. Nicolas is powerless to prevent his usurper from going out and playing his role—with increasingly ridiculous consequences. Is this “upstaging” the act of a depraved amateur? Sabotage by a rival? A piece of guerrilla theater? A political statement? Whatever the cause, Nicolas and his fellow actors soon find their play—and their lives—making less and less sense, as the parts they play come under assault by this irrational intruder.

In the tradition of Joe Brainard’s I Remember and Georges Perec’s Je me souviens, this delightful “novel” offers a thousand answers to the question, “What are you thinking?” (Or, as translator Ian Monk puts it: “Penny for them?”) The answers are spontaneous, revealing, ominous, insignificant, grotesque, amusing, lecherous, tragic and trivial by turns, and lovable in their cheerful imperfection. This is a book about the basics: love, sexuality, death, and all the other things that lurk in our everyday thoughts.

The Oulipo celebrated its fiftieth birthday in 2010, and as it enters its sixth decade, its members, fans and critics are all wondering: where can it go from here? In two long essays Scott Esposito and Lauren Elkin consider Oulipo's strengths, weaknesses, and impact on today's experimental literature. ,

Challenges established notions of the director's craft and disrupts conventional interpretations of "the canon"

A book about a struggling actor who mumbles, tumbles, and fumbles his way through acting school and reperatory and touring theatre in England in the early 20th century A Book for Theatre Lovers This novel takes place in England in the early 20th century. It features numerous on-and-off stage adventures of an acting aspirants youth and theatrical encounters with a magician, stowing away on a shipload of touring actors, attending acting school, serving as an apprentice with the Birmingham and Liverpool Repertory Companies, and touring with a fit-up. It is an extraordinary, evolutionary education in theatre from the very basic stage movements to the plots of scores of contemporary productions, the characterizations of stage performers, chores of backstage crew, and problems and issues faced by Thespians of the time. Books may be obtained through the publisher, AuthorHouse; Amazon and Barnes & Noble and as an ebook or from the author at [email protected]. A Sample of Reviews Upstage, Downstage, Cross is, just like the title, a delightful and sparkling account of an English boys love affair with the theatre and his wacky and wild, albeit imaginative attempts to become an actor in spite of family opposition and his own unexpected limitations in the art of actingIf you are an aficionado or love English theatre, youll be riveted by the stories of the theatre in the period before WWWI, through the war and its aftermath. This was a period of transition from the days when there were dozens of theatre companies touring Britain and it was the entertainment of masses, to the beginning and then rise of the moving pictures that drew away the usual theatre audiences to the moviesThe style of the book is sparkling with wit and adventure and vignettes of the theatre. Bill Thomas writes in the wonderful tradition of English authors, although he does avoid the Dickensonsian downers. His story is populated with good people, which is a breath of fresh air. Pick up this book and enjoy. Adriana Renescu, Author Your affection for the Bard and English theatre shines through in every way. I particularly dig stowing away on the Lusitania Great StuffOne thing I learned is that I definitely dont want to be a stage manager. Much too hard. Your attention to detail is ever impressive. John Hall, former feature writer, Orange County Register I found your book a very insightful look into life in middle class England during the early 20th century. I enjoyed the way you incorporated a wealth of historical information into a delightful story of a young boy coming of age while pursuing his dreams of becoming an actor. ..I also learned much about the development of English theatre and the way the medium transitioned from the classical and vaudevillian to real life dramasOverall; I was greatly impressed by the depth of research evidenced in the novel regarding English theatre and its influence on society during that period of tumultuous change. John DeNizio, member, San Clemente Book Club he writes of a theatre world that no longer exists, but he captures the excitement of that era through his main character, who has a love for the theatre and lets nothing stand in his way to be an actor. Reading Bills book I realized I was being led by a master writer. His descriptions and detail can only come from one who has seen and retained what he saw and heard. His writing reveals a wit that has been fine tuned with a long and fruitful life. Herman Sillas, Attorney and writer.

The French Enlightenment in America offers an overview of French American cultural relations during the French Enlightenment. The essays in this volume explore the literary presence of French authors in America between 1760 and 1800 and the reception of their writings by the Founding Fathers and other Americans. These essays explore such topics as the Founding Fathers’ knowledge of French, the philosophes, Voltaire in the South, and more. The Georgia Open History Library has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this collection, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.