This book describes the many uses and benefits of readers theatre. Readers Theatre is a cooperative or shared reading of a poem, story or lyrics of a favourite song. Two or more readers can take part. Even if a piece is scripted for only two readers, and you want more than two readers to participate, assign parts to a duet or chorus. And there are times when you will want to give a part to a weaker and stronger reader for practice, so that one reader supports the other till both feel comfortable enough to read independently. Simple as that.

Forword -- Break a leg! -- Whistling -- Don't wear green onstage -- More colorful traditions -- Cats -- Candles & curtains -- Peacock-a-mamie -- Mirror begone! -- Flowers, jewelry, thread -- Bas dress, good show -- Opening night! -- Make up -- How many actors does it take -- 10 things that bring good luck -- 18 things that bring not-so-good-luck -- Actors on acting (1) -- Why is it called "the green room"? -- The ghost light -- The gypsy robe -- How many stage managers does it take -- Don't quote the Scottish play! -- St. Genesius and other saintly aids to actors -- "You ... you thespian!"--Those happy-sad theatre masks -- On Broadway -- Who the heck is Walter Plinge? -- The number 13 -- Some unusual theatre terms -- How many playwrights does it take -- Famous actors and their superstitions -- Stage turkeys and their notorious Broadway moose -- Edmund Kean's most peculiar charm -- Theatre ghosts -- Actors on Acting (2) -- Clackers -- Odds and funds -- Acknowledgments -- The authors

A collection of nineteen plays to be performed for young audiences or by child actors.

The first book to compile all of theater's glorious bloopers--an uproarious homage to the stage Stop the Show! is the first book to assemble humorous, frightening and bizarre anecdotes about the history of all that went wrong during live theatrical productions in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. It is the publishing equivalent of TV bloopers for the legitimate stage. This book includes stories from top directors, actors, playwrights and technicians from New York, Los Angeles, and points in between, to the United Kingdom, from the 19th century to today. There are stories about missed entrances and exits, onstage unscripted fights between performers, improvised lines, accidental pratfalls, falling scenery, and costume, lighting and makeup screwups. The backstage provides sordid tales of practical jokes, treachery, misplaced props, wild arguments, and generally the kinds of things Michael Frayn created for his farce about a theatrical disaster, Noises Off. This book doesn't leave out the theatergoers either, who snore, fight with each other, talk back to the performers, search for their seats, become suddenly ill, eat, drink, make merry, and are yelled at by the performers--all of which sometimes prompts the show to stop, even though we've always been told it must go on.

An introduction to the theater that includes everything from backstage, cast, behind the scenes information, the building, to the actual productions.