In this novel for teens, Ellie loves musical theater and is used to getting leading roles, but after she moves to the big city, she has to share a part with a talented girl who seems determined to outshine her.

First Published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

A shy seventh grader learns to step into the spotlight in this heartwarming middle-grade novel by acclaimed author, Diana Harmon Asher Shira Gordon is painfully shy. She rarely speaks and blushes at everything. And yet, when she’s alone in her room, she’ll sing and dance, dreaming she were different. So when her best friend forces her to audition for their school’s production of The Music Man, she’s mostly hoping the play will get canceled . . . but a tiny part of her hopes she’ll get in. And she does. As a member of the barbershop quartet. Playing a dude with a mustache is not exactly her dream role, but Shira is surprised by how much she loves rehearsing with her quirky new friends. When her teacher asks her to understudy the lead role, Marian the Librarian, she reluctantly accepts. It’s not easy to understudy Monica Manley, an eighth-grade diva who will not be upstaged. And things get even more complicated when a mysterious prankster starts playing tricks on Monica and Shira’s crush joins the cast. But something keeps Shira going, and it might just be Marian herself. Sure, Marian is a leading lady, but she’s also misunderstood, lonely . . . and shy. And if a star can be shy, then maybe, just maybe, a shy person can be a star.

"Don't look at them, look at me," a peacock seemed to be saying as he posed magnificently between the audience and the Shakespearean play being performed by Theatre Set-Up in the open air at Trevarno, Cornwall, effectively upstaging it. "I am really worth looking at!" Fed up with the noise that was disturbing his rest in the tree above the play, his was a deliberate attempt to stop it. Often though, the interference of creatures in the company's performances was accidental... "It is dreadful thing to see the wig that transforms your character being carted off by a fox!" cried an actress as she watched a fox race off with the red wig she had set in the open-air stage right changing area of Wollaton Hall, Nottingham. Evidently he had rescued the wig from this improvised theatre arena, mistaking it for one of his cubs! This was typical of the chaos that birds, bats, cats, dogs, sheep and horses could make of open-air performances in heritage sites. Add to that the confusion that rain, storms, wind and hot sun could add to the experience and an element of adventure unknown in regular indoor venues prevailed. This book tells the anecdotes of these adventures in this kind of theatre experienced by the international, professional Theatre Set-Up company (see www.ts-u.co.uk), which survived the vicissitudes of touring mostly open-air performances of Shakespeare in heritage sites from 1976 to 2011, performing throughout the UK from 1979 and in mainland Europe from 1993. Venues and gear of the company were transferred to The Festival Players in 2011. Its tours in 1979, 1980 and 1981 pioneered the genre, a species of theatre which has since then proliferated, providing many actors with paid employment and heritage sites with performances of plays presented conveniently with the minimum of fuss, cost and accoutrements. The companies bravely performing in this kind of theatre all experience the kinds of incidents recorded in this book, which salutes their courage and determination to "Carry on Regardless"! About the Author: Dr Wendy Jean Macphee was a teacher and lecturer in English, drama and music from 1960 to 2012 and was founder, administrator, artistic director, actor and musician for Theatre Set-Up. She now writes books (see Secret Meanings in Shakespeare Applied to Stage Performance, www.wjm-travelogue.net and www.wjm-pyramid.uk).

A president who distances himself from stagecraft will find himself upstaged. George H. W. Bush sought to “stay the course” in terms of policy while distancing himself from the public relations strategies employed during the administration of Ronald Reagan, his predecessor. But Bush discovered during his one-term presidency that a strategy of policy continuity coupled with mediocre communication skills “does not make for a strong public image as an effective and active leader in the White House", as author and scholar Lori Cox Han demonstrates in A Presidency Upstaged. Incorporating extensive archival research from the George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University—including documents only recently available through requests made under the Freedom of Information Act—Han thoroughly examines the public presidency of George H. W. Bush. Han analyzes how communication strategies, relationships with the press, and public opinion polling shaped and defined his image as a leader. The research for this study also includes content analysis of press coverage (both print and television) and major public addresses during the Bush administration. "Lori Cox Han skillfully uses archival materials, interviews and leading academic studies to present a thorough analysis of George H.W. Bush's public presidency. Her book is a valuable addition to the literature on presidential communications, media, and politics, and also stands as a very useful resource on the events of the first Bush presidency."-Mark Rozell, professor of Public Policy, George Mason University and author, Power and Prudence

Zack is back—and taking on the school play! Bah humbug! Zack Delacruz wants to win the role of Scrooge in Davy Crockett Middle School’s production of A Christmas Carol—and Abhi’s admiration, too. But he’s not the only one trying out for the play. So are José (El Pollo Loco), Marquis, and Janie, who dreams of being all three ghosts. What role will Zack end up playing on stage . . . and in his life? Bowling balls, gurgling stomachs, complete chaos, and quick detective work turn this year’s drama into a spectacular scene that will have actors rising to new heights—literally—and leave readers rolling in the aisles.

These proceedings emanate from the Second Prouts Neck Conference on prostate cancer held on October 17-19, 1986, the theme of which was treat ment, with focus on current issues and future research that is needed to answer critical questions related to optimal management of the various stages of prostate cancer. The objective was to reveal the most crucial problems impeding progress and to crystallize the combined multidisci plinary input generated by the conference into focused concepts or recommendations for presentation to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) , with the ultimate intent of targeting research to address the priority issues identified. In organizing the workshop, every effort was made to maintain a multidisciplinary balance among nationally renowned authorities on prostate cancer. Thus, leading surgeons, radiation and medical onco logists and biostatisticians were in equal presence. While there were spirited exchanges with careful scrutiny and critique of all data pre sented, there was a common belief that the challenge of prostate cancer would be best approached in this multidisciplinary Organ Systems-oriented fashion. During the course of the conference, it became apparent to all present that major nomenclature and procedural barriers have made it generally difficult, and frequently impossible, to compare results of clinical research.