Contributions by Amylou Ahava, Jeff Ambrose, Fernando Gabriel Pagnoni Berns, Daniel P. Compora, Penny Crofts, Keith Currie, Erin Giannini, Diganta Roy, Hannah Lina Schneeberger, Shannon S. Shaw, Maria Wiegel, and Margaret J. Yankovich First published in 1986, Stephen King's novel IT forever changed the legacy of the literary clown. The subject of a TV miniseries and a two-part film adaptation and the inspiration for a resurgence of the evil clown figure in popular culture, IT's influence is undeniable, yet scholarship to date is almost exclusively devoted to the adaptations rather than the novel itself. Encountering Pennywise: Critical Perspectives on Stephen King's "IT" considers the pronounced cultural fluctuations of IT's legacies by centering the novel within the theoretical frameworks that animate it and ensure its literary and cultural persistence. The collection explores the ways the novel, so like its antagonist, replicates (or disavows) the icons of various canons and categories in order to accomplish specific psychological and cultural work. Gathering the work of scholars from diverse professional and disciplinary vantage points, editor Whitney S. May has curated an anthology that spans discussions of American surveillance culture, intergenerational conflict, the legacies of settler colonialism and Native American representation, serial-killer fanaticism, and more. In this volume, we read the protagonists' constellations of countermoves against Pennywise as productive outlines of critique effectuated by the richness of the clown's reflective power. The essays are therefore thematically arranged into a series of four categories of "counter"-countercurrents, countercultures, counterclaims, and counterfeits-where each supplies a specific critical lens through which to view Pennywise's disruptions of both culture and cultural critique.

Dioramas and panoramas, freaks and magicians, waxworks and menageries, obscure relics and stuffed animals--a dazzling assortment of curiosities attracted the gaze of the nineteenth-century spectator at the dime museum. This distinctly American phenomenon was unprecedented in both the diversity of its amusements and in its democratic appeal, with audiences traversing the boundaries of ethnicity, gender, and class. Andrea Stulman Dennett's Weird and Wonderful: The Dime Museum in America recaptures this ephemeral and scarcely documented institution of American culture from the margins of history.

Weird and Wonderful chronicles the evolution of the dime museum from its eighteenth-century inception as a "cabinet of curiosities" to its death at the hands of new amusement technologies in the early twentieth century. From big theaters which accommodated audiences of three thousand to meager converted storefronts exhibiting petrified wood and living anomalies, this study vividly reanimates the array of museums, exhibits, and performances that make up this entertainment institution. Tracing the scattered legacy of the dime museum from vaudeville theater to Ripley's museum to the talk show spectacles of today, Dennett makes a significant contribution to the history of American popular entertainment.

Dave Lamb's collection of poetry and song lyrics, i'll be alright, contains love songs, fun songs, and poems of beauty and the heart filled with descriptions of life experiences to which everyone can relate. His songs have inspired listeners with passionate rhythm and heartfelt lyrics painting portraits of love, despair, anger, laughter, and solitude. Seasons of Life In the spring of life with all its bloom So much ahead, no wall of doom And in the spring you're blossoming You bring new buds of hope you think The summer time with all its splendor Life is filled with excitement and grandeur And in the summer you progress Do what you like improve your quest The fall of life comes far too fast The ride downhill runs like a dash And in the fall when leaves change color There's one gray hair after another The blustery winter wind blows cold Time will pass you by till old And in the winter feel the ice Time passes by with such a price

This book is full of comedy and crazy fictional characters. This book will make you laugh out loud. This Pryor like comedy book is a must have for your Coffee Table.

Monologues by Gregory L. Hudson is a compilation of thirty-two monologues from some of his most profound stage plays, films and television pilots. The literary works that these monologues were chosen from are socially relevant, provocative and reflects the good and bad aspects of society. Each monologue is different from the next and provides a unique challenge to actors of all levels. The characters are as varied as the colors in a rainbow and can be exceptionally witty like the homeless but optimistic character Lee Willie in Vagabond Love; or outrageously funny and likeable character Bojack in No Harm, No Foul; to the down right mean female correction officer Hurt character who doesn't feel that women garner respect in Bronx House; or the respected and deceptive racist bank manager Mr. Wallis whose main objective is to maintain the status quo of segregation in the deep south in A Piece Of My Dream. Other fun characters includes, the slick, smooth talking pastor in A Piece of My Dream (the Movie); the grimy lawyer Mr. Crooks in The Plaintiff; the lovable homeless character Abigail in Vagabond Love; the wacky, over the top judge who fancys himself as the sheriff, mayor, judge and everything else in No Harm, No Foul, to the zany, flaming gay choreographer in the T.V. pilot Buck Wild and more. The monologues are different, rich in unique dialogue and range from one to five minutes in length.

A delightfully creepy collection of 25 plays of horror and the supernatural, Theatre Macabre provides a bevy of produceable one-acts sure to put a shiver down the spines of your most discriminating audiences. This anthology of plays is Christopher Cook's best and most frightening dramas suitable for professional, community, college and experimental theatre companies. It is perfect for the late-night play-going crowds.

Cook's plays abound with tales of vampires, ghosts, werewolves, zombies, extraterrestrials, psychopaths, and even killer bees. Some of the plays in this book have been fully produced, some have received staged readings, a few are brand new and all of them are fast-paced, intriguing little gems written in the tradition of the classic Twilight Zone and Hitchcock TV series, respectively.

If you're looking for something to produce at Halloween, a one-act play festival, or an unusual addition to a season of full-length offerings, Theatre Macabre will prove an invaluable resource to add to your library of play collections. While not all the plays included are necessarily appropriate for school-aged actors to read or perform, there are a handful of scripts in the publication written specifically with middle and high school students in mind.

Theatre Macabre is a treasure trove of material for directors, producers, actors, teachers, and university professors alike. It is sure to become one of Christopher Cook's lasting legacies to the theatre world as well as the growing cult of horror enthusiasts worldwide

Order your copy of Theatre Macabre today and begin looking forward to putting on your own evening of chilling terrors and nightmarish thrillers

Blackstone focuses on the career of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody during the years in which he organized, promoted, and starred in his celebrated Wild West show. Basing her research on primary sources such as photographs, programs, route books, and scrapbooks of newspaper clippings kept by Cody and other participants in the show, Blackstone provides a vivid history of the famed extravaganza. Included in her discussion are the logistics of touring a huge show, the performers and their origins, semiotic analysis of each performance event, and the treatment of Indians and other minorities. Blackstone also deals with the iconography of the show and the way in which it instilled in the public consciousness a mythic image of the American West that has survived to the present day. Blackstone's conclusions help to put Buffalo Bill's Wild West into proper historical and cultural context. The volume includes numerous photographs, most of which have never been published before, and a bibliography containing original listings of primary source information.

The Sunday Times top 10 bestseller. Laugh along with Michael McIntyre as he lifts the curtain on his life in his revealing autobiography. Michael's first book ended with his big break at the 2006 Royal Variety Performance. Waking up the next morning in the tiny rented flat he shared with his wife Kitty and their one-year-old son, he was beyond excited about the new glamorous world of show business. Unfortunately, he was also clueless . . . In A Funny Life, Michael honestly and hilariously shares the highs and the lows of his rise to the top and desperate attempts to stay there. It's all here, from his disastrous panel show appearances to his hit TV shows, from mistakenly thinking he'd be a good chat show host and talent judge, to finding fame and fortune beyond his wildest dreams and becoming the biggest-selling comedian in the world. Along the way he opens his man drawer, narrowly avoids disaster when his trousers fall down in front of three policemen and learns the hard way why he should always listen to his wife. Michael has had a silly life, a stressful life, sometimes a moving and touching life, but always A Funny Life.

This 75th anniversary edition of the Theatre Yearbooks features a comprehensive and discerning look at the past. The highlights include an article by librettist Peter Stone on the evolution of the book of the musical over the last three-quarters of a century, a season-by-season listing of the 750 Best Plays, and rediscovered Al Hirschfeld drawings of some of the most memorable of those productions. It includes listings of all plays introduced on and off Broadway, award listings, vital statistics, editors' choices of the ten Best Plays and excerpts from each. This edition includes: Three Tall Women * Angels in America: Perestroika * The Madness of George III * Passion * and more.

As far as we know, only human beings have a sense of humour - although chimps might laugh when tickled, and dogs respond similarly in play, Seth McFarlane's fan-base is comprised exclusively of humans. Whilst animals and robots might feature as prominent characters in our favourite comic movies, shows and stand-up routines, we have no reason to suspect that their real-life brethren get the joke. Drawing on the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, Shaun May attempts to address this issue - suggesting that there is something distinctive about human beings which grounds our ability to make and comprehend jokes. Guiding the reader through a range of examples, including the films of Charlie Chaplin, the stand-up of Francesca Martinez, the TV show Family Guy and Samuel Beckett's Endgame, he demonstrates that in order to get the joke you have to 'be there'.

Find the best reference sources on theatre, dance, and related theatre arts quickly and efficiently with this new resource. Arranged by type of material, the book describes and evaluates the most significant directories, encyclopedias, handbooks, bibliographies, and other works on theatre and dance. Additional chapters discuss core periodicals, electronic discussion lists, useful associations, societies, and important libraries and archives of theatrical and dance materials. Entries are designed to help readers choose appropriate sources for their purposes. Emphasis is on recent English-language works, but the book also includes significant older and foreign works.

A journey through Johannesburg via three art projects raises intriguing notions about the constitutive relationship between the city, imagination and the public sphere- through walking, gaming and performance art. Amid prevailing economic validations, the trilogy posits art within an urban commons in which imagination is all-important.

"Most readers will learn a great deal about both entertainment and Americans from this exhaustive and fascinating book. . . . [An] important and unique record of American cultural history." Library Journal

THIS BRILLIANT SCREENPLAY FOR FILM AND CINEMA ENTAILS MANY STORIES WITHIN A STORY. THE LAYERS UNFOLD BEFORE YOUR EYES AS YOU READ AND PICTURE THE EVENTS TRULY HAPPENING BEFORE YOU. IN THIS ASTOUNDING SCRIPT FOR FILM YOU SHALL RE-DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF LIFE AND IT MAY EVEN INSPIRE YOU. THE CONTRAST OF SAMANTHA AS HER ELDERLY SELF AGAINST HER THRIVING YOUTH IS CAPTURED AND EXPRESSED. SAMANTHA DISCOVERS A HIDDEN AND SECRET TREASURE ROOM AND THEN THE CONTRAST HAPPENS AGAIN WHEN SHE FINDS HERSELF IMMERSED WITHIN THE OLD JOURNALS OF HER GREAT GRANDMOTHER, LISA. THE STORIES OF SAMANTHA'S ANCESTOR'S EXPOSED. SAMANTHA'S SON FRANK REVEALS A SECRET THAT RESULTS IN THE RE-KINDLING OF ALL THOSE CHERISHED MEMORIES.

This is the first volume of essays published on the television series Troy: Fall of a City (BBC One and Netflix, 2018). Covering a wide range of engaging topics, such as gender, race and politics, international scholars in the fields of classics, history and film studies discuss how the story of Troy has been recreated on screen to suit the expectations of modern audiences. The series is commended for the thought-provoking way it handles important issues arising from the Trojan War narrative that continue to impact our society today. With discussions centered on epic narrative, cast and character, as well as tragic resonances, the contributors tackle gender roles by exploring the innovative ways in which mythological female figures such as Helen, Aphrodite and the Amazons are depicted in the series. An examination is also made into the concept of the hero and how the series challenges conventional representations of masculinity. We encounter a significant investigation of race focusing on the controversial casting of Achilles, Patroclus, Zeus and other series characters with Black actors. Several essays deal with the moral and ethical complexities surrounding warfare, power and politics. The significance of costume and production design are also explored throughout the volume.

Ward Hall ran across town and joined the circus for a part time gig in 1944 when he was a "kid" living in Colorado. A year later, as a 15 year old 10th grade dropout, he ran away for good, joining the Dailey Bros. Circus. He never looked back. By 16 he was performing in a sideshow and by age 21, he owned a sideshow Today, 70 years later and countless circus and side show, vaudeville and burlesque house performances under his belt, Ward Hall is still in the business. Ward has worked with a monkey girl, a half-lady/half man, numerous fat men, countless sword swallowers, fire eaters, several giants, big snakes, big rats and little horses. He has mastered juggling, ventriloquism and the art of enticing thousands of curious onlookers to part with their money and go inside the tent of his world-famous sideshows. Ward has owned and operated sideshows, animal shows, magic shows, and illusion shows with such fashionable names as Magic on Parade; Wondercade: Aquarama water circus; Gladiators vs. Mankillers wild animal show; World Attractions; Sky High Circus; the Wonder Circus; the Pygmy Village; and the World of Wonders. He has exhibited the World's smallest woman, the World's tallest giant, and employed Pete Terhune, the mighty fire-eating dwarf for 55 years. In addition to owning or co-owning sideshows and circuses during his career, Ward has written four books, four musical stage productions, been in seven movies and more than 100 videos and TV specials, performed at Madison Square Garden and the Lincoln Center in New York City and has sung at Carnegie Hall. He is in the Hall of Fame of both the Outdoor Amusement Business Assoc. and the International Independent Showmen's Assoc. and is a member of the prestigious Circus Ring of Fame in Sarasota, Fla. Ward is the only person in all three of those halls of honor. Ward has operated the sideshow for many big time circuses, including: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Toby Tyler Circus, the Al G. Miller Circus, Circus Vargas (where he was part owner of the circus for a while), Beatty Cole, and the E.K. Fernandez Circus. Ward Hall's title of King of the Sideshows is not a new or recent act of coronation, and as the ruler of his own little world of misfits and human anomalies, Ward's title isn't self-awarded, but is a judgment rendered by his peers. The year 2014 is the King's 70th year anniversary in show business. This is his story.

One of the cultural phenomena to occur in Ireland in the last two decades has been the highly successful growth of stand-up comedy as a popular entertainment genre. This book examines stand-up comedy from the perspective of the narrated self, through the prism of the fabricated comedy persona, including Tommy Tiernan, Dylan Moran and Maeve Higgins.

At some point in life, everyone wants to be a star. However, many do not realize that it is not all that it is cut up to be. Meet four high school students born and raised in Beverly Hills: Talon Finely, Marchetta Vern, Tanzie Richards, and Roxie Russo. Brought together by Hollywood, almost torn apart by Hollywood. Four completely different talents, four completely different personalities, four completely different stories. One Dream: mega stardom. How far will they go to get there without stepping on each other's heads? Where will they draw the line, before they lose themselves forever? Join me to find out the answers in my first novel, The Stunnerz.