King Richard III
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King Richard III
In this final play of the tetralogy describing the War of the Roses and the restoration (despite Richard III's efforts) of the Tudor Dynasty, is there nothing Richard will not do to save his crown? Bloodthirsty, spiteful, ambitious, and deformed, but gifted with wit, charm, and acumen, Richard III is Shakespeare's first major character and his second most substantial, after Hamlet, in terms of sheer lines. Shakespeare drew on several portraits of Richard by Tudor historians, none of which was sympathetic to him. In portraying a charismatic villain-hero, Shakespeare was borrowing the technique Marlowe mastered in TAMBURLAINE, which was immensely popular in its day. RICHARD III was probably written in 1591, and published in 1597, appearing later in the more reliable First Folio, 1623.
Drama
Romeo and Juliet
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Romeo and Juliet
Set during five of the most intensely dramatic days ever portrayed, ROMEO AND JULIET was probably written in 1594 or 1595, and first published in a 1597 edition, as transcribed by actors who had performed it. Other editions appeared later, but even the more authoritative versions, such as that of 1599--probably drawn from Shakespeare's own manuscript copies--lack the detailed stage directions present in the actors' transcription; thus, modern editions incorporate several sources. ROMEO AND JULIET is among the most oft performed of Shakespeare's works, and it has been among the most beloved since its earliest days on the stage. Though the title page of the 1597 edition declares that ROMEO AND JULIET had been performed and enjoyed many times prior to its publication, the first extant direct record of the events of a production refer to a 1662 staging, in which the play was probably adapted or altered--adaption was particularly popular in the 17th century. One London stage ran different conclusions on alternative nights; audiences who went home glum on Friday could be uplifted by the play's ending if they returned on Saturday night. The story of ROMEO AND JULIET was derived by Shakespeare from many sources. The version most contemporary to his own was the 1562 poem The Tragicall History of Romeus and Iuliet by Arthur Brooke, which itself was an adaptation of a French piece by Pierre Boaistuau, which Boaistuau had adapted from the Italian. Indeed, aspects of the tragic story have recurred throughout Western literature since at least the third century. Shakespeare greatly intensified the pace by compressing a piece which had unfolded over the course of several months into the space of five days--a period in which much transpires at daybreak, including the famous balcony scene where Romeo declares, But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?/It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Romeo is forced to approach Juliet in secret because of the impassioned rivalry bet...
Drama
The True And Outstanding Adventures Of The Hunt Sisters
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The True And Outstanding Adventures Of The Hunt Sisters
A 30-something producer named Olivia is deep into a film version of DON QUIXOTE, and things are not going well. Then her beloved sister gets cancer. As she struggles in Hollywood to get her movie off the ground, her life is punctuated by trips to the small Ohio town where her sister is dying. The movie prospers, her love life falters,
her sister declines, and Olivia makes her way through it all, emerging devastated--but undeniably wiser.
Drama
Three Plays
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Three Plays
Written in 1941, concerns the predicament of a man who must face his imperious and jealous wives when they return from the after-life to haunt him. This is a humorous into the lives of a twice-married couple, who, having checked into a posh hotel, have nothing to do but eat, drink, bicker, make love, and congratulate themselves on their isolation from a world unworthy of them.
Drama
Leaving Eden
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Leaving Eden
Tallie's beautiful mother goes to Hollywood to be a movie star, but returns a sick and disillusioned woman. Four years later, Tallie is 16 and has her own movie ambitions, and when glamor day comes to the beauty salon where she has a part-time job, she jumps at the chance to start her career. The process leads to unexpected revelations not only about herself but about her dead mother.
Drama