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We will never know the precise identity of America's first political consultant. It is likely that candidates were seeking favorable coverage in colonial newspapers as early as 1704; it is also likely that by 1745 candidates were using handbills and pamphlets to augment press coverage of campaigns; and we know that one successful candidate, George Washington in 1758, purchased refreshments for potential voters. These traditional approaches to winning votes have in recent years been amplified by consultants who have shown how cable networks, videocassettes, modems, faxes, focus groups, and other means of communication can be put to partisan use. In this book, Robert V. Friedenberg examines al...
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"In 1939, a young, inexperienced actor wrote a famous actress of his acquaintance, asking for advice on playing comedy. She responded enthusiastically, and they corresponded variously over the next year. The Craft of Comedy, a record of these exchanges, soon emerged as one of the few classic texts in the field of comedy acting."--Publisher's description.
Comedy in Literature and Popular Culture: From Aristophanes to Saturday Night Live explores works of comedy from the past 2,500 years. James V. Morrison discusses works including those of Aristophanes and Plautus, Shakespeare and Moliere, and modern comic writers, performers, and cartoonists, such as Thomas Nast, P. G. Wodehouse, Charlie Chaplin, and Jerry Seinfeld, asking the following questions: Is comedy a mirror of our lives? Is it “funny ’cuz it’s true?” Or is it funny because it ignores reality? Should we distinguish between the plot of a comic play and the jokes found in it? Are the jokes just there to make us laugh or are the jokes as essential as the plot? Do memories of satirical portrayals on the comic stage displace recollections of the historical person? By juxtaposing works from different cultures and time periods, the book demonstrates a universal recourse to certain familiar techniques, situations, and characters. This vibrant study offers a compelling analysis of comedy as a mode, form, and genre. It is an engaging read for students and scholars of comparative literature, literary history, media studies, and theater and performance.
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Both a critical account of contemporary feminist performance and illustration of its depth and diversity, Acting Out is essential reading for anyone interested in feminist theory, sexual difference, queer theory, or the politics of contemporary performance. Contributors include Philip Auslander, C. Carr, Kate Davy, Joyce Devlin, Elin Diamond, Jill Dolan, Hillary Harris, Lynda Hart, Lynda M. Hill, Julie Malnig, Vivan M. Patraka, Peggy Phelan, Janelle Reinelt, Sandra L. Richards, Amy Robinson, Judy C. Rosenthal, Rebecca Schneider, Raewyn Whyte, and Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano.