Drama Action And Change

Climate Change as Social Drama looks at the cultural sociology of climate change in public communication.

Most philosophy has rejected the theater, denouncing it as a place of illusion or moral decay; the theater in turn has rejected philosophy, insisting that drama deals in actions, not ideas. Challenging both views, The Drama of Ideas shows that theater and philosophy have been crucially intertwined from the start. Plato is the presiding genius of this alternative history. The Drama of Ideas presents Plato not only as a theorist of drama, but also as a dramatist himself, one who developed a dialogue-based dramaturgy that differs markedly from the standard, Aristotelian view of theater. Puchner discovers scores of dramatic adaptations of Platonic dialogues, the most immediate proof of Plato's hitherto unrecognized influence on theater history. Drawing on these adaptations, Puchner shows that Plato was central to modern drama as well, with figures such as Wilde, Shaw, Pirandello, Brecht, and Stoppard using Plato to create a new drama of ideas. Puchner then considers complementary developments in philosophy, offering a theatrical history of philosophy that includes Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Burke, Sartre, Camus, and Deleuze. These philosophers proceed with constant reference to theater, using theatrical terms, concepts, and even dramatic techniques in their writings. The Drama of Ideas mobilizes this double history of philosophical theater and theatrical philosophy to subject current habits of thought to critical scrutiny. In dialogue with contemporary thinkers such as Martha Nussbaum, Iris Murdoch, and Alain Badiou, Puchner formulates the contours of a "dramatic Platonism." This new Platonism does not seek to return to an idealist theory of forms, but it does point beyond the reigning philosophies of the body, of materialism and of cultural relativism.

Life Beyond Drama encourages us to do the road less travelled and dive into the depths of our life stories, myths, and dramas in order to understand where these things come from, why we engage with negative energy-draining dramas, how we engage in these dramas, and what they actually look like. Looking into any arena in life, every day we can all admit that drama is everywhere. We have heard so much about our thirst for healing, wholeness, and living the life we have always been meant to live. Dramas prevent us from getting to these places. This book offers us tools via a path of self-reflection in everyday life, which can lead us to a life beyond drama, where endless potential and possibilities await.

Drama, as defined by Courtney, encompasses all kinds of dramatic action, from children's play to social roles and theatre. He shows not only that teachers have found educational drama and spontaneous improvisation to be an invaluable learning tool but that many skills required for work and leisure reflect the theatrical ability to "read" others and see things from their point of view. The main thrust of Drama and Intelligence is that drama can enhance and develop various aspects of intelligence. Courtney suggests that the "costumed player" must bring into play many levels of intelligence in the rehearsal and execution of dramatic acts and that such acts offer unsurpassed opportunities to practice and develop these cognitive skills. He uses the term intelligence to refer to the potential for specific types of mental activity and employs a theoretic-analytic method to view cognition and intelligence in a post-structuralist and semiotic mode. Courtney examines such issues as the relation of the actual to the fictional; the dramatic creation of meaning; signs, symbols, and practical hypotheses; and experi-mental logic, intuition, and tacit modes of operation. Drama and Intelligence will interest not only scholars and students of developmental drama, but also those in the fields of dramatic and performance theory, educational drama, and drama therapy.

Manfred Pfister's book is the first to provide a coherent comprehensive framework for the analysis of plays in all their dramatic and theatrical dimensions. The material on which his analysis is based covers all genres and periods. His approach is systematic rather than historical, combining more abstract categorisations with detailed interpretations of sample texts.

Most books on the prophets contain a page or two on what is usually called “prophetic symbolism,” but full-scale treatments are remarkably few, and in English entirely lacking. Dr. Stacey examines all the evidence in detail, considers the various explanations of the phenomenon that have been offered, gives particular attention to the apparent link with magic, and provides a model whereby these dramatic actions can be properly understood. This book is significant for the study of Hebrew religion; it also paves the way for further investigation of similar actions in the New Testament.

Edward Bond Letters 5 contains over thirty letters and papers covering Bond's controversial views on violence and justice, plays, writers and directors, and a postscript that is Bond's discussion of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. As always the explosive content of these letters applies to Bond's plays and society as a whole. We learn through these absorbing letters his attitude to violence. Bond believes that all violence is the manifestation of an unbalanced and dangerous society. As with the four preceding volumes in this collection, Edward Bond is critical of our present theatre, but at the same time his observations are useful in indicating how theatre can be changed. Bond's illustrations provide a lively accompaniment to the letters.

Via Corsa Car Lover's Guide to Northern California is the third guide published by Via Corsa. This exciting new travel guide covers the automotive history, museums, and race tracks of Northern California. Every August, the Monterey Bay Peninsula hosts the biggest and best collection of annual car shows, auctions, and races. Via Corsa is there to guide the most seasoned traveler through this busy week. The guidebook also features an exclusive look at Mario Andretti's Winery in Napa, California as well as a look at the background at one of the most renown race car drivers known.