El Tajiacute;n; an ancient Mesoamerican capital in Veracruz; Mexico; has long been admired for its stunning pyramids and ballcourts decorated with extensive sculptural programs. Yet the citys singularity as the only center in the region with such a wealth of sculpture and fine architecture has hindered attempts to place it more firmly in the context of Mesoamerican history. In Lightning Gods and Feathered Serpents; Rex Koontz undertakes the first extensive treatment of El Tajiacute;ns iconography in over thirty years; allowing us to view its imagery in the broader Mesoamerican context of rising capitals and new elites during a period of fundamental historical transformations.Koontz focuses on three major architectural featuresmdash;the Pyramid of the Niches/Central Plaza ensemble; the South Ballcourt; and the Mound of the Building Columns complexmdash;and investigates the meanings of their sculpture and how these meanings would have been experienced by specific audiences. Koontz finds that the iconography of El Tajiacute;n reveals much about how motifs and elite rites growing out of the Classic period were transmitted to later Mesoamerican peoples as the cultures centered on Teotihuacan and the Maya became the myriad city-states of the Early Postclassic period.By reexamining the iconography of sculptures long in the record; as well as introducing important new monuments and contexts; Lightning Gods and Feathered Serpents clearly demonstrates El Tajiacute;ns numerous iconographic connections with other areas of Mesoamerica; while also exploring its roots in an indigenous Gulf lowlands culture whose outlines are only now emerging. At the same time; it begins to uncover a largely ignored regional artistic culture of which Tajiacute;n is the crowning achievement.
#2678185 in eBooks 2009-09-01 2009-09-01File Name: B003Z0BJF2
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Ive Been on a Part of the JourneyBy Steve RunskeThis book is an excellent and comprehensive account of the history of one of. if not the most. important American theatres. To walk the halls of Circle in the Square is to relive the classic dramas of the world. Ted Manns account of the founding and growth of this institution is most accurate. After all. he was there.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. broadwayBy panyathis is an excellant read .on how the workings of putting a show on broadway..MANN has explained every detail of the hardship and dedication of everyone on the stage .and behind .its an amazing.amazing common language book to those of us who love theatre..... read on .....2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The Mann who resurrected Eugene ONeillBy HibsI started reading this in a Barnes and Noble coffee shop. browsing at first but then began studying it engrossed when I got to the chapter regarding Manns revival of Eugene ONeills. "The Iceman Cometh". Iceman had mixed reviews when it was first presented on Broadway in the 1940s. But Jose Quintero and Theodore Mann decided that it had to be re-done. despite its over 4-hour length and history of mixed reviews even though ONeill was at the time considered no longer fashionable. a museum piece from a long gone era. The original actor playing Hickey bailed out to take a movie role and a young unknown named Jason Robards got a chance to re-audition for the role. On the second audition. Robards won the role. Quintero. Mann. Robards and ONeill. To ONeill fanatics like myself this book is a dream come true. Its like finding the holy grail. I wound up buying the book and bringing it home for much deeper study.In addition to ONeill.Robards and Quintero stories. this book always has quite a few stories regarding Manns work with actors like George C. Scott. Al Pacino. Vanessa Redgrave. Dustin Hoffman. James Earl Jones. Richard Chamberlain and Geraldine Page.And if youre a theater buff. Mann has fascinating insights on working on productions of the works of Eugene ONeill. Jean Genet. Tennessee Williams. Arthur Miller. Athol Fugard. Shakespeare and Moliere.In short. if you love serious theater you cant go wrong reading this book by one of the men who practically invented off-broadway.
