HEROIN by Grace Dyas; Trade by Mark Orsquo;Halloran; The Art of Swimming by Lynda Radley; Pineapple by Phillip McMahon; I ? Alice ? I by Amy Conroy; The Big Deal edited by Una McKevitt; Oedipus Loves You by Simon Doyle Gavin Quinn; The Year of Magical Wanking by Neil WatkinsEdited and introduced by Thomas Conway.This anthology comprises eight new plays by Irish playwrights premiegrave;red between the years 2006 and 2011.These playwrights ride; however; in no slipstream of the identifiably Irish play. Here; the enterprise of playwriting itself is being re-imagined. Here; above all else; is a commitment to becoming in the theatre.For all that; each play is concerned with what is unfinished business in Ireland. How astonishing; then; that these plays should revolve for the most part around identity and; in particular; sexual identity. How identity comes into play; how we open up the field of play; how we raise into collective experience the exercise of that play ndash; the urgency in the playwriting would appear to lie precisely here.We can read from the historical moment ndash; from a narrative emphasizing an economic bubble and its hangover ndash; into these plays. Or we can take these playwrights at their word and observe lives lived at the contour of identities in the making. It is for us as readers; just as we have as theatre-goers ndash; frequently scandalized; enthralled; shamed; appalled; unburdened; tickled pink ndash; to decide.
#1241785 in eBooks 2003-03-19 2012-07-26File Name: B009GIPFV6
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Thorough and deep; a must-have for keyboardistsBy Daniel LiedtkeAn excellent book that every keyboardist should read. Combines multiple traditions and disciplines such as kinesthetics. physics. tai chi. and Feldenkrais method to better understand how to best physically and mentally approach the keyboard. He places emphasis on relaxation and efficiency and challenges many of the long-standing conservatory practices.Some great insights into technique. as well as practical explanations and examples from the literature to help you apply it. There are also plenty of philosophical musings and interesting questions raised. Overall a very unique and valuable book for a musician to have.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Crucial knowledge. explained by a great teacher.By HarrisimoAs a piano student of 12 years. and a young professional. Ive had a fair range of teachers. and read a fair amount of books. However. nowhere have I come across such a clear. satisfying philosophy. with immediate results from exercises.For the advanced student looking to improve tone and technique. this book gives very deep insight into familiar concepts such as legato.For the newish student. the book will give you an incredibly strong foundation. I cant help but feel If only Id had this 10 years ago!Afraid of dull manuals? While some of the exercises are a bit technical and tricky to work out conceptually. if you watch the companion DVD you will find it very easy to follow. Whats more. you get to see the humour and passion that Fraser exudes!Philosophically. the book entwines piano-playing with principles from Feldenkrais and martial arts. Feldenkrais is a school of movement which promotes increased efficiency of movement/body/strength through awareness. For example. learning to use the bones of the hand instead of the muscles. which gives you the unbreakable strength of an eggshell squeezed in the right spots. (thats not to say that muscles arent used - read the book!)All in all. its a great book. especially with the companion DVD.17 of 18 people found the following review helpful. Piano technique perfectly and patiently explained by Alan FraserBy SiegerI have read several books on piano technique written by extremely well-known authors in the field. However. compared with the book by Alan Fraser. these mentioned books are practically of no value. They tell you what you should do. but they do not explain (1) the mechanisms of these actions and (2) how you apply these mechanisms.Our body consists of fingers. hands. arms. torso. etc.. but one has to know how to apply these components of our body. in order play the piano. And that is what Alan Fraser accomplishes in his book: He gives you scientifically correct physical excercises to enable you to do what needs to be done. And these excercises work!!!I am infinitely grateful to Mr. Fraser for taking the trouble to write this magnificent book. His incredibly keen. analytical. mind breaks down piano playing into its physical components.However. I would love to see added to the book clear. simple. line drawings of the LUMBRICAL muscles. the INTEROSSEUS muscles. the thenar and hypothenar muscles. in order to enable the non-anatomically trained reader to understand how the fingers are moved.Zuhair Bakdoud. M.D.
