Still funny after two thousand years; the Roman playwright Plautus wrote around 200 B.C.E.; a period when Rome was fighting neighbors on all fronts; including North Africa and the Near East. These three playsmdash;originally written for a wartime audience of refugees; POWs; soldiers and veterans; exiles; immigrants; people newly enslaved in the wars; and citizensmdash;tap into the mix of fear; loathing; and curiosity with which cultures; particularly Western and Eastern cultures; often view each other; always a productive source of comedy. These current; accessible; and accurate translations have replaced terms meaningful only to their original audience; such as references to Roman gods; with a hilarious; inspired sampling of American popular culturemdash;from songs to movie stars to slang. Matching the original Latin line for line; this volume captures the full exuberance of Plautuss street language; bursting with puns; learned allusions; ethnic slurs; dirty jokes; and profanities; as it brings three rarely translated worksmdash;Weevil (Curculio); Iran Man (Persa); and Towelheads (Poenulus)mdash;to a wide contemporary audience. Richlins erudite introduction sets these plays within the context of the long history of East-West conflict and illuminates the role played by comedy and performance in imperialism and colonialism. She has also provided detailed and wide-ranging contextual introductions to the individual plays; as well as extensive notes; which; together with these superb and provocative translations; will bring Plautus alive for a new generation of readers and actors.
#116490 in eBooks 2011-02-03 2011-02-03File Name: B00475AYCI
Review
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful. HOWARD THURSTON LIVES AGAIN!By B. RobinsonJim Steinmeyers excellent new biography of Howard Thurston (1869-1936) is a welcome addition to the literature of the theatre and that of the history of magic. The dogged research by the author is noticeable on every page as we find our subject first on the outskirts of society as a petty thief and then rising to the heights of being an American institution -- parading the largest touring magic show ever. Thurston made his success in Europe at the turn of the century at the same time another young Hungarian emigre named Erich Weiss also left for England to seek his fortune. Of course. Erich had changed his name to an appropriation of Frances greatest magician: Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin. and began calling himself brazenly HOUDINI. That HOUDINI has become a legend is undeniable. and this book seeks to settle a score. if only for historical accuracy. that. in their day. the early 1900s Thurston was the King of Magic. Thurston was never eclipsed by the syllable accenting American Houdini. In fact. it is clearly shown by this expertly written tome that Houdini was a top of the bill vaudeville star with his name spelled in letters twice the size of any other act. while Thurston appeared in legitimate theatre and at the White House several times. Thurston made woman float in the air. and sawed women in halves. and gave a three-hour extravaganza that took several train cars to carry. even providing a full orchestra as well. The problem that brought his downfall was the Great Depression and the rise of the "flickers" which we all know today as the movies. Thurston was as much a part of the Roaring Twenties as Al Capone or Babe Ruth and that his star has faded is a shame. Yet. like the great phoenix he was. this book. brilliantly written and researched and engendering the same kind of thrilling enthusiasm Thurston brought in his audiences. brings back the master magician in all his glory. if only in a slightly bittersweet way. Bravo to Jim Steinmeyer for a wonderful read. I unreservedly advise all who love a good tale. love magic history. and love the truth of the early 20th century theatre to run out and buy this book. You will not regret it. 5 stars!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Well writtenBy Dave YostThe book reads clean and does a fine job of showing the relationships of the various magicians of the era. I rated this four stars due to the lack of any photos. lithographs. or other visual aids. I expected to see... something.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. The first great modern stage magician!By Rory CokerHoward Thurston in the first three decades of the 20th Century gradually created what became the standard great touring magic show. a mix of pure sleight-of-hand. hilarious audience-interaction bits. and huge stage illusions. Every top US magician since. such as David Copperfield or Criss Angel. has eventually mounted a "big show" that mirrors Thurstons closely. Yet. while magicians remember and revere Thurston. the general public today has never heard of him. Why?Walter Gibson. who knew and worked for both Thurston and Houdini. explains it well in a quote within this book. Thurstons massive publicity engine was focused on selling people on the desire to attend Thurstons live stage show the very next time it passed nearby... whereas Houdinis publicity was focused entirely on emphasizing that Houdini was a miracle-man who could by sheer strength and skill escape from any and every restraint. Today everyone has heard of Houdini. while Thurston was forgotten as soon as he ceased to tour... felled by a stroke.Author Jim Steinmeyer does a good job of reconstructing Thurstons strange and somewhat shady life. Its an effort to do this today. because all of the "autobiographical" material generated by Thurstons publicity men or presented to reporters and developed through interviews during his magic career was almost entirely fictional. and Thurston particularly needed to conceal his early life. in which he was a fairly successful pickpocket and thief known as the "Nim Kid." Even counting up Thurstons many wives is a bit tricky.Thurstons complex relationships with his fellow magicians. from senior mentor Harry Kellar. through numerous competitors and hired idea-men. are also detailed as they figure in throughout the story.Thurston is in many ways the most important and influential single figure in 20th Century magic. especially for the first half of the 20th Century. and its good to see him receive some of the attention for which he is long overdue. Recommended.
