Download Rough Magic: Making Theatre at the Royal Shakespeare Company AudioBook Free
Steven Adler examines the dynamic life and workings of the theater company accountable for some of the world's most compelling performances and important productions of the previous 40 years, including Marat/Sade, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Les Misérables, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and Nicholas Nickleby. Harsh Magic offers a thorough analysis of the numerous strands of theatrical activity on both edges of the footlights that coalesce in the artistic vigor of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Adler traces the company's progression from its roots in 1879 as a week-long celebration presented by Stratford-upon-Avon as a birthday homage to its native kid, to its current incarnation among the world's most distinguished institutional theatres. He probes the dreams and accomplishments of the RSC's four successive artistic directors: Peter Hall, Trevor Nunn, Terry Hands, and Adrian Noble. He offers a thorough view of the look and appearance of the RSC's five theatres in Stratford and London, and explores the elaborate process of crafting a repertoire at home and on tour that responds to the needs of the music artists as well as the demands of the box office. Personal observation, research, and dozens of interviews with current and previous participants of the Royal Shakespeare Company unite to produce Harsh Magic.
