Entertainment & Performing Arts

The beloved star of Friends takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this candid memoir.

Comedian Trevor Noah offers listeners a glimpse into his childhood during apartheid in South Africa in this award-winning memoir.

In the mid-70s, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up....

Wildflower is a portrait of Drew Barrymore's life in stories as she looks back on the adventures, challenges, and incredible experiences of her earlier years....

Jinger Vuolo, of Duggar family fame, tells how she began to question the ideology of her youth and learned to embrace freedom in Christ.

Before Liz Lemon, before Weekend Update, before Sarah Palin, Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: A recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV....

Since his first performance at the legendary New York nightclub “Catch a Rising Star” as a 21-year-old college student in fall of 1975, Jerry Seinfeld has written his own material and saved everything....

A wryly funny and surprisingly moving account of an extraordinary life lived almost entirely in the public eye....

A five-time Moth GrandSLAM winner and bestselling novelist shows how to tell a great story - and why doing so matters....

Theater icon, award-winning film and television star, and American patriot Gary Sinise shares the never-before-told story of his journey from trouble-making Chicago kid to world-famous actor and tireless advocate for America’s veterans and first responders....

The co-founder and longtime president of Pixar updates and expands upon his New York Times bestseller on creative leadership, reflecting on the management principles used to build Pixar's singularly successful culture, including what he got wrong—and how he made it right....

From a massively successful stand-up comedian and co-host of chart-topping podcasts “2 Bears 1 Cave” and “Your Mom’s House,” hilarious real-life stories of parenting, celebrity encounters, youthful mistakes, misanthropy, and so much more....

The long-awaited first work of nonfiction from the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: a deliriously entertaining, wickedly intelligent cinema book as unique and creative as anything by Quentin Tarantino....

Outsider. Misfit. Criminal. Convict. . . . Movie star. Family man. Comedy legend. Joey Diaz has been called every name in the book (and then some). Now, for the first time, he shares the story of his unlikely rise to fame in his own words—with no punches pulled....

Filled with empowering, easy-to-follow tips for crafting stories that forge lasting bonds with friends, family, and colleagues alike, this book will help you connect authentically with the world around you and unleash the power of story in your life.

Beloved culture writers Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards share the unauthorized, behind-the-scenes story of the stunning rise and suddenly uncertain reign of the most transformative cultural phenomenon of our time: the Marvel Cinematic Universe....

Beneath the streets of London there is another London. A subterranean labyrinth of sewers and abandoned tube stations. A somewhere that is Neverwhere....

This heartfelt and wry career memoir from the director of Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Legends of the Fall, About Last Night, and Glory gives a dishy, behind-the-scenes look at working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood....

Here's what started the phenomenon: This book has been a best seller for over 15 years and has been used by screenwriters around the world! Blake Snyder tells all in this fast, funny, and candid look inside the movie business....

From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film....

How do master storytellers compel us? There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story, but few have used a scientific approach....

Robin Williams was a singularly innovative and beloved entertainer. He often came across as a man possessed, holding forth on culture and politics while mixing in personal revelations....

Go behind-the-scenes with Duane "Dog" Chapman, star of the hit reality show Dog the Bounty Hunter and two-time New York Times bestselling author, as he shares new stories about his faith in Jesus, family, and the discovery of God's grace at work throughout his life.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Residence and First Women, the first ever authorized biography of the most famous movie star of the twentieth century, Elizabeth Taylor.

Surely You Can’t Be Serious is the first-ever oral history of the making of Airplane! by the creators, and of the beginnings of the ZAZ trio (Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker) – charting the rise of their comedy troupe Kentucky Fried Theater in Madison, Wisconsin all the way to premiere night....

Because sometimes, we just need to cry. Make Me Cry, Please is an essay by James J. Caterino, the author of Reviews and Essays, 50 Films, My Encounter with the Partridge Family, sort of, The Girl Out of Time, What If, The Address Book, and much more.

At the height of the Civil Rights movement, Lydia Abarca was a Black prima ballerina with a major international dance company—the Dance Theatre of Harlem, a troupe of women and men who became each other’s chosen family. She performed in some of ballet’s most iconic works with other trailblazing ballerinas, including the young women who became her closest friends—founding Dance Theatre of Harlem members Gayle McKinney-Griffith and Sheila Rohan, as well as first-generation dancers Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells. The Swans of Harlem is a riveting account of these five accomplished women.

This book is an invaluable and inspirational material for the film, television and theater professional. It helps directors, actors, writers, designers, producers and executives tap into their imagination and instincts, in turn helping them create the films they’ve always dreamed of creating.

The book draws on history and sociology, and more personally on the author's early career as a professional cellist, as well as on his later work as a city planner and social thinker. It traces the evolution of performing spaces in the city; the emergence of actors, musicians, and dancers as independent artists; the inequality between performer and spectator; the uneasy relations between artistic creation and social and religious ritual; the uses and abuses of acting by politicians. The Janus-faced art of performing is both destructive and civilizing.

Do you love to write, but aren't sure what to do with it? Wondering how to approach the industry, find a market, or get an in with the right folks? Stephan Bugaj (Pixar, Telltale Games) and Justin Sloan (Roku's Cypher, the Reclaiming Honor novels) have come together to share advice on living the writer dream. Let them show you exactly what it takes to make it in the world of creative writing. What follows is a collection of their advice and interviews with the experts. This includes screenwriters, video game writers, and authors of books and comics. In this book you'll read interviews with ...

"The World of Bob Newhart" offers a delightful exploration into the comedic universe of one of America's most iconic entertainers. With his signature dry wit and understated charm, Bob Newhart invites audiences on a journey through the everyday absurdities and eccentric characters that populate his comedic landscape.

"Lenny Bruce Live at the Curran Theatre, San Francisco, Nov 19th 1961" captures the raw, unfiltered brilliance of one of the most influential and controversial comedians of the 20th century. On that historic night in 1961, Lenny Bruce took the stage at the Curran Theatre and unleashed his sharp wit, incisive social commentary, and fearless exploration of taboo topics.

Gerard Hoffnung at the Oxford Union, Dec 4th 1958 presents an unforgettable evening of wit, whimsy, and musical merriment courtesy of the beloved humorist and musician, Gerard Hoffnung. Taking center stage at the prestigious Oxford Union on December 4th, 1958, Hoffnung charmed and delighted audiences with his unique blend of comedic brilliance and musical talent.

Harlem 1969; it's the height of the Civil Rights era and the community is still reeling from the assassination of Martin Luther King. Arthur Mitchell, the first Black principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, takes his protest to the stage and establishes the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Here begins the story of the five extraordinary women at the heart of this book. This is a book about ballet, the enduring allure of ballet for young girls, and about how these pioneers broke into a world that was closed to them and changed ideas of what a classical dancer could be.

Continuing the series begun three years prior, David Keyes publishes his sixth anthology of writing from the Cinemaphile blog. Contained in this new book is 91 essays penned during the 2016 calendar year, including a larger selection of current releases.

"Heartbeat Dance" creates an exquisite tapestry of life's intricate dance. It depicts Emily and Mark's journey as each step, and misstep brings them closer to an unthinkable harmony that neither could have imagined before they met. Change provides them with their dance floor, challenging their musical accompaniment. Together, they dance - not always in perfect unison, but always united. At the core of their movements and within the unpredictable twists and turns of life, a symphony of love begins to unfold - an unexpected yet tender melody that fills their hearts with an unforgettable ...

I can’t believe I gave my v-card to a hot billionaire old enough to be my dad. I was only going out to celebrate my friend’s birthday. Next thing I know, I’m sweaty and tangled up in the sheets - happily giving my v-card to this gorgeous grump of a man. To make matters worse, I had to sneak past his adorable little girl on my walk of shame the morning after. But he never asked for my number, so I thought for sure I would never see him again. Until the nausea started. Now I have nine months to figure this out. That is until he showed up at my doorstep with an offer I couldn’t refuse.

With these great representatives of comedy, Dan Leno need not fear comparison. In petticoats, and as a representative of various women of the lodging-house and slavey Class, he would have beaten Jimmy Rogers at his own game. When we see Dan Leno as a woman, and hear his delightful patter, it never strikes us that it is a man imitating a woman. 'It is a woman who stands before us, the veritable Mrs. Kelly, not a burlesque of the sex, but the actual thing. He catches every expression, every trick, every attitude, every in?

About The Author Sarah McCormick received her BA in World Arts & Culture from UCLA and her MFA from SUNY Brockport. She is currently Assistant Professor of Dance in the Department of Visual & Theatre Arts at The University of Tennessee at Martin (2008-present). As Director of UT at Martin's Dance Ensemble she has brought her philosophy of dance as education into action. Dance Ensemble student members have taught and performed at Huntingdon Primary, Dyersburg High School, Martin Primary, and Martin Elementary. Her choreography embodies a World-dance approach, as she combines her intensive ...

Embark on your Musical Theater journey with this essential guide! Discover the enchanting world of live performances, where the magic of actors, songwriters, and designers unfolds right before your eyes. This guide is your gateway to the awe-inspiring realm of musical theater, packed with family-friendly recommendations and insights.