A play’s the thing

For one Shakespearean hero, a play was the thing to catch a king.

For the rest of us, plays might be art, entertainment or even

business.

Speaking for those who are an integral part of them, Newport Beach

Central Library arts and cultural librarian Sara Barnicle observes,

“In this age of taped and digital media, it’s a great concern of

theater artists that live performance will become obsolete, when, in

fact, an event enacted before your eyes is an experience so much more

immediate and engaging than any electronic format can offer.”

What can drama in the flesh offer that movies or television

cannot?

“The play is, indeed, the thing that has the ability to touch,

awaken and move like nothing else,” says Sara, who is, incidentally,

married to Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Andrew Barnicle.

Whatever live theater is for you, it’s an art that’s been around

from ancient Greece to contemporary times. Trace its evolution in

“History of the Theatre,” in which Oscar Brockett and Franklin Hildy

recap European and Oriental traditions, from speculation about

theater’s origins through dramatic conventions of the 20th century.

In less exalted forms, those traditions include local repertory,

the focus of “Exit Through the Fireplace.” Drawing on experiences of

actors and directors who began their careers in shoestring

productions, Kate Dunn reminisces about a renowned British

institution in her look behind the curtains of such theaters as the

Birmingham Rep, Liverpool Playhouse and Bristol Old Vic.

The magic of glitzier productions is the draw of Myrna and Harvey

Frommer’s “It Happened on Broadway.” Through the words of stars,

directors, producers and playwrights, these Dartmouth College

professors orchestrate a chorus that includes the voices of such

legends as Carol Channing, Joel Grey and Patricia Neal. Some of the

same stars share insight in “Conversations in the Wings,” in which

Broadway stage manager Roy Harris interviews many of America’s

greatest stage actors about their technique.

Theatre can be a business, an aspect Richard Schneider and Mary Jo

Ford explore in “The Theater Management Handbook.” Those looking to

launch a career in it will find helpful hints about every aspect of

the backstage environment in Drew Campbell’s “Technical Theater for

Nontechnical People.” Others interested in outfitting a cast of

characters can review an important visual aspect of theater in

Barbara and Cletus Anderson’s “Costume Design.”

Unlike Hamlet, contemporary playwright Wendy Wasserstein never

used a play to catch a king. At age 48, she became a single parent --

one of the midlife issues explored in “Shiksa Goddess,” her first

book of essays in 10 years. The voice of a generation of contemporary

women will be heard at “My Life in the Theatre,” a sold-out

Manuscripts Literary Lecture co-sponsored with the NBPL Foundation on

Thursday. To register on the waiting list, call (949) 717-3890.

* “Check it Out” is written by the staff of the Newport Beach

Public Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in

collaboration with Sara Barnicle. All titles may be reserved from

home or office computers by accessing the catalog at

www.newportbeachlibrary.org.