Many narratives of theater history suggest that the 1960s marked the start of a turning away from traditional, script-based, playwright-centric production practices. Literary studies in this period began exploring the concept of the “death of the author” along similar lines. But the author refused to die quietly, and authorship reasserts itself in even revolutionary and avant-garde theaters throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. The model of authorship—valorizing individualit...

Captain Nieminen’s last voyage before retirement seemed ordinary enough—a simple trip from Canada to Riga in the Baltic Sea. The sea, however, always provides the unexpected. The Master of the cargo ship Lake Ladoga will be confronted with illicit cargo, murder, and a heartless fiend before reaching his destination. The resolution to these problems will cost him dearly. George Pate worked for thirty-five years in the Port of Tampa, Florida as a third-generation member of the maritime indus...

That theatre is a business remains a truth often ignored by theatre insiders and consumers of the performing arts alike. The essays in Theatre Symposium, Volume 22 explore theatre as a commercial enterprise both historically and as a continuing part of the creation, production, and presentation of contemporary live performance.The eleven contributors to this fascinating collection illuminate many aspects of commercial theatre and how best to examine it. George Pate analyze...

One man’s remarkable account of nation‑building, Native diplomacy, and the making of the early American South.The Reminiscences of George Strother Gaines: Pioneer and Statesman of Early Alabama and Mississippi, 1805–1843 offers one of the most vivid, irreplaceable firsthand accounts of the American Southeast during its most transformative decades. Edited and expertly contextualized by historian James P. Pate, this volume gathers Gaines’s dictated ...

A perfectly gift-able, perfectly cynical, slipcased omnibus of George Carlin's trademark irreverence--including bonus never-before-published material.For four decades, George Carlin has been one of America's favorite comics, known as much for his willingness to take on taboo subjects as for his absurdist wordplay. As an author, he has proved equally popular: With combined sales of more than two million copies, Carlin's three books of razor-sharp and hilarious obser...

In the quaint town of Willow Creek, where secrets whispered through the grapevine, a group of young girls embarked on a thrilling adventure. Led by the spirited and curious Pollyanna, they formed the "Little Busybodies," a secret society dedicated to uncovering the town's hidden truths. As they delved into their investigations, the girls stumbled upon a web of intrigue, deception, and long-buried secrets. From the mysterious disappearance of a beloved teacher to the scandalous rumors surro...

He's the inventor of Past-Tense TV (featuring "Got Smart," "Father Knew Best," and "It Was Left to Beaver"); the tireless crusader for such charities as the Center for Research into the Heebie Jeebies, Children of Parents with Bad Teeth, and the State Hospital for Those Who Felt All Right About a Year Ago; founder of the George Carlin Book Club (top titles: "How to Act Laid-Back During a Grease Fire," "Fill Your Life with Croutons," and "The Meaning of Corn"); and the only social commentat...