Performing Arts

Harry Houdini was born Erik Weisz in Bucharest in 1874. He set a high benchmark for every escapologist that came after him. He was the ultimate showman and salesman.

Samuel Beckett's renowned absurdist drama, "Waiting for Godot" is an apt illustration of the existentialist crisis that modern humankind faces. Through the bizarre and seemingly insignificant actions and gestures of Vladimir and Estragon, he reveals the futility of life—yours as well as mine.

There are some very strange things going on in the world of art that defy rational explanation for ordinary people. It is really easy to ridicule some examples of performance art, so let’s get started.

The past is now past, but the future of circus continues—in traditional shows, venues and in new, varied exhibitions. As a forever fan of CIRCUS, this author writes about circus life—yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Learn methods for drawing a crowd to your free comedy show, even if it’s your first time putting on one.

An accessible explanation of the incongruity theory of comedy.

A brief look at the theme of madness in Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet." This article addresses whether or not Hamlet and Ophelia were truly mad or not and takes a brief look at the driving force behind their displays of madness.

Susan Glaspell’s "Trifles" brings attention to the political and social differences between men and women in the early 1900s. Trifles may seem like a simple story, but it is rich with symbolism and nuances of gender differences, giving a glimpse of the insignificance of women in a man’s world.

Fear is a powerful motivator that can inspire hysteria, paranoia, and intolerance as seen in The Crucible.

Although women do not have the same status they had when kabuki was first born, they still play an important role.

The balcony scene of "Romeo and Juliet" occurs in act 2, scene 2. In this scene, Romeo and Juliet swear their true love to each other, plan a secret marriage, and finally say good night. The balcony scene is critically important because it sets several critical events in motion.

An exploration of Malvolio in "Twelfth Night."

The epilogue to "Romeo and Juliet" is spoken by Prince Escalus at the very end of the play. The epilogue is similar to a Shakespearean sonnet in both meter and rhyme scheme. A line-by-line analysis will yield a more complete understanding of the poetic devices and deeper meaning.

The Nurse is a humorous character in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." Here is a detailed overview of the Nurse's role in the play, including her relationship with Juliet, how she affects the tension in the story, and more.

A concise summary of the "Romeo and Juliet" death scene in plain language that everyone can understand. Explains key quotations and analyzes the main events.

Benvolio is a good member of the Montague family in Romeo and Juliet. He is Romeo's good friend, but also loyal to Romeo's father and the prince of Verona. Benvolio's personality is mild. He attempts to act as a peacemaker and voice of reason when tempers flare between the Montagues and Capulets.

An analysis of hidden intentions and true meanings behind actions in William Shakespeare's Macbeth.

This article delves into the use of witchcraft as a way to 'get back' at enemies in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible."

A critical essay on the symbols and images used by Synge, drawing from both classical and Biblical archetypes, in "The Riders to the Sea." If you're struggling to understand this text, look no further.

Love Shakespeare? Here's a list of five of the most memorable speeches by Shakespeare's women that have been evergreen for their universal appeal. Read on to more fully appreciate Shakespeare's women!

Why did Shakespeare call his play "The Tempest"? Is it just a casual reference to the storm raised in the beginning, or does it hint at far deeper connotations? Is the title justified? Let's find out.

“Love is an act of nature” is the major theme of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," as shown by the young lovers and the Fairy King and Queen.

Studying Indian poetry? Interested in women writers? Here's an introductory study of contemporary women poets of India that identifies dominant and recurrent traits which make these poets individualistic yet connected by a unique bond of creative sisterhood.

It’s often said there are only seven types of jokes but among those that expound on this theme there seems little agreement on exactly what those seven are.

They called her “The Divine Sarah.” She went from the daughter of a courtesan to an internationally known actress to a legend. Sarah Bernhardt was a primadonna who could’ve taken over the world.

Shakespeare, as a master of depicting the subtleties of human nature, provides an unsimplified portrayal of Cleopatra, the exquisite Queen of the Nile, both as a passionate woman and cunning manipulator.

This is possibly Tom Stoppard's best known play. It offers an amusing and thought-provoking twist on Shakespeare's "Hamlet".

In this essay, I analyze William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, and analyze how religious connotations hinder Hamlet's action and ability to avenge his father's death.

Critical analysis of Lucky's speech in Act I of "Waiting for Godot."

Madame Butterfly is one of the most popular operas of all time. But the ending has a twist—the final chord is unusual. So why did Puccini choose to end his own favourite opera this way?

This article offers an analysis of whether Act 1 of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" is successful as an exposition. What is an exposition, and why would we care about the success of the first act as such? Read on for my full explanation and analysis.

Willy Loman is a complex character in "Death of a Salesman" whose victimhood is made universal by Arthur Miller. Is Willy Loman a tragic figure or simply a fool who deserves his eventual consequences?

This article explores the themes and a few of the scenes found within Shakespeare's King Lear.

In his play "The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus," Christopher Marlowe shows many dramatic techniques through the style of his writing, a few of which we are going to analyze from the work.

"Walsh" by Sharon Pollock is a contemporary Canadian play. It focuses on the real-life conflict between General Walsh and Chief Sitting Bull in Alberta.

A century ago a German magician was the highest paid performer of his time and scarcely anybody knows his name today.

Did you ever think Shakespeare used the 7 deadly sins as a basis for his plays? He could have. This article gives an in-depth analysis of the way he portrayed these sins without saying them directly.

This article will take a look into the actions of Iago and Othello, with comparisons to Shakespeare’s other tragedies, to define the psychological perspectives highlighted by this dark tale.

A Shakespearean tragedy is a play penned by Shakespeare in the style of Shakespeare. Shakespearean tragedy is different from other styles of tragedy in its structure and features.

This article contains an analysis of Harold Pinter's 'The Homecoming' with particular attention to the glass of water scene.

Poetry has been defined variously by various people. Doctor Johnson says that poetry is a metrical composition. To Lord Macaulay, poetry is the art of doing by means of words what a painter does by means of colours. Carlyle defines poetry as a musical thought. To Shelley, it is the expression of emotions. According to Coleridge, poetry is the best words in the best order. To Wordsworth, poetry is the breath and fine spirit of all learning.

Much of what you hear and see of "Ninja" is pure myth. Stories including ninjas began to appear in popular books and plays in Japan around the 1700s. These mythical depictions of ninjas had them walking on water and literally becoming invisible.

"Romeo and Juliet" is often thought to be a play about enduring love. However, what many casual readers of the play fail to realize is that the main theme of the piece is the violence and chaos encompassing Verona.

An academic analysis of Richard Loncraine's film adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Richard III." Ideal for students.

Soliloquy, aside, monologue, and dialogue are four very different dramatic devices. This article explains and gives examples of how to identify soliloquy, aside, monologue, and dialogue in Shakespeare plays.

If you are struggling to make sense of the prologue to Romeo and Juliet, try this handy line-by-line analysis. We start first with the prologue in its entirety and a quick summary of the facts. Then, we move on to a translation and explanation of each line individually.

Study these sonnets along with a complete review of rhyme scheme and iambic pentameter. The prologue to "Romeo and Juliet" is the first sonnet the play. The dialogue that makes up the lovers' first kiss and the prologue to act II are also sonnets.

Shakespeare's three best-known plays are Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet. Each one has an interesting story and a movie adaptation.

While sometimes a scary, daunting word, "love" can also be an exciting, amazing feeling. Shakespeare explored the varying concepts of love in "Midsummer Night's Dream." Read on for my full analysis of how love operates in Shakespeare's classic play.

Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot is a play that presents conflict between living by religious and spiritual beliefs, and living by an existential philosophy, which asserts that it is up to the individual to discover the meaning of life through...