The idea of flying has always captivated earthbound humans. When mortals invented gods and demons, the supernaturals came equipped with the power of flight. And humans, being envious, wished that they too could float free, soar like a bird or stand calmly on nothing. So from the beginning, when the legends of gods and the stories of man were told in theatre, flying has often been a part of the action. The theatrical act of a human flying is a scenic wonder. It began in religious plays, continued in church celebrations, and has had a place in a host of theatrical forms -- opera, the fairy play, vaudeville, melodrama, pantomime and spectacle. The apparatus for staging flight has taken its place among a host of other stage machines intended to illustrate a play's story.
Shakespeare's plays are fascinated by the problems of speed and flight. They are repeatedly interested in humans, spirits, and objects that move very fast; become airborne; and in some cases even travel into space. In Speed and Flight in Shakespeare, the first study of any kind on the subject, Steggle looks at how Shakespeare’s language explores ideas of speed and flight, and what theatrical resources his plays use to represent these states. Shakespeare has, this book argues, an aesthetic of speed and flight. Featuring chapters on The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, Macbeth and The Tempest, this study opens up a new field around the ‘historical phenomenology’ of early modern speed.
Automated Performer Flying: The State of the Art shares the secrets of performer flying in entertainment history and provides step-by-step instructions on how to create a performer flying effect from scratch. This book sheds light on all aspects of performer flying, covering its history, explaining concepts like mechanical compensation versus electrical compensation, providing guidance on how to calculate stopping distances and forces, and sharing tips on how to build successful relationships with performers. Case studies of prominent productions featuring performer flying, including Cirque du Soleil and Beyoncé, are included throughout. Written for technical directors, theatrical riggers, and students of rigging, technical direction, and stagecraft courses, Automated Performer Flying takes readers through the process of creating a performer flying effect from the first spark of the idea to opening night.
Autobiography of an Air Force Officer “Harbans, my friend, I congratulate you for your fine effort. I am confident that all air warriors, the serving, the aspiring, the veterans, as well as admirers of warriors will enjoy partaking of your remarkable journey through life. It is educative, inspirational and motivational. It will be a most welcome addition to the slowly, but steadily growing list of biographical works by veteran air warriors.” Anil Yashwant Tipnis Former Chief of the Indian Air Force Harbans Singh Sahota begins his autobiography, narrating to us fragments of his life’s journey by taking us through every stage of his life; his childhood back in the village of Garhdiwala, full of harmless playfulness surrounded by the love of his family; his boyhood, when days seem simpler while helping father find fodder for the Johri or while listening to Dadi Ma’s Gurbani or learning the team-spirit in the game of Annar Choochi and Gulli Danda; and his teenage, when discipline, goal and academic sincerity paves the way for the man to make a choice. While he is expected to take over the spade and axe from his father, he seems to grow another wish—a wish quite drastic for a farmer’s son. The boy, instead, pursues to touch the sky, quite literally. From being the farmer’s boy from the village of Garhdiwala in the district of Hoshiarpur, he, with years of hard work, dedication and perseverance, chooses to become as an Indian Air force Officer, Group Captain and leader of Squadron, Harbans Singh Sahota—a name that reverberates through the past decades at the Indian Air Force. It is a story told by the man himself, allowing us glimpses of the simple times and simpler rural life in Punjab when mango-picking with a stone was an art and outdoor sports were more essential than hours buried in school textbooks. In fact, the long-forgotten, age-old tradition of learning alphabets on a Fatti or the native games with exceptional strategies will leave you only fascinated. It’s a story that will make you want to live in those times in rural Punjab when life, games and studies were much simpler and fascinating, where faith in God and respect for elders was primary. We get to see the gradual growth of brave heart Harbans Singh Sahota, who, with sheer discipline, humility and valour, takes over the Indian Air Force, inspiring every man he has ever met and establishes his name in the country and abroad. With the telling of many enthralling anecdotes and life experiences of an IAF officer, it’s a story about a farmer’s son who had dared to fly.
Aviation books were a unique and prolific subgenre of American juvenile literature from the early to mid-20th century, drawing upon the nation's intensifying interest. The first books of this type, Harry L. Sayler's series Airship Boys, appeared shortly after the Wright brothers' first successful flight in 1909. Following Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic, popular series like Ted Scott and Andy Lane established the "golden age" of juvenile aviation literature. This work examines the 375 juvenile aviation series titles published between 1909 and 1964. It weaves together several thematic threads, including the placement of aviation narratives within the context of major historical events, the technical accuracy in depictions of flying machines and the ways in which characters reflected the culture of their eras. Three appendices provide publication data for each series, a list of referenced aircraft and an annotated bibliography; there is a full index.
Flop Musicals of the Twenty-First Century offers a provocative and revealing historical narrative of a group of musicals that cost millions and had spectacular potential ... but bombed anyway. Stephen Purdy examines at length the production histories, which are all bound together by a common thread. The book focuses the lens on several seemingly infallible theatre creatives who weren’t destined to repeat their successes with the shows discussed in this volume. As such, Purdy grounds the discussion by examining what the legendary creators of Les Misérables, pop superstar Elton John, wunderkind Julie Taymor, and many others have in common besides being inspired storytellers of iconic Broadway musicals. The answer is that they also all created shows that, for one reason or a dozen, didn’t find an audience. Flop Musicals of the Twenty-First Century shares the story of what can happen when formidable creative teams of sell-out musicals attempt to re-create their success but miss the mark. This is an engaging book for students, practitioners, and fans of musical theatre that contains thoughtful observations about luck and creative differences, botched adaptations, and alienated audiences, all of which can determine the fate of a musical.
