This whimsical fable was a success at the Jewish Repertory Theatre and Off Broadway. Shmulnik is a big hearted, penniless schlemiel. He falls in love with the daughter of a prosperous merchant but is turned away by her father. Her family emigrates to America and Shmulnik attempts to follow, but he gets on the wrong boat and is halfway to China before he realizes his mistake. Finally, he gets to San Francisco and works his way across the country to New York City only to find that his beloved is engaged. Shmulnik ends up writing love letters for his rival. At the wedding, shmulnik learns that the older sister, a straight laced school teacher, actually wrote the wonderful letters he has been answering, and he finds that she the better matrimonial choice
THE LAST WALTZ Vienna May 1945 THE LAST WALTZ - Vienna May 1945 - is the uncompromising story of a United States O.S.S. four man, secret mission into Russian occupied Vienna in the uncertain days following the unconditional surrender of the German Armed Forces, and of a small, U.S. Army patrol sent to rendezvous with the four men on their return from Vienna in territory still being held by German SS troops who have not surrendered. As the war had progressed there was mounting alarm in Washington at the extent of Russian Intelligence activities in the U.S.A. and the lack of knowledge available to the U.S. Secret Service on their Russian counterparts. The Last Waltz was part of the process to redress that situation. On April 13th, 1945, the German garrison surrenders Vienna to the Russian troops and Vienna is to endure many days of terror and anarchy. Doctor Anna Holtz, a Swiss national and the daughter in law of an eminent Austrian scientist, fears for her life, and she has valuable information that was given to her by her father in law before he died. On the same night, four Austrian Officers and a Sergeant of the German Wehrmacht make plans for one of the officers, a Captain, and the Sergeant, who have both worked for German Military Intelligence, to surrender themselves to the U.S. Army and offer to return to Vienna with a U.S. agent to retrieve certain documented, secret information that will be valuable to the U.S. which is being safeguarded in Vienna, and also to help Doctor Holtz escape from Vienna. In another part of the city, John Spencer, a British secret agent, is preparing to leave the city and make his way through the German lines and return to London. Two days later, the Wehrmacht Captain and Sergeant surrender to a forward unit of the U.S. Third Army and are interrogated by Captain Maddox, a U.S. Intelligence Officer who sends the two prisoners direct to a Major Keller, a U.S. staff officer at Army Headquarters. The U.S. High Command recognises the importance of the information offered by the Captain and the need to get Doctor Holtz out of Vienna before the Russians become aware that she holds such valuable information. The High Command is also aware of the delicacy of the situation. The Americans seek the help of British Intelligence who have had Spencer operating in Vienna from before the war. Spencer is a maverick British agent recruited from the criminal underworld and during his period in Vienna as a British spy, he has continued to operate his own interests in the criminal, network. It is known that many members of the Austrian Resistance Movement are communist sympathisers, so British Intelligence decide to cash in on Spencer's other activities and contacts. Spencer is cajoled and blackmailed into agreeing to return to Vienna and joins up with Major Keller of the O.S.S. who has been assigned to head the operation into Vienna with the Austrian Captain and Sergeant. The operation has no official recognition and has been unofficially titled THE LAST WALTZ. Spencer makes arrangements for their return to Vienna through his underworld contacts. Captain Maddox, who had first interrogated the Austrian Captain, is ordered to take some of his men behind Russian held lines to rendezvous with Major Keller's party on their return from Vienna. This does not please Captain Maddox, or his men, because the rendezvous is in an area where German SS troops are still fighting their way West. In bo
The first book in history that documents Waltz from birth to the grave. This landmark text offers historical proof, such as ship manifests and German translations of his infamous directions to the mine, and all major speculations that have occurred in the hundreds of books published in the 111 years following Waltz's death.
The second volume in the series of authoritative Methuen editions of Strindberg's Collected Plays This volume contains two of Strindberg's best-known plays from the years following his mental breakdown: the expressionist masterpiece A Dream Play (1901), which he described as 'my most beloved play, child of my greatest pain'; and both parts of The Dance of Death (1900), a terrifying analysis of a tormented marriage: 'it leaves an astonishing, an almost unaccountable, impression of genius ... as a beggar's cloak full of holes may have a kind of majestic beauty when the wind fills it, so this broken drama, having unmistakably the winds of vision in it, has beauty and dignity and power' (The Times, 1928). Also included is his earlier short play The Stronger (1889), a fascinating study of the power of personality."Michael Meyer is the translator most actors turn to when seeking a definitive text" (Sunday Times)
The Greatest British Classics Ever Written encapsulates an unrivaled collection traversing the comprehensive spectrum of British literature. This anthology presents a curated selection of works that showcase not only the evolution of literary styles but also the thematic depth which has characterized centuries of English writing. From the cerebral comedies of Oscar Wilde to the haunting gothic tales of Ann Ward Radcliffe, and the pioneering science fiction of H.G. Wells, this collection emphasizes the diversity and significant contributions of British literature to the global canon. Standout pieces capture the essence of human condition, societal shifts, and the unending quest for identity and belonging within varied historical and socio-political contexts. The authors and editors, hailing from different epochs, bring together an impressive array of backgrounds, literary movements, and philosophical ideologies. This melting pot includes the romantic disillusionment of the Brontë sisters, the sharp social critique of Charles Dickens, the existential musings of T.S. Eliot, and the pioneering narratives of Mary Shelley. Their collective works represent a cross-section of the historical nuances, cultural shifts, and the rich literary heritage of the British Isles, revealing a shared lineage of exploration, innovation, and a profound inquiry into the human spirit and societal constructs. For aficionados and newcomers to British literature alike, this anthology offers a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the rich tapestry of British literary genius. The Greatest British Classics Ever Written is more than just a collection; it's a journey through time, offering a panoramic view of the ideas and aesthetics that have shaped not only British literature but also the global literary landscape. Readers are encouraged to delve into this meticulously curated anthology to experience the breadth of insights, the evolution of literary forms, and the dialogue fostered between the era-defining works of these seminal authors. It's an essential volume for those seeking to understand the legacy and continued relevance of British literary contributions to world culture.
Relevance and Marginalisation in Scandinavian and European Performing Arts 1770–1860: Questioning Canons reveals how various cultural processes have influenced what has been included, and what has been marginalised from canons of European music, dance, and theatre around the turn of the nineteenth century and the following decades. This collection of essays includes discussion of the piano repertory for young ladies in England; canonisation of the French minuet; marginalisation of the popular German dramatist Kotzebue from the dramatic canon; dance repertory and social life in Christiania (Oslo); informal cultural activities in Trondheim; repertory of Norwegian musical clocks; female itinerant performers in the Nordic sphere; preconditions, dissemination, and popularity of equestrian drama; marginalisation and amateur staging of a Singspiel by the renowned Danish playwright Oehlenschläger, also with perspectives on the music and its composers; and the perceived relevance of Henrik Ibsen’s staged theatre repertory and early dramas. By questioning established notions about canon, marginalisation, and relevance within the performing arts in the period 1770–1860, this book asserts itself as an intriguing text both to the culturally interested public and to scholars and students of musicology, dance research, and theatre studies.
The waltz, perhaps the most beloved social dance of the 19th and early 20th centuries, once provoked outrage from religious leaders and other self-appointed arbiters of social morality. Decrying the corrupting influence of social dancing, they failed to suppress the popularity of the waltz or other dance crazes of the period, including the Charleston, the tango, and "animal dances" such as the Turkey Trot, Grizzly Bear, and Bunny Hug. This book investigates the development of these popular dances, considering in particular how their very existence as "taboo" cultural fads ultimately provided a catalyst for lasting social reform. In addition to examining the impact of the waltz and other scandalous dances on fashion, music, leisure, and social reform, the text describes the opposition to dance and the proliferation of literature on both sides.
