Customer Reviews

A Funny Thing Happened At Mount Sinai

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Read it during an hour long to-and-from commute, and the entire book was worth it if only for Stillman's notes about tagouts!

- Cole

Matt Stillman always has an interesting take on things, whether he's dispensing creative solutions to life's problems from a couple fold-up chairs and a card table in New York City, or shedding new light on the 10 Commandments. Still, I have to admit I was more than a little curious as to how he'd pull off the job of analyzing the foundations of Judeo-Christian thought through the lens of improv. Perhaps I shouldn't have been, however, for he is a master craftsman. I know very little about theater, and even less about the part of theater that is improv. Yet, the connections the author weaves throughout this short book demonstrate both his artistry and his understanding of the many roles we assume on the stage of life.

I gave this book four stars because it needed more editing than it received. Maybe I'm just too easily distracted by things like typos and sentences with what seemed to be missing words. Then again, if an author has something to say, I want to be able to read it free and clear. I find Matt Stillman's perspective on things to be most engaging. Yet, there were instances throughout this work where his perspective lost some of its potency due to simple breakdowns in editing. I'm quite sure my reading experience would have improved had he paid a little more time and attention to the details of his craft. That being said, A Funny Thing Happened At Mount Sinai is a very thought-provoking read. I wish it had been longer, for I think he has a lot more to say on this topic. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

A creative and thought-provoking examination of the Ten Commandments in relation to improv, well-written and interesting without beating the analogy to death. Don't expect a funny book - this is serious, and deeper than might immediately appear. One of those books whose points keep nagging at you after you have finished reading it. I gave it only 4 stars instead of five mainly for its length, which is short. Had it been a more expanded in-depth examination, I would have given it 5 stars.