Customer Reviews

The Stuff of Dreams: Behind the Scenes of an American Community Theater

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I cannot remember the last book before this that I read in one sitting. "The Stuff of Dreams" captures the true essence of community theatre, from the problem of small audition turn-outs to the common poor health in the days preceeding opening, when stress has everyone's immune system lowered, something I hadn't quite realized was universal...but I'm supposed to be talking about the book as a whole, not just what reminds me of personal experiences. One of the reviews on the cover says that this book "reads like a love story." If, like I do, you realize that an accurate story about community theatre is inheritly a romance, regardless of the plot, then you must read this book.

Leah Hager Cohen's _The Stuff of Dreams: Behind the Scenes of an American Community Theater_ (Viking) tells the story of one production by one community theater, and if that strikes you as a preposterously unlikely vehicle to contain heroism and excitement, that is only because you have no idea yet about Cohen's lucid reportage or about the dedication of the Arlington Friends of the Drama. Cohen followed the company from its selection of a controversial play (involving serious cerebral themes and nudity) beyond the final cast party. She seems to have been everywhere, watching both on and off stage drama. She must thank her good fortune at reporting on just this troop. The people involved have plenty of humor; with all the stress in getting this production running, they had to. But they are truly serious artists; this is established by the choice of the play and the discussion group held before any rehearsal, in which are covered "everything from gender and sexual politics to Sino-French relations to ethnic stereotyping to the Chinese Cultural Revolution." Cohen could not have lit upon a more fascinating cast for her own work. They are headed by the ambitious director Celia, who is by day a manager of a Hewlett-Packard branch office. She has the extraordinary capacity to assign people to jobs at which they had no idea they could succeed. The Chinese opera star is played by Patrick, a self-effacing stranger she has picked and who seems at times a disastrously wrong choice. The main role is given to Jimmy, a veteran of the ADC who has ACTOR 1 for his license plates, and who undergoes terrifying, inexplicable lapses of memory for his lines even in the week before his performance. It is probably not giving anything away to tell that Cohen isn't reporting on a failure, but she builds up to a pitch of excitement in approach of the opening night that is delicious. The book's drama is sufficient that it is easy to imagine it becoming its own play.

This turns out to be an engrossing tale where one would least expect it. "No written contracts have been signed, no cash exchanged, no professional reputations put at stake to help ensure that the promises are kept, the goals met. All they can do for the moment is skate along on that sheer, fine surface of trust, waiting for a firmer base to form beneath it." The narrative of the formation of that base, the process of creating by a temporary family of amateurs (the word comes from the root meaning "love," and these people do love what they are doing), who in some cases jeopardize jobs and marriages in order to get their artistic dream realized, is an unforgettable and illuminating story.

leah hager cohen writes beautifully on her subject of choice--a coummnity theater's production of 'm butterfly' from casting to the opening night.

she presents the history of the theater group, which is located in new england, as well as its members and staff lovingly, showing the reader the passion which drives them to the theater group. and she also portrays the love each person has for the theater in general.

it is an enchanting read and desrves to be re-read by anyone that is interested in the life of a person that loves the theater but chose not to make a career of it.

For anyone who has ever been involved in the theatre in general, but specifically for those special souls who have worked in community theatre, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Miss Cohen writes with a true love and deep respect for those people who are unable to work professionally in the theatre and have to hold down full time jobs to support their theatre addictions. "The Stuff of Dreams" illustrates the trials and tribulations of the unique community that becomes an amateur theatre company. It also touches upon the audience and the very society that spawns and supports an art form that is sadly beginning to quite literally die off.

Cohen possesses both the journalist's objective eye and the lover's passionate heart. It is so very obvious that she holds a great deal of respect and admiration for her subjects as they attempt to mount a production of "M. Butterfly". It could be too easy for a person of Miss Cohen's background and experience to use condescending language, but she avoids those traps completely.

This is a loving portrait of theatre people for theatre people.

The Stuff of Dreams articulates the passion and reason many of us do community theatre. People that have no idea or understanding of why we do it, for no apparent monitary gain or advancement, should read this book to capture a sense of what it is that drives "amatures" to do this. For me it was fasinating to read about people that I've known and worked with in the very same theatre that I've performed in several times.

Well written and articulate it takes one on the emotional high and low journey of several principal players that in the end, the result was worth whatever bumps and scrapes that may have been sustained along the way.

I have never read a book or seen a film that accurately describes the non-professional theatre world until this one. Totally without the condescending tone of even the better books, this is a completely riveting account of what the experience is like with all its joys and all its craziness. Hats off to the author and to the theater group that allowed itself to put under this microscope. It turned out beautifully for all concerned.

The story narrated in this book is as familiar to me as the contents of my kitchen. I know the people, the situations, and what they are thinking. For me, this book serves as an affirmation of what I try to do every time I go on stage for an audition as an actor, open my stage manager's book as a production crew member, or stare at the S. French catalog trying to decide what play to do next as a producer/director. I would love to see a re-birth of community theater in this country, and this book explains a little about why. I recommend it to anyone who loves community theater, anyone who is a little bit of professional theater snob, and anyone who has been asked to become involved in their local community theater and doesn't understand what it is all about.

As a community theater actor myself, I was intrigued by the whole premise of this book. In part it is historical development of community theater in [a part of] America. It is also an entertaining account of one troupe's efforts to put on what many consider a difficult and controversial play, 'M. Butterfly.' All in all a good read; some of the history is a little stale at times but interesting overall and the accounts of play production open such fun [and not so fun] memories from my own experiences.

This is a beautiful book about the process of community theatre. It will remind anyone of thir own expirences, and is a great explination for anyone that is curious about the process but hasn't yet participated themselves. It is pretty dense in places and I found some of the historical information of this theatre tedious and unnessary to the overall piece. But I did enjoy a lot of the authors own theatrical memories that are interspursed throughout the book, since she is invisible through the shows happenings. There were things that were touched on that I wanted answers on but was left hanging. This was mostly dealing with the actor Patrick. She makes a statement about him in the book, and never follows it up or supports it so I was left wondering "Why?". Also, near the beginning there is a jumping forward and backward in time that was confusing but works itself out eventually. Otherwise, I loved the book and it is like a love letter to the thousands of community theatres across the country.