English Theater

Tom Stoppard is a towering and beloved literary figure. Known for his dizzying narrative inventiveness and intense attention to language, he deftly deploys art, science, history, politics, and philosophy in works that span a remarkable spectrum of literary genres: theater, radio, film, TV, journalism, and fiction. His most acclaimed creations - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Real Thing, Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Shakespeare in Love - remain as fresh and moving as when they entranced their first audiences.

At the height of the McCarthy era, an experimental theater troupe set up shop in a bar near the University of Chicago. Via word-of-mouth, astonished crowds packed the ad-hoc venue to see its unscripted, interactive, consciousness-raising style. From this unlikely seed grew the Second City, the massively influential comedy theater troupe, and its offshoots - the Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade, SNL, and a slew of others. Sam Wasson charts the meteoric rise of improv in this richly reported, scene-driven narrative.

When Ian Buruma arrived in Tokyo in 1975, Japan was little more than an idea in his mind, a fantasy of a distant land. A sensitive misfit in the world of his upper middle class youth, what he longed for wasn't so much the exotic as the raw, unfiltered humanity he had experienced in Japanese theater performances and films, witnessed in Amsterdam and Paris.

When spunky Maddy McGuire needs money to pay for horseback riding lessons, she decides to host a week-long pet camp. Despite many near-disasters, Maddy learns that raising the money itself was much of the fun and decides to try out different businesses. Throughout the series, she discovers skills that help her be a great entrepreneur, including organization, enthusiasm, math skills, and more.

Born in 1962, Alexandra Billings grew up in a decade in which being herself was illegal. When she started transitioning in 1980, the word “Transgender” didn’t exist. With no Trans role models and no path to follow, Alexandra did what her family, teachers, and even friends said was impossible: Alexandra forged ahead. Spanning five decades, from profound lows to exhilarating highs, This Time for Me captures the events of a pioneering life.

Ellie is a sweet-natured brunette, generous of heart with a sparkling smile and an accent that reveals her East End background. Bonny is beautiful and spoilt, with cascades of blond hair, the brightest pair of blue eyes and a mouth like Cupid's bow. The two girls meet in London at the end of the war when, seduced and abandoned by two American airmen, they pool their wits and resources and set off to make a living on the stage.

Deeply changed by his experiences on the fantasy world of Volar, Ty returns home to discover all-new threats and allies awaiting him. With the fate of two worlds on the line, he must do more than become the hero he’s always wanted to be. He must outmaneuver the gods themselves, even as they transform all he knows and loves into one giant theater of war.

After conquering all of Hesse, creating a devilish new dungeon, and establishing himself as the villain that everyone loves to hate, Lucas decides to continue his quest to create new content by taking over as a dungeon master on the mainland. Unlike the dominant force on the island he left behind, however, the once-mighty Imperium only controls a single capital city in a rapidly shrinking territory, leaving a group of scheming nobles to bicker among themselves and fight over scraps of land.

You know his work—Show Boat, Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I. But you don't really know Oscar Hammerstein II, the man who, more than anyone else, invented the American musical. Among the most commercially successful artists of his time, he was a fighter for social justice who constantly prodded his audiences to be better than they were.

Year 2286. Alex Bell has put in 20 years of work in the VR game Eternal Dominion—a full dive fantasy VRMMO game that accounts for around 20 percent of the world's economy. He had risen to the top as a vice guild leader, and thanks to his work, his guild was steps away from truly standing with the other top guilds. Only fate decided to rip it all away at the last moment. After his fall, Alex awakens to see his 18-year-old self looking back at him in the mirror.

Ignas Corvinus, ruler of Vlachia, has been captured by his worst enemies. A puppet ruler has been installed to lead the most powerful nation in Archemi, and he's doing his best to blame Hector Park, his dragon Karalti, and their allies for the world's problems.

Meg Langslow’s in for a busy summer. Her husband is directing a production of Macbeth, and most of the cast and crew are occupying spare bedrooms in their house. She also has to keep an eye on Camp Birnam, where a group of medieval reenactors are commemorating the real-life Macbeth by setting up what they fondly believe is an authentic medieval Scottish military camp. And then there’s Damien Goodwin, a filmmaker who has been hanging around, trying to document the production.

After the death of his best friend, Ryuk logs into the online fantasy world of Tritania in hopes of seeing her again. Joined by a cantankerous goblin, a famous Swedish gamer, and a dragon, his guild sets out on an epic quest to find Tamana. Despite pressures from the real world and a mysterious faction known as the Shinigami, Ryuk uncovers a mind-blowing secret....

It’s just another Thanksgiving for the Sullivans - until the walls disappear and they discover they are being transported to Arenia, a place where game rules are real and their Earthen ability to reincarnate grants them unlimited potential. Or it would, if the celestial administrator in charge of their case hadn’t mixed up longitude and latitude and sent the wrong family. Now scattered throughout the Arenian wilderness and armed only with their Tomes, the family members must discover a strength they didn’t know they had if they are going to survive.

Gideon Caldwell is a less than successful indie author barely making ends meet in his crummy basement apartment in New Haven, Connecticut, when a beautiful woman mysteriously appears at his doorstep.

For generations, the LeChats had kept the mouse problem in the Old Lighthouse Theater under control. But Purrcey LeChat doesn't want to hunt mice—he wants to see his name up in lights!

For those who reside in the outer regions of Aleria, the day of bestowal is what determines their destiny. It is the holy day of the Goddess. The day that allows those of age to step forward and receive their blessing, to embark on the path that she has chosen for them. To receive their Classification, which dictates their strength and ability. For those people, the holy day of bestowal represents fate itself. For Dante, it represents salvation.

Palmyre. A city of questions and a family short on answers. And foremost on everyone’s mind is the question that matters most: Where is Grandpa Jack? After a long and arduous journey, the Sullivan family has made it to Palmyre. The initial joy over their reunion soon fades, however, when Grandpa Jack fails to arrive. With no way of seeking him out, they turn their attention to surviving in a town far different from anything they have experienced before.

Tyler Merritt's video "Before You Call the Cops" has been viewed millions of times. He's appeared on Jimmy Kimmel and Sports Illustrated and has been profiled in the New York Times. The viral video's main point - the more you know someone, the more empathy, understanding, and compassion you have for that person - is the springboard for this book. By sharing his highs and exposing his lows, Tyler welcomes us into his world in order to help bridge the divides that seem to grow wider every day.

Cassie Taylor was just another acting student with big dreams at her prestigious performing arts college…then she met Ethan Holt. She was the good girl actress. He was the bad boy on campus. But one fated casting choice for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing on stage, Cassie and Ethan's epic romance seemed destined. Until it ended in tragedy when he shattered her heart. Now they've made it to Broadway where they're reunited as romantic leads once again.