Entertainment & Performing Arts

The man who brought the kavorka to the Seinfeld show through one of the most remarkable and beloved television characters ever invented, Kramer, shares the extraordinary life of a comedy genius.

The beloved star of Friends takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this candid memoir.

Comedian Trevor Noah offers listeners a glimpse into his childhood during apartheid in South Africa in this award-winning memoir.

Outsider. Misfit. Criminal. Convict. . . . Movie star. Family man. Comedy legend. Joey Diaz has been called every name in the book (and then some). Now, for the first time, he shares the story of his unlikely rise to fame in his own words—with no punches pulled....

Wildflower is a portrait of Drew Barrymore's life in stories as she looks back on the adventures, challenges, and incredible experiences of her earlier years....

Jinger Vuolo, of Duggar family fame, tells how she began to question the ideology of her youth and learned to embrace freedom in Christ.

A moving, real-life account of making it as a dancer in New York City, embracing the changing faces of love and family, and being at ground-zero for one of the most fatal epidemics of modern times....

Before Liz Lemon, before Weekend Update, before Sarah Palin, Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: A recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV....

A full-speed-ahead oral history of the nearly two-decade making of the cultural phenomenon Mad Max: Fury Road....

Comedy legend Carol Burnett tells the hilarious behind-the-scenes story of her iconic weekly variety series, The Carol Burnett Show....

The long-awaited first work of nonfiction from the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: a deliriously entertaining, wickedly intelligent cinema book as unique and creative as anything by Quentin Tarantino....

A memoir of leadership and success: The executive chairman of Disney, Time’s 2019 businessperson of the year, shares the ideas and values he embraced during his 15 years as CEO while reinventing one of the world’s most beloved companies....

In the mid-70s, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up....

From a massively successful stand-up comedian and co-host of chart-topping podcasts “2 Bears 1 Cave” and “Your Mom’s House,” hilarious real-life stories of parenting, celebrity encounters, youthful mistakes, misanthropy, and so much more....

A five-time Moth GrandSLAM winner and bestselling novelist shows how to tell a great story - and why doing so matters....

A portrait of a woman, an era, and a profession: the first thoroughly researched biography of Meryl Streep - the "Iron Lady" of acting....

The co-founder and longtime president of Pixar updates and expands upon his New York Times bestseller on creative leadership, reflecting on the management principles used to build Pixar's singularly successful culture, including what he got wrong—and how he made it right....

Filled with empowering, easy-to-follow tips for crafting stories that forge lasting bonds with friends, family, and colleagues alike, this book will help you connect authentically with the world around you and unleash the power of story in your life.

From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film....

There was a time when Ralphie May was one of the biggest stand-up comedians in the country, both by ticket sales and by tonnage....

James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales raucously and revealingly take the SNL story up to the present, adding a constellation of iconic new stars, surprises, and controversies....

Beneath the streets of London there is another London. A subterranean labyrinth of sewers and abandoned tube stations. A somewhere that is Neverwhere....

The Perfect Story will help you take your stories and make them perfect. Learn how to take any story and make it perfect--from storytelling expert Karen Eber, whose TED Talk on the subject has nearly two million views....

Charlamagne Tha God - the self-proclaimed "Prince of Pissing People Off", cohost of Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club, and "hip-hop's Howard Stern" - shares his unlikely success story....

A revelatory and touching tribute to the lives of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds written by the person who knew them best, Todd Fisher’s poignant memoir is filled with moving stories of growing up among Hollywood royalty....

The man who brought the kavorka to the Seinfeld show through one of the most remarkable and beloved television characters ever invented, Kramer, shares the extraordinary life of a comedy genius—the way he came into himself as an artist, the ups and downs as a human being, the road he has traveled in search of understanding.

As part of the legendary comedy team known as Nichols and May, May revolutionized sketch comedy before striking out on her own to make history as the third woman to be admitted into the Directors Guild of America when she wrote, directed, and starred in 1971’s A New Leaf. Throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, May was one of Hollywood’s top screenwriters and script doctors and one of the only women directing within the studio system. After a box-office bomb, May never directed a feature again, though she continued to write films.

"Love, dreams, and the vibrant spirit of Nairobi come alive in the pages of "Niarobi's Dream." Follow the journey of Niarobi, a dreamer working as a waitress in a quaint café, and Kofi, a charismatic musician whose melodies fill the air with enchantment every Friday night. Their chance encounter sparks a whirlwind romance, as they chase their dreams in a city teeming with life and opportunity. But as their love deepens, they must face challenges and obstacles that test their resolve and strength. From the bustling streets of Nairobi to the stage of a local music festival, Niarobi and ...

Last one there is a rotten egg, or a rotten sperm as the case may be! Millions of gametes set out on this journey, but only one will make it to the mysterious egg. A treasure trove of letters was discovered in a dusty attic in the far reaches of cyberspace, including the deciphered transmissions between their sperm, egg, and brain cells. Hitch along for the ride as our five lead sperm cells form a rabble of rebels from inside their human host, Euclid Hux. But this time, they are not alone, as they are under the tutelage of a mysterious neuron by the name of Ron Une. Which will be the ...

Looking to dive into the heart of London's most cherished performing art scene, the dazzling West End? If yes, you've come to the right place. Uncover the fascinating story of its evolution! Did you know that the first theatre in the West End was established in the 16th century and was simply dubbed "The Theatre"? This doesn't even scratch the surface regarding the captivating history that shaped this iconic theater district.

Field's books on the essential structure of emotionally satisfying screenplays have ignited lucrative careers in film and television since 1979. In this revised edition of his premiere guide, the underpinnings of successful onscreen narratives are revealed in clear and encouraging language that will remain wise and practical as long as audiences watch stories unfold visually—from hand-held devices to IMAX to virtual reality - and whatever comes next!

From 1935 to 1939, the Federal Theatre Project staged over a thousand productions in 29 states that were seen by thirty million (or nearly one in four) Americans, two thirds of whom had never seen a play before. At its helm was an unassuming theater professor, Hallie Flanagan. It employed, at its peak, over twelve thousand struggling artists, some of whom, like Orson Welles and Arthur Miller, would soon be famous, but most of whom were just ordinary people eager to work again at their craft. The Playbook takes us through some of its most remarkable productions.

“Don’t Wear Shorts on Stage…” is not only a complete guide to the previously unwritten rules of stand-up, but also a quick reference for the hundreds of questions that most comics don’t even think to ask. Durham points out mistakes most comics make before they even take the stage and continues his advice throughout the different levels of a comic’s career. His knowledge stems from over a decade of performing along with three years behind the scenes at one of America’s top clubs where he soaked up tips and anecdotes from some of the business’s biggest names like Dave Attell, ...

Welcome to the life of a local journalist, and the curious tradition of the “walk-in” – when a member of the public turns up with a tale to tell. The newsworthiness of these stories is... well... mixed, to say the least. But every journalist remembers their weirdest and most wonderful walk-ins.

The following recording is a discussion between movie star Vivien Leigh, film producer Samuel Goldwyn and British Theatre critic Kenneth Tynan.

When Brian DePalma's operatically violent and profane Scarface debuted in 1983, the film drew almost as much fire as the relentless gunfire in the film itself. The movie was a remake of 1932's Scarface—revamped for a new era of drugs, sex, and graphic violence. Attacked as both a celebration of cocaine-fueled excess and a condemnation of it, the film's reputation only grew as the years went by. But the real story of its success started nearly a century ago—when Hollywood first fell in love with the American gangster....

My Top Ten Favorite Books of All Time is and essay by James J. Caterino, the author of My Encounter with the Partridge Family, sort of, What If, Girl Pop, Make Me Cry Please, The Girl Out of Time, Romance Stories, To Meghan, True Stories, Time Travel Stories, and much more.

Gus Van Sant’s film and the ’90s cult of the alternative Gus Van Sant’s 1991 indie darling My Own Private Idaho perplexed and provoked, inspiring a new ethos for a new decade: being different was better than being good. Gentlemen of the Shade examines how the film was a coming-of-age for a generation of young people who would embrace the alternative and bring their outsider perspectives to sustainability, technology, gender constructs, and social responsibility.

Are you looking for a simple and practical guide to learn how to use your radio right away? In our increasingly uncertain world, the ability to communicate clearly and swiftly is more important than ever. Baofeng radios, appreciated for their adaptability and cost-effectiveness, are favored by everyone even though fully mastering these complex devices can be daunting for newcomers. This book is tailored so that anyone, regardless of their experience level, can expertly use a Baofeng radio without going crazy!

So many talented actors have trouble preparing and making choices when it comes to tapping into the emotional life of a character. When your director says action, are you truly connected to your character and their world? Be Your Own Coach, by Amy Werba and Peter Meagher, is a manual that will allow you to prepare by yourself, for yourself, before an audition or on set.