John Nobbs; Peter Berkahn
Brisbane: Frank Theatre Press, 2010.

“This is the second book about actor training by John Nobbs. The first, Frankly Acting, outlined the early development of the Frank Suzuki Performance Aesthetics (FSPA), as a western variant and translation of the classic Suzuki Actor Training Method (SATM). This devil’s logbook is a series of 25 provocations that poke further and deeper into the alchemical triggers and mechanisms that inform the one true actor training system originally devised by Tadashi Suzuki. Interspersed throughout the 25 provocations are revelations by some of the many actors that have used the FSPA to develop their acting spirit. Tadashi Suzuki, the inventor of the SATM, has stated that he believes that the training is not just for the actor’s craft, but that it should be a creative tool for making theatre performances . The FSPA follows on the traces of that purpose, and this book outlines its importance as the creative onestop shop of Ozfrank Theatre Matrix. It includes examples, with colour photographs, that illustrate how Ozfrank director Jacqui Carroll uses the FSPA to impel her productions.” (publisher’s blurb)

John Nobbs
Brisbane: Frank Theatre Press, 2006.

“John Nobbs’ Frankly Acting is the first Australian book espousing a uniquely homegrown theatrical performance theory. As Grotowski did in Poland and Artaud in France, Nobbs has articulated an Australian performance aesthetic which revivifies in a contemporary context the theatrical traditions of its geographic region. With illuminating references to popular culture, his Suzuki-inspired method is based on rigorous theatrical discipline, but with an ever-present and distinctively Australian sense of humour. Frankly Acting grounds its theory in the artistic heritage of the Asia-Pacific, with a theatrical resonance which is universal.” (Martin Buzacott)

Arthur Frank Wertheim
London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015.

“W. C. Fields was a virtuoso comedian, often called a comic genius, legendary iconoclast, and “Great Man,” who brought so much laughter to millions while enduring so much anguish. This book explores his little-known, long stage career from 1898 to 1930, which had a major influence on his comedy and screen presence.” (publisher’s blurb) Part of the Palgrave Studies in Theatre and Performance History series.

Peter Duffy; Elinor Vettraino
London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.

“Youth and Theatre of the Oppressed investigates a performance strategy which aims to develop possible alternatives to oppressive forces in individual s lives. Eminent contributors offer diverse perspectives on the theories and practices within Theatre of the Oppressed, especially as it relates to young people. This book shares TO s goal of engaging the collective to create generative conversations among readers which look deeply into the issues of community through theatre – whether in India or Indiana – and to work with young people to name their world, untangle the knot of oppressions, and to develop with them possible action plans for their own futures.” (publisher’s blurb)

Alvin Krinst
[Montclair]: Sagging Meniscus, 2016.

“The Yalta Stunts, one of the most perfect, charming, and enigmatic works of the always mysterious 20th century underground poet Alvin Krinst, has circulated in hand-printed editions of uneven quality for decades since first published in 1963. Commissioned for the 1945 Yalta Conference and first performed there by Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt themselves, these stunningly original Stunts were not merely important precursors of the artistic revolution of the 1960’s, but potent poetic and political statements in their own right.” Edited and with an introduction by Emily MacGregor.

Camilla Eeg-Tverbakk; Karmenlara Ely
New York: Brooklyn Arts Press, 2015.

Carl E. Loeffler; Darlene Tong
San Francisco: Last Gasp, 1989.

“Performance art is a major contemporary art form and California is recognized internationally as a pivotal area for innovative performance art activity. This updated edition of Performance Anthology offers an extraordinary documentation of California performance art from 1970 through 1989. The anthology provides a chronicle of the literature of artists’ publications, art journals, major books, and catalogues; introductions and original essays by artists and leading historians and critics of performance art in California; and photographs illustrating major works by California artists. Through the documentation of the literature, a framework is established of the artists, events, organizations and spaces that have been instrumental in launching and sustaining the performance art scene in California.”