Category: Between The Lines

Why does theatre continue to endure as a popular art form, millennia after its inception? Is it because of theatre’s ability to educate? To inform? To entertain? Or is there a more powerful, more intrinsic, more emotional component at play? Greek philosopher Aristotle identified the emotional response of the audience as an essential component of drama. He referred to this emotional process as ‘catharsis.’

Farce is a theatre style that can be traced all the way to ancient Greece. At the time, the new style of comedy (aptly called New Comedy) was created by Greek playwright Menander. His work was so influential, that it continues reverberating through our modern understanding of comedic writing.

Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None is the highest-selling crime novel of all time, with over 100 million copies sold since it was published in 1939. (In fact, It’s one of the ten highest-selling novels ever). Its publication cemented Agatha Christie’s spot as one of the world’s most successful novelists. Nevertheless, And Then There Were None deviates from Christie’s iconic formula: the central detective character is absent.

I had written this book because it was so difficult to do, and that idea fascinated me. Ten people had to die without it becoming ridiculous or the murderer being obvious.

Agatha Christie's iconic whodunit, And Then There Were None, throws ten strangers onto the desolate Soldier Island. This isolated location isn't just a picturesque backdrop. It's a chosen element that fuels the suspense and drives the narrative.

Explore compelling stories that celebrate the African American experience written by some of America’s most influential playwrights.

Jane Eyre is widely recognized as one of the greatest romance novels ever written. Since the time of its publication it has entered mainstream media, quickly becoming one of the most frequently adapted novels of all time. In the vast majority of adaptations, the emphasis is placed on the fraught courtship of Jane by her employer, Edward Fairfax Rochester. Although this is arguably the central relationship in the novel, it’s interesting to note that it only encompasses about half of the actual text.

In the enchanting world of literature, few works are as profound as Charlotte Brontë's classic, Jane Eyre. While the novel's narrative brilliance and compelling characters have captivated readers for generations, a closer look at Brontë's personal life will reveal how her own experiences impacted Jane's story.

I've always been interested in space and astronomy and remember stargazing as a kid in Nebraska.

In Charles Dickens' timeless novella, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Ebenezer Scrooge emerges as a character embodying the change from a miserly loner to a benevolent benefactor. David Rainey, a seasoned member of the Alley Resident Company who has portrayed Scrooge multiple times, reflects on the character's complexity.