G8: Arts - Theatre: Resources

As a young girl living in a motel with her mother and her five siblings, Misty Copeland didn't have a lot of exposure to ballet or prominent dancers. She was sixteen when she saw a black ballerina on a magazine cover for the first time. The experience emboldened Misty and told her that she wasn't alone--and her dream wasn't impossible. In the years since, Misty has only learned more about the trailblazing women who made her own success possible by pushing back against repression and racism with their talent and tenacity. Misty brings these women's stories to a new generation of readers and gives them the recognition they deserve. With an introduction from Misty about the legacy these women have had on dance and on her career itself, this book delves into the lives and careers of women of color who fundamentally changed the landscape of American ballet from the early 20th century to today.

Someone will take their final bow . . . Fresh from their adventures in Hong Kong, Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells have returned to England. But they're not going straight back to school - first they're staying with Daisy's uncle Felix in London. But when London life gets a bit too exciting, the girls are packed off to the Rue Theatre to face an entirely new challenge: acting. But adventure has a nasty habit of catching up with the Detective Society, and it soon becomes clear there is trouble afoot at the Rue. Jealousy, threats and horrible pranks quickly spiral out of control - and then a body is found. Now Hazel and Daisy must take centre stage and solve the crime . . . before the murderer strikes again.

I lay very still, with all my senses telling me that I had gone mad. The plague? Nobody's had the plague for centuries . . . Nathan Field, a talented young actor, arrives at the newly rebuilt Globe Theatre in London to play Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream. As rehearsals begin, eerie echoes of the past begin to haunt Nat, and he falls sick with a mysterious sickness. When he wakes, Nat finds himself in 1599, an actor at the original Globe - and his co-star is none other than the King of Shadows himself: William Shakespeare. Nat's new life is full of excitement, danger and the passionate friendship that he has longed for since the tragic death of his parents. But why has he been sent to the past - and is he trapped there forever?

When Misty Copeland first placed her hands on the ballet barre at an after-school community centre, no one expected the undersized, underprivileged and anxious thirteen-year-old to become one of America's most groundbreaking dancers. A true prodigy, she was attempting in months roles that take most dancers years to master. But when Misty became caught between the control and comfort she found in the world of ballet and the harsh realities of her own life, she had to choose to embrace both her identity and her dreams, and find the courage to be one of a kind. ... Misty Copeland tells the story of her historic journey to become the first African-American principal ballerina at the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. With an insider's passion, Misty opens a window into the life of an artist who lives life centre stage, from behind the scenes at her first classes to her triumphant roles in some of the world's most iconic ballets. Life in Motion is a story of passion, identity and grace for anyone who has dared to dream of a different life.

Holmes and Watson think they're finally in the clear after graduating from Sherringford...but danger awaits in the hallowed halls of Oxford. Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson finally have a chance to start over. With all the freedom their pre-college summer program provides and no one on their tail, the only mystery they need to solve, once and for all, is what they are to each other. But upon their arrival at Oxford, Charlotte is immediately drawn into a new case: a series of accidents befell the theater program at Oxford last year, culminating in a young woman going missing on the night of a major performance. The mystery has gone unsolved; the case is cold. And no one - least of all the girl's peculiar close-knit group of friends - is talking. When Watson and Homes join the theater program, the 'accidents' start anew, giving them no choice but to throw themselves into the case.

Meg Cabot's youngest star is headed for the stage. . .at her school. For parent's night. But still, it's a starring role! The fourth grade puts on a play written by Mrs. Hunter! Allie is sure she will walk away with the most coveted role--that of the princess, naturally-but one of her friends gets the part! What Allie doesn't realize is that the part she does get--that of the evil queen--is actually a better (and bigger) role. But Allie isn't content with just starring in the play. She goes full-on method and borrows some false eyelashes to wear for the play, which (what else is new?) causes a great deal of excited controversy. Allie learns it's not the size of the part, it's the size of the heart that matters.

Twelve-year-old Mattie wrestles with her crush on Gemma as they participate in their school production of Romeo and Juliet in what School Library Journal calls "a fine choice for middle school libraries in need of accessible LGBTQ stories." Twelve-year-old Mattie is thrilled when she learns the eighth grade play will be Romeo and Juliet. In particular, she can't wait to share the stage with Gemma Braithwaite, who has been cast as Juliet. Gemma is brilliant, pretty--and British!--and Mattie starts to see her as more than just a friend. But Mattie has also had an on/off crush on her classmate Elijah since, well, forever. Is it possible to have a crush on both boys AND girls? If that wasn't enough to deal with, things offstage are beginning to resemble their own Shakespearean drama: the cast is fighting, and the boy playing Romeo may not be up to the challenge of the role. And due to a last-minute emergency, Mattie is asked to step up and take over the leading role--opposite Gemma's Juliet--just as Mattie's secret crush starts to become not-so-secret in her group of friends. In this funny, sweet, and clever look at the complicated nature of middle school romance, Mattie learns how to become a lead player in her own life.

Every tween girl knows what it's like to have a mom who can be a little embarrasing at times. But for Marigold, it goes way beyond embarrassing. Marigold's single mom is a performance artist, meaning she stages dramatic, wacky performances to express her personal beliefs. Things like wrapping herself in saran wrap for a piece on plastic surgery, or inviting people over in the middle of the night to videotape her sleeping. In fact, Marigold's mom's performances caused such a ruckus in their last town that the two of them, along with Marigold's little sister, have just had to move. Now Marigold's starting a new school, missing her best friend like crazy, and trying to fit in all over again in the shadow of a mom who's famous for all the wrong reasons. As if that's not bad enough, Marigold's mom takes on a new job--teaching drama at Marigold's school! Now all the kids know instantly just how weird her mom is, and Marigold's worried she'll never be able to have a friendship that can survive her mother.