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The 6 Greatest Playwrights of all Time

Posted by Suzanne Baker on
The 6 Greatest Playwrights of all Time

There’s no underestimating the benefit of a trip to the live theater. It has its own way of increasing your literary knowledge, empathy and psychological insight. Modern studies suggest that going to live theater is in fact much better than watching movies. Playwrights are the brains behind those brilliant theater acts. In all time, and in all places in the world, here are the 6 greatest playwrights who ever lived:

1.      William Shakespeare

If you don’t know who William Shakespeare was, then you must have been living under a rock. Shakespeare comes across the board as the linguistic equal of Sophocles. He has been unsurpassed in his trade. Shakespeare’s genius, metaphors and other contributions to the literary scene have always been used to measure poetic genius. His plays, dialog and well-developed characters are appealing in all ways, not to forget the intriguing theme that he so cleverly used to portray characters who stick to the mind. There’s no disputing the fact that Shakespeare is one of the greatest literary minds that ever lived.

2.      Henrik Ibsen

The 19th Century Norwegian playwright, poet and theater director, Henrik Johan Ibsen, is often referred to as ‘the father of realism’. He’s is popularly placed among the founders of theater modernism. Some of his major works include A Doll’s House, An Enemy of the People, Brand, The Wild Duck, and The Master Builder among many others. After Shakespeare, Henrik is the world’s most performed dramatist. His play, A Doll’s House, was the most popular play by number of performances as early as the 20th century. In European History, Ibsen is seen as one of the most prominent playwrights.

3.      Samuel Beckett

Irishman Samuel Barclay Beckett was a celebrated playwright, novelist, poet and theatre director who resided in Paris, and died in 1989. He’s written extensively in both French and English, and is regarded amongst the most authoritative writers from the 20th century. Beckett’s life’s work scopes black comedy, gallows humor, and a look at human existence. He is ranked amongst the most modernist writers ever, is the Nobel Prize winner in Literature, 1969.

4.      Arthur Miller

A distinguished American playwright and essayist, Arthur Asher Miller’s most popular plays include Death of a Salesman, All My Sons, A View from the Bridge and The Crucible. Death of a Salesman has been listed amongst the greatest American plays of the 20th century. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and married the historic American model and popular culture icon, Marilyn Monroe.

5.      Kalidasa

Although much of his life is unknown, Kalidasa easily gets away with the title ‘greatest dramatist and poet in the Sanskrit language’. His drama and poetry are majorly based on Hindu Puranas. He most likely lived and wrote during the 5th Century AD.

6.      Jean Racine

One of the three greatest playwrights of the 17th century, Jean Racine was a Frenchman and legendary figure of western tradition. His work includes ‘Phedre’, ‘Les Plaideurs’, and ‘Andromaque’. Racine’s plays are exhibit a mind of purity, speed, elegance and fury. Many distinguished poets have unsuccessfully tried to translate his work to other languages, although most of Racine’s poetry is considered untranslatable.

Music

Music & Memory

Posted by Suzanne Baker on
Music & Memory

There are millions of elderly residents within long-term care facilities around America. Many of these residents face both cognitive and physical impairments therefore, relocating into a long term care facility, can be extremely stressful for them. These stresses almost always stem from two main causes such as: the financial stress and stress associated with major change.

While policies such as a hybrid long term care insurance policies may help alleviate some of the financial stress, for many the lingering stress of change will remain. Many residents relocate and instantly long for familiar faces, settings, and even sounds.Yes sounds. In fact, sounds and music can make all the difference within long -term care facilities. These sounds and music can help shape the overall resident experience and even aide in fundamental therapies. That’s right, music therapy has long been a form of therapy used in patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s who struggle with memory.

The familiar sound of an old but favorite tune can sometimes help spark old emotions and memories. Music can help us remember feelings, places, and even people. Perhaps, a song from your favorite album or even a musical you once attended can send you into a trip down memory lane. This is why music therapy and musical play within your nursing home can be beneficial.

Finding a facility that is right for you requires a little bit of research. You should look into your facilities programs and activities. Your facility should have a list of services offered. If you are one of the many americans with a hybrid LTC policy in place this can make this can help give you more options when selecting a facility. Since hybrid long term care insurance combines long term care benefits with life insurance benefits, these policies can help you support the financial side of all your top choice facilities. Don’t get caught settling on the second half of your life. Research your facility carefully to ensure they offer all the musical programs and therapies you desire.

Audra McDonald

7 Things You Didn’t Know About Super Star Audra McDonald

Posted by Suzanne Baker on
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Super Star Audra McDonald

If you’re a theatre fanatic, then you definitely know who Audra McDonald is.

The Essence Magazine April Cover Star, Audra has won multiple awards and accolades for her excellent portrayal of music legend Billie Holiday. Since Broadway revived Shuffle Along, McDonald has been spending most of her time there. Of late, we’ve also heard that she’s expecting a baby, which led to this summer’s postponing of London’s Lady Day performance at West End. But in addition to all these details that are scattered all over news platform and the entertainment web, we look deep into her life and resurface the interesting things that you might not have known about this superstar.

  • Her childhood drama – McDonald’s career started revealing itself when she was a small kid, she mostly feared rain and she would cry at any sight of it .Her parents realized that she was very dramatic and they channeled that energy into arts and it definitely worked out.
  • Attendance at Julliard where she didn’t fit in – Her passion for the stage made her apply at Julliard where she came to realize that it was not her place since they emphasized on opera music programs while her passion was on Broadway. At Julliard, she met Viola Davis who was studying acting at that time and they became good friends. She felt that the opera program she was undertaking was a waste of time for she was no good at it.
  • Her attempt to commit suicide – The experience at Julliard and the feeling that that’s not what she really wanted to do frustrated her and after two years at the Julliard art school she felt that she couldn’t bear it any longer and she attempted suicide. The Black student affairs director was the one who came to her aid by recommending a psychiatrist for her. She took a year off from school and joined a touring company, she later went back to Julliard to get her degree.
  • Her victory at Tony Awards – Despite the feeling that Julliard was not her place it still played a major role in her career for she won her first Tony award one year after college for her role in Carousel.
  • Her latest history-making Broadway project – Shuffle Along which starred Josephine Baker and Paul Robinson, is based on 1921 musical and it made history as one of the first African-American musicals to be ever performed on stage. This musical is yet to make history again as the first Broadway musical written and performed by African-American. It’s going to be a great hit this time.
  • Her six Tony awards do not define her – Audra is an actress who many people emulate, she has a strong will and does what no actress has done before and she continues to work harder and she says that the Tony awards do not slow her performance rather she gets motivated to do more.
  • Her desire to make her 15-year-old daughter proud – Audra lives for her daughter and she is proud of her for she is aware of the problems related with racialism and she is active in the Black Lives Matter Movement. Just like many parents are proud of their children, she also feels the same and all she wants is to leave behind a legacy for her daughter and to make her proud.

Certainly, Audra has got something great going, but it all didn’t come easy. She’s had to work hard and channel a lot of energy into her talent, and that’s precisely why she’s the successful actress we know today!