The first young adult novel translated from Russian, a brave coming-out, coming-of-age story. In June 2013, the Russian government passed laws prohibiting "gay propaganda," threatening jail time and fines to offenders. That same month, in spite of these harsh laws, a Russian publisher released PLAYING A PART, a young adult novel with openly gay characters. It was a brave, bold act, and now this groundbreaking story has been translated for American readers.In PLAYING A PART, Grisha adores everything about the Moscow puppet theater where his parents work, and spends as much time there as he can. But life outside the theater is not so wonderful. The boys in Grisha's class bully him mercilessly, and his own grandfather says hateful things about how he's not "masculine" enough. Life goes from bad to worse when Grisha learns that Sam, his favorite actor and mentor, is moving: He's leaving the country to escape the extreme homophobia he faces in Russia. How Grisha overcomes these trials and writes himself a new role in his own story is heartfelt, courageous, and hopeful.

Playing a Part in History examines the ways in which the revival of The York Mystery Plays transformed them for twentieth- and twenty-first-century audiences.

Learn the secrets of great communicators, professional speakers, and C-level executives “Gina is a maestro of public speaking! She coached me for my TED talk, and I am forever grateful to her for giving me the technical and emotional training I needed to take the stage.” —Susan Cain, bestselling author of Quiet “Gina is an incredible coach who’ll increase your impact when presenting in an executive setting—or any professional interaction. But she can’t be everywhere, so this book is the next best thing! A must-read.” —Greg Behar, CEO of Nestle Science and Health Every body tells a story. From the moment an actor steps on stage, an audience collectively feels whether his or her performance is authentic, forced, or over the top. Business professionals are also performers—and the workplace is their stage. In Play the Part, executive communication consultant Gina Barnett brings the same techniques actors use to bear on all types of presentation and communication situations, from the board room to the conference stage. She reveals how the body affects our communication and thought patterns and how to align these consistently for maximum success. Featuring practical exercises, she shows you how to develop presence and become more intuitive, so you can navigate challenging communication situations with optimal results. You worked hard to earn your title. Now it’s time to play the part.

"One of the funniest voices in the inspirational genre."--Booklist Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan's interest turns threatening. Lucetta's widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta's life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson's estate to hide out. Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there's much more to him than society knows. Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail's matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can't ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it'll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.

All they wanted was to know how. I could do this, I could invent something . . . It is 1991, and on a trip to the United States to research a new novel, British artist and writer Brinsel Thomas discovers she has more to deal with than just writing. When two police officers show up at her door with questions, her next stop is the police station. One little lie intended to extricate herself from what she is certain is a terrible mistake instead snowballs into a story she cannot get out of, trapped with a secret she cannot risk giving away. Instead of working on her novel, Brinsel finds herself enlisted to help solve a murder, attempting to fabricate an incriminating correspondence, shedding a few copyrights, and dodging insistently prying questions. There is one person who she is convinced might be able to help her: a private detective and sometime-professional musician named Max Thompson. Then again, he might not. Because there is one enormous, indisputable complication . . .

Anthea Cane is a successful actress—well, action star. Her films are mostly about how hot she looks silhouetted by fiery explosions. But Anthea is determined to prove she's more than just a body. With the role of a lifetime up for grabs—a serious adaptation of her favorite novel—Anthea sets off to her small hometown in the name of research. Cole Daniel is a blind farmer with no patience for divas, especially one who mercilessly teased him as a young boy. When Anthea shows up using a fake name and pestering him into letting her stay, he can't pass up the opportunity to torment her just a little. But Anthea won't let the stubborn farmer deter her from her goal, even if he is hotter than any man she's ever met. Cole finds his form of payback less than satisfying when Anthea keeps turning the tables on him, proving her mettle and gaining his respect. Will Anthea's research land her a man, as well as the part? 65,000 words

Kaylee Bennett has never felt like she really fit in at The Rosewood Academy for Academic Excellence, but this year she feels even more like an outsider. Life has done a one-eighty for Kaylee and as she returns to the posh school for girls, she can’t bring herself to tell her secret to her friends and definitely not her long term crush, Phillip Carson. Not that Kaylee could ever imagine he would be attracted to a quiet bookworm like her anyway. But then there’s Declan Ryan, the gorgeous exchange student who seems to be interested, until Kaylee finds out his secret and why he might actually be into her, and it has nothing to do with her charm or love of English literature. To complicate matters, Kaylee gets stuck running the school’s production of Romeo and Juliet, directing both Declan and Phillip with the help of Rosewood’s sexy first year teacher, Mr. Stratton—as if the Westwood boys weren’t enough of a distraction! Determined to stay away from Declan and make things work with Phillip, Kaylee isolates herself from her friends and hides out in the house of cards she’s built to protect herself, but how long will it stay standing? Playing The Part is the third book in The Rosewoods, an exciting new Young Adult series for readers who love fun, flirty love stories. Books by Katrina Abbott: The Rosewoods Series: Taking the Reins Masquerade Playing the Part Reading Between the Lines I'll Never Forget (short story) This Point Forward Risking It All (short story) Making Ripples Acting Out Hitting the Target (August 2015) Keywords: contemporary romance, young adult contemporary romance, boarding school, high school, friendship, boys, kissing, first love, humorous romance, romantic humor, funny romance, flirting, teen, teenage, equestrian, Olympics, rich, wealthy, elite, young adult, new adult, coming of age, love triangle, boys, relationships, firsts, new girl, Shakespeare, school play, Hollywood, Celebuspawn, scholarships, royal, celebrity

Focusing on the transformative power of the creative arts process, Christopher Worthman offers readers a new way of thinking about literacy development and, specifically, the teaching of writing and out-of-school literacies. Rich with theoretical and practical insights, this groundbreaking ethnography describes and analyzes the writing development of a group of teenagers involved in a unique community-based teen theater project. Includes detailed descriptions of improvisational activities that can be adapted for use by other classes or ensembles.

The national bestselling author of A Natural History of the Senses tackles the realm of creativity, by exploring one of the most essential aspects of our characters: the ability to play. "Deep play" is that more intensified form of play that puts us in a rapturous mood and awakens the most creative, sentient, and joyful aspects of our inner selves. As Diane Ackerman ranges over a panoply of artistic, spiritual, and athletic activities, from spiritual rapture through extreme sports, we gain a greater sense of what it means to be "in the moment" and totally, transcendentally human. Keenly perceived and written with poetic exuberance, Deep Play enlightens us by revealing the manifold ways we can enhance our lives.

Covering a forty year period from first leaving Central School of Speech and Drama until his early death at the age of 61, Playing a Part is a full career book of "a very fine actor" who would delight audiences as a sensitive lover or as a haunted murderer.