Drama High

The Bookworm says... Absolutely. Drama High by Michael Sokolove has left me speechless. Levittown, Pennsylvania. You probably haven't heard of it. If you have, you might wish you hadn't. Unless, of course, you were a member of Harry S. Truman High School's brilliant drama program run by Lou Volpe. In a struggling town, Lou Volpe gave hope with the power of theatre. What he did, unlike other directors, was teach the students about the art while teaching them about themselves. Volpe went on to pilot Les Misérables, Rent, and Spring Awakening for Musical Theatre International; each a smashing success. Theatre gave a sense of accomplishment and pride to a town that was looked down upon by surrounding towns. After four decades of faithful teaching, mentoring, direction, and companionship, Lou Volpe retired from Truman High. He changed those students lives, as they changed his. This book was such a beautiful true story, giving anyone a sense of the thrill of performing, and the hard work required. A gorgeous book, very well done.

"If all we had was a bare stage with one light bulb, we could still do theater."

Without You

The Bookworm says... Yes! Without You: a Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical RENT by Anthony Rapp was outstanding. The book is a heart wrenching exposition of the world we live in. From the beginning of the RENT workshop, through the Broadway closing night; through the end of his mothers life; and through his relationship concerns, Anthony Rapp tells this beautiful story. A raw and true retelling of experience, sure to show similarity to everyone's lives. This book is a must read for ANY musical theatre fan (but you should still read it even if you aren't!). It left me speechless.

"Well, you know, you have to grieve the loss of the person, you know, the fact that the actual person won't be there anymore to talk to, to laugh with, to share memories with, that sort of thing."