Mickey Rapkin

A really lovely read. "Theater Geek" is a loving profile of Stagedoor Manor, one of the most famed performing arts camps in the world. Nestled in the Catskills, it nurtures a few hundred non-auditioned teenagers for three to nine weeks each summer, as they prepare thirteen high-quality productions of plays and musicals (often including the 'highschool premiere' of newer works, and challenging or forgotten musicals that rarely see non-professional performances). Rapkin tells two stories: the show more first is that of Stagedoor, from its humble beginnings in the 1970s, through conflict, corruption and controversy to its present state as a high-demand camp in a country full of fame-hungry children. The second is the more personal story of three seniors, each cast in a lead role in a Sondheim show in the summer of 2009. Rapkin chronicles both the vicissitudes of the rehearsal process, and the pain and pleasure that combine in the life of any teenage performer: the heightened drama, the insecurities, the comfort that Stagedoor gives to these kids whose 'real life' often involves difference and isolation. Most interestingly, though, he chronicles the pain of that divide. For many of these kids, spending two months doing something so professional, only to retreat back to their real life (in most cases, of course, 'real life' will consume them for the remainder of their existence), and the change can be quite jarring.

"Theater Geek" is written like a magazine article, but I mean that in a good way - - a high-quality magazine article, 'New Yorker' style. It's a slim and easy read, but one that captures the magic of rehearsal and performance, and the fascinating changes in America's attitude to performers over a forty-year period. Beyond this, the precociousness of the teenagers is enough to intrigue, delight, and make envious the rest of us theatre geeks out there. I grew up in theatre, but never did I have an experience anywhere near as challenging, adult or... integrated as these kids. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing - well that's part of the joy of reading the book. show less

American author Mickey Rapkin and Mexican illustrator Teresa Martínez pair up in this fun new bedtime tale, as a young boy, frightened of the spooky corners of his bedroom after dark, discovers that his bed is actually a time machine. Transported, together with his stuffed rabbit Floppy, back to the time of the dinosaurs, he has an amazing adventure, before waking up in his own time and bed, the next morning...

Although the story idea here is entertaining, I'm not sure I was entirely won show more over by Rapkin's text, which sometimes felt just a little too cheerfully chatty for my taste. That said, I thought the illustrations from Martínez were quite cute - I particularly enjoyed her use of color - and really helped the story along. I hope more of her work becomes available here in the states. Recommended to those looking for new picture-books addressing bedtime fears. show less

I liked it. Quite a bit, actually. The retrospective on the camp's beginning was a little boring, but that's mostly because I just wanted to read about these kids and their shows. I was a theater kid all throughout high school, but I wasn't like these kids. First of all, my parents would have never spent $5000 to send me to camp for three weeks. And I wasn't planning on a career in theater. Perhaps if I'd gone to a camp like this I would have...? But I would have ended up in the drama show more troupe, and let's be honest, I do much better at comedy.

ANYWAY. The author of this book also wrote Pitch Perfect, which I didn't like nearly as much. That felt snarky and judgmental. This was pretty unbiased, which I suppose was necessary since he was mostly dealing with minors. It was a good move -- I forgot about the writer and just concentrated on what these kids accomplished in three weeks. Two thumbs up. show less

I was ready to love this book. I read the cover flaps and the first few pages in the library and walked out still reading. But meh. The trouble was the writing. Rapkin repeats himself, he meanders, he's rather too fond of his own voice. It was a bit neither here nor there; not deep enough for the near-ethnography, but too involved for a near-objective history or report. I wish he'd gone a bit deeper, made us care about the kids a bit more. I'd have liked his focus to have been on a senior, a show more young kid, and one in the middle maybe. Less name dropping and quotes from famous and semi-famous people. It was dissatisfying and it left me annoyed b/c I'd wanted to love it. show less