Google the words’ history of theater,’ and you’ll get a timeline that begins in ancient Greece, circa the 6th century BCE, and high-kicks forward through time to Broadway and London’s West End.  And that’s accurate. But it’s also missing the dramatic developments in storytelling techniques happening in other parts of the world — Japan, China, Indonesia, India — at the same time. While European peasants learned to walk the straight and narrow via morality plays, Asian theater-goers explored mythology via shadow puppets, dance, and dramatic masks. In this episode, we travel the world (and through time) for a make-believe theater festival that takes us from Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in London to the lights of Broadway, then to South America and Indonesia. We drop in on the premier of Fiddler on the Roof, learn about an avant-garde approach to theater meant to build empathy, and are dazzled by puppets that bring kings and demons to life. Then we recommend five great books that took us straight to our seats in the theater, including a novel about a very bad actor making his Broadway debut, a lively retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, a peek inside the creative minds behind beloved musicals, historical fiction about Bram Stoker’s time at London’s legendary Lyceum Theatre, and an unputdownable slice of dark academia with tender theater kids at its heart. Here are the books about theater we recommend on the show: Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke Audiobook: A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built by Jack Viertel If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio Audiobook: If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Transcript of Theater: Act One, Scene I, Lights Up. Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Housekeeping note: There will be no 'Library of Lost Time' next week. The next episode will appear on Friday, June 2. 'Strong Sense of Place' will appear before then, on Monday, the 29th of May, with our episode about the theater. Thank you! In this episode, we get excited about two books: 'Tasting History' by Max Miller and 'This Isn't Going to End Well' by Daniel Wallace. Then Mel transports us to a street in Vilnius, Lithuania that’s made for book lovers.  LINKS Tasting History by Max Miller This Isn’t Going to End Well by Daniel Wallace Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace Video: Big Fish movie trailer. Tasting History with Max Miller on YouTube Atlas Obscura: Literature Street in Vilnius, Lithuania Video: Tour of Literature Street The wild ride of Adam Mickiewicz’s Wikipedia page Pan Tadeusz; or, The last foray in Lithuania by Adam Mickiewicz on Gutenberg.org Video: The Origin of Pan Tadeusz Video: Pan Taduesz movie trailer Mel’s Bigos recipe Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perched in the top-right corner of the US, Maine is wrapped in a snuggly hug from Canada and bravely faces the crashing Atlantic. If bracing sea air, glorious pine trees, and fresh-from-the-ocean seafood is your thing, you’re going to want to visit asap. Maine’s 5000 miles (8000 km) of coastline mean there are dozens of lighthouses, ample excuses to get out in a boat (kayaking along the Maine Island trail, anyone?), and opportunities to see puffins, seals, and whales in their natural habitat. Or set your sights on the forest! The Pine Tree State is perfect for honing your Disney princess skills with moose, black bears, white-tailed deer, river otters, foxes, and other furry forest creatures. When you’re ready to get cozy with a book, there’s the poetry of Longfellow, the delight of Charlotte’s Web, and the malevolent Pennywise, who is the terrifying and brilliant invention of Maine’s number one literary hero, Stephen King.  In this episode, we get hungry for lobster rolls and Maine blueberries, learn some funny island names, and honor a delightful ambassador to Maine. Then we recommend five books that took us to Maine on the page, including a Gothic coming-of-age story, two vastly different (but unputdownable) memoirs, a literary crime novel, and a sweet story about the magical power of love and the Northern Lights. Here are the books about Maine we recommend on the show: Grange House by Sarah Blake The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel The Midcoast by Adam White Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches by John Hodgman Almost, Maine by John Cariani For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Transcript of Maine: Lighthouses, Lobster Rolls, and the King of Horror. Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content?  Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin and The Partisan by Patrick Worrall. Then guest Jeremy Anderberg shares a fun website to find great new-to-you titles.  LINKS The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin The Partisan by Patrick Worrall Video: The history of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Video: A tour of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. An Explosive Netflix Documentary About the $500 Million Isabella Stewart Gardner Heist. Netflix: This is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist. Portrait of Isabella Stewart Gardner by John Singer Sargent. Isabella Stewart Gardner ‘Come to Tea’ mug. Jeremy Anderberg’s Read More Books, The Big Read, and Instagram. Shepherd.com Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Dinner Party by Sarah Gilmartin and You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith. Then Dave tells the tale of remarkable women involved in London’s criminal underworld.  LINKS Dinner Party by Sarah Gilmartin You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith Maggie Smith’s website and Twitter Legal Design Podcast: Fighting Crime by Design with Lorraine Gamman Wikipedia: Shirley Pitts Wikipedia: Alice Diamond Gone Shopping: The Story of Shirley Pitts, Queen of Thieves by Lorraine Gamman The Guardian: Girl Gang’s Grip on London Underworld Revealed Criminal Secret Society: The Story of Forty Elephants Video: Diamond Annie and the Forty Elephants — The All-Female Gang That Terrorized London Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices