National Network for Equitable Library Service

Martin Short reflects on his diverse collection of experiences, both hilarious and heartbreaking. He takes us through his career, from his early years with Second City Toronto and Saturday Night Live to his movie, stage, and television stardom.

For more than twenty-five years, Rebecca Eaton has presided over PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, the longest-running weekly prime-time drama series in American history. Here she interviews many of the writers, directors, producers, and others and shares some personal anecdotes.

Laced with humour and revelation, Anne Wheeler's creative non-fiction stories tell of her serendipitous journey in the seventies, when she broke with tradition and found her own way to becoming a filmmaker and raconteur.

The Big Secret Book is an invaluable guide on the subject of creativity, no matter the preferred artistic discipline. Written by Denise Clarke, director of One Yellow Rabbit Summer Lab Intensive, the book outlines methods and methodologies of the Lab that have inspired writers, dancers, musicians, as well as performance theatre artists. Sidebar case studies of Denise Clarke's remarkable performances disclose the big secrets behind her unique and brilliant style of performance creation.

Comprised of multidisciplinary and diverse perspectives, Performing Turtle Island considers theatre as a tool for community engagement, education, and resistance, and examines how communities in turn influence the construction of Indigenous identities through theatre. 

Since 1952, CBC television has played a unique role as the primary mass media purveyor of Canadian history. Yet until now, there have been no comprehensive accounts of Canadian history on television. Monica MacDonald takes us behind the scenes of the major documentaries and docudramas broadcast on the CBC, including in Explorations (1956-64) and the series Images of Canada (1972-76), The National Dream (1974), The Valour and the Horror (1992), and Canada: A People's History (2000-02).

Pushing the boundaries of how we do research, how we communicate research, and what counts as scholarship in world politics.

Far more than just a piano playing bandleader, Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (1899-1974) was and still remains a powerfully influential figure in the world of music. Whether it was in jazz, popular song, big bands, or modern classical-form compositions, Ellington's orchestras always led the way, featuring innovative arrangements, talented vocalists and solo performers, and the sheer showmanship of their handsome and charismatic leader.

Before Harry Houdini (1874-1926) became the greatest magician in the world, he was just little Ehrich Weisz, a Hungarian-born immigrant who moved to America with his family and performed stage tricks for a little extra cash. He started off with card tricks and then eventually began performing the escape acts that would make him famous. Known for his daring and death-defying illusions, he would do some of the greatest tricks ever: escaping from a milk can, being buried alive, and being locked inside a crate and thrown into a river.

Take $100,000.00 a week, divide it up among some of the brightest stars in entertainment, then add in top-notch writing, a full orchestra and choir conducted by Meredith Willson and hire a sophisticated, deep-voiced leading lady as your hostess and what do you get? One of the most amazing and entertaining variety shows ever to hit the airwaves: "The Big Show," starring Tallulah Bankhead. Aired as a Sunday evening extravaganza, NBC literally broke the bank hiring stars for each 90-minute broadcast -- and it was, of course, simply too expensive to last.