About The Author
Play!, featuring illustrations by Jarrett Rutland, is an adventure book that appeals to all ages. The narrative follows cousins Collins and Violet as they are taken on magical time-travel adventures by Professor Dante Marlowe Browne. With him, they learn about theatre history and playgoing manners. Their journeys span various historical periods from Ancient Greece to the Victorian era—demonstrating how audience etiquette has evolved. The work culminates with the trio attending a performance of Peter Pan at the modern-day Sizzlepop Theatre, reinforced by a final list of Professor Browne’s Playgoing Manners.
Even when I was very young, I loved to write. And to read. And to draw and color. When I was a teenager, I penned a letter to the editor of The Birmingham News taking up for the Beatles. Adults had been sending him notes about what a terrible influence the Beatles were on us kids, and I begged to differ. Instead of putting my correspondence on the Opinion Page with the other letters, the editor called me and asked if I would like to cover the Beatles concert in Atlanta. At age 15, I became a published writer when my piece was plastered on the front page of the News! Through the years, I have been an author, journalist, playwright, costume creator, artist, and teacher. The impetus to write Theatre Is My Life! Thoughts on Play Quotes: A book of meditations for each day of the year was the personal, human side of theatre I discovered in my now almost five decades of involvement in it. I believe that even the mundane in our lives is spiritual in nature, and although theatre is anything but mundane, viewing a play or working on one can be a sacred experience. Theatre Is My Life! is a daybook of meditations based on play quotes. A vast majority of the plays I cite are ones that I designed or directed over my long career teaching and working in the theatre.
Reviews of Theatre Is My Life! Thoughts on Play Quotes: a Book of Meditations for Each Day of the Year
A unique and delightful exploration of plays and productions -- making them and living with them
“Barbara Sloan's approach to theatre history is refreshing and impressive in the scope and range she covers. Adopting the structure of a daily book of meditation, Sloan provides her thoughts on each day of the year, delving into the great plays from the ancient theatre to the great modern European and American theatre to current works. In each case, she brings her viewpoint as an artist working on these plays, as an audience member, and most importantly as a woman who has found in the great plays the central life lessons as a human being and inspiration as a creative artist. The book is a delightful read filled with moving and amusing glimpses of plays you already thought you knew. However, in Sloan's hands, revelation is usually the result. A must-read.”
James Fisher
“I started this book reading one day at a time, but I loved it so much that I deprive myself of the daily pleasure and save 6 or 7 entries to sit down and read all at once...until I'm caught up. Then, I wait for another week or so to repeat that reading pleasure. THANK YOU, Barbara, for this fun-fun-fun-fun and funny book.”
T DeBolt
“Theatre designer director Sloan brings musings and insight from her impressive career in the playhouse. "The play's the thing" that triggers her deft reminiscence. She extracts jewels from great works and references them for humanistic reflection. Juxtaposing tragedy with comedy, Sloan reveals the play's impact long after the stage is dark. She invites our empathy recalling a great teacher, the loss of a dear friend, and the creation of art. There's a meditation for each day. Informative and inspiring. A beautiful gift.”
C. J. Taylor