Entrances and Exits

Once again Ruditis has done it. Entrances and Exits is a fine finish to the Drama! series, but I'm incredibly sad that it is now over!

It's time for the Fall One-Act Festival at Orion High School. This year it's pretty special, what with one of the three plays being written by Hope and also being directed by Bryan! And to top it all off, Sam and Jason will be the two leads. Surprisingly, Belinda (one of Sam's step-sisters) is also cast as a minor character in the play. Of course, after Belinda is cast, all of the usual drama starts happening. Hope has a fit, and then Belinda's twin sister tries to get involved in the play, too. Plus, all of the rehearsals always have an audience, what with Eric being there for Sam and Drew tagging along behind Eric as usual. Then there's Belinda's sister, Alexis, and then their friend and leader, Holly. All poor Bryan wants to do is help his cast rehearse for the one and only night of the play. Soon things begin heating up between Sam and Jason, and Eric starts getting really jealous. Then Drew offers to create a painting for the play and actually starts talking to Bryan after their long spell of not being friends. Then there's Gary, who has taken an interest in Bryan ever since he let him become the stage manager. Will all the drama settle down before the one night of the play? And, most importantly, will the actors even be ready? I've only read the first book in the DRAMA! series (THE FOUR DOROTHYS) but that really didn't matter. Mr. Ruditis made the fourth book stand alone pretty well. I'm sure he probably did the same for the second and third, as well. This was definitely a great read; the author is such a witty writer who knows how to write a good book. His characters are great and the story just flows off the pages, making this book a really fast and great read. If you like to laugh, this is the book for you. I swear I was laughing every other page. I highly recommend checking out the DRAMA! series. It's really acting-related and, of course, full of drama -- and that's what makes it so great! Reviewed by: Breanna F.

Sadly, according to the authors website this is the last book in the series. This is a real shame. This is an unapologetic series that explores nontraditional characters and their daily "drama".

Every book in Paul Ruditis's "Drama!" series is a delight, with enjoyable characters, snarky high-school feuds, and a strong focus on young people putting on a show. They're perfect books for a young theater fan or for anyone looking for a fun, quick read filled with snappy humor. In this new fourth book, Bryan Stark and his friends are caught up in their school's fall one-act festival: their stars have never shined more brightly, and the stakes have never been so high. Bryan is student director to one of the plays, and everyone around him wants to tell him how he should do it. But for the first time ever, he really feels in control, and he's determined to make his mark. For Bryan, there's drama aplenty in having his best friends involved with his show: the hot-headed writer won't let go of the script, the star actress seems to be falling for her on-stage love interest, and the former best friend can't seem to patch things up long enough to finish the set. Biggest of all, the associate stage manager seems to have cast Bryan in the role of leading man and perfect boyfriend material. "Entrances and Exits" is as fun as always, and it brings special enjoyment in showing Bryan and his pals growing past some of their usual hang-ups. They're getting a little wiser and a little more adult, becoming the stars we've always known they could be. Bravo.