"a work on the art and craft of comedy as important in its own way as works by Stanislavski and Chekhov" – Oxford Theatre CompanionIn 1939, a young, inexperienced actor wrote to a famous actress of his acquaintance, asking for advice on playing comedy. She responded enthusiastically, and they corresponded variously over the next year. The Craft of Comedy, a record of these exchanges, soon emerged as one of the few classic texts in the field of com...

I don’t know what people expect when they meet me. They seem to be afraid that I’m going to piss in the potted palm and slap them on the ass.”-Marlon BrandoI should have been dead ten times over. I believe in miracles. It’s an absolute miracle that I’m still around.”-Dennis HopperYou only lie to two people in your life: your girlfriend and the police.”-Jack NicholsonThe best time to get married is noon. That way, if things don’t work ...

The one and only book on successfully staging amateur productions.In this book, drama teachers and community directors are given everything they need to know about picking the right show; licensing, casting, and budgeting; organizing a schedule; costumes, makeup, staging, lighting, and music; tickets, fundraising, programs, cast parties, and more. Illustrated with help plans and photos from actual productions.• Perfect for nonprofit organizations’ ...

Every actor knows that working in commercials is lucrative. But many actors, trained primarily for working on the stage, have mistaken ideas about this field and lack essential on-camera experience. Now in an updated and expanded edition, Acting in Commercials is the only resource that fills all the gaps in the performer’s knowledge of this demanding medium. Invaluable for its insight into the craft as well as the business of acting, it tells you how to prepare f...

A 'fast-forward' acting course covering all the essential techniques an actor needs to know and use – with a suite of exercises to put each technique into practice.John Abbott's The Acting Book offers various ways to analyse a text and to create character, using not only the established processes of Stanislavsky and Meisner, but also new ones developed by the author over many years of teaching drama students. It also sets out a wide range of rehearsal techniques and impro...

Actor Training expands on Alison Hodge’s highly-acclaimed and best-selling Twentieth Century Actor Training. This exciting second edition radically updates the original book making it even more valuable for any student of the history and practice of actor training. The bibliography is brought right up to date and many chapters are revised. In addition, eight more practitioners are included - and forty more photographs - to create a stunningly comprehensive study.T...

Halle Berry, Sean Penn, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert DeNiro have all been coached by or participated in seminars with Brown. This invaluable manual offers an extensive compendium of reference information from the legendary acting teacher.

Have you ever been told that you have a great voice? Put it to use in a career as a voiceover actor! Veteran voice-over actor, writer, producer, and teacher Janet Wilcox provides the inside scoop on the industry and personal training to help voice-over hopefuls find work in network promos, commercials, documentaries, books on tape, radio, animated films, and more! This rich resource comes with a CD-ROM featuring vocal exercises and interviews with voice-over actors. Readers will discover a...

Stanislavski: The Basics is an engaging introduction to the life, thought and impact of Konstantin Stanislavski. Regarded by many as a great innovator of twentieth century theatre, this book examines Stanislavski’s:life and the context of his writingsmajor works in English translationideas in practical contextsimpact on modern theatreWith furth...

An engaging, upbeat guide for any student thinking of applying to drama school.If you're thinking of applying to drama school, The Excellent Audition Guide will give you everything you need to prepare well and perform your audition to the best of your ability. Experienced actor, director and drama teacher Andy Johnson leads you through every step of the application process:Researching drama schoolsWriting personal statements and CVsChoosin...

Derek Jacobi discusses playing Malvolio, in this ebook taken from Shakespeare On Stage: Thirteen Leading Actors in Thirteen Key Roles.In each volume of the Shakespeare On Stage series, a leading actor takes us behind the scenes, recreating in detail a memorable performance in one of Shakespeare's major roles. They discuss their character, working through the play scene by scene, with refreshing candour and in forensic detail. The result is a masterclass on playing...

Das Rheingold , WWV 86A, is the first of the four operas that constitute Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen ('The Ring of the Nibelung'). It was first written as an introduction to the tripartite Ring, but the cycle is now generally regarded as consisting of four individual operas. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), WWV 86B, is an drama in three acts by Richard Wagner with a German libretto by the composer. It is the second of the four operas that form Wagner's cycle Der R...