Blue-Collar Actor


Book Description

Tips, tales, and recollections to help you get in the acting game.




Tales of a Blue Collar Actor


Book Description

In The Life of a Blue-Collar Actor, we follow Jordan Rhode's incredible television and Hollywood career that spans over 55 years. And he is still going strong! Jordan has appeared on some of the most legendary TV shows in starring roles working alongside some of the best-known actors of our day. In television he is best known for his roles on The Streets of San Francisco, Quincy, Barnaby Files, The Rockford Files, Marcus Welby, MD and Matlock. He starred in some of the most legendary movies-of-the-week, The Blue and the Grey starring Gregory Peck and Stacy Keach, Once and Eagle starring Sam Elliot, and Testimony of Two Men, plus the cult classic, The Nightstalker starring Darren McGavin to mention a few. Most recently he is known for Marooned, All the Kings Men, The Indian Runner and House of Good and Evil as "Evil". In this memoir, Jordan recounts his adventures and close friendships with Sean Penn, Robert Wagner and Chuck Connors as well as working with the biggest name in film and TV including, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Charles Bronson, Michael Douglas, Gene Hackman, Jodie Foster, Dennis Hopper, Barbara Rush, James Garner, Stephanie Powers, Jill St. John, Nick Nolte, Leslie Nielsen, Karl Malden, Viggo Mortensen, David Morse, Patricia Arquette, and Linda Cristal to name a few. In 2008 Jordan wrote Produced and starred in the acclaimed stage show PAPA, The Man, The Myth, The Ledged a one-man show which begins and ends on the morning of July 2, 1961, the last day of Hemmingway's life. Told in flashback, PAPA presents the triumphs and tragedies of Hemmingway's fascinating life. Jordan toured the show to many cities around the United States to great critical acclaim. PAPA will get a Broadway revival in 2021.




The Life of a Blue Collar Actor


Book Description

The Life of a Blue Collar Actor details the life of a young man that became a working actor from a tobacco farm in North Carolina ,and literally went from Tobacco Road to Buckingham Palace by way of the New York Theatre and Hollywood Films.




Blue-Collar Broadway


Book Description

Behind the scenes of New York City's Great White Way, virtuosos of stagecraft have built the scenery, costumes, lights, and other components of theatrical productions for more than a hundred years. But like a good magician who refuses to reveal secrets, they have left few clues about their work. Blue-Collar Broadway recovers the history of those people and the neighborhood in which their undersung labor occurred. Timothy R. White begins his history of the theater industry with the dispersed pre-Broadway era, when components such as costumes, lights, and scenery were built and stored nationwide. Subsequently, the majority of backstage operations and storage were consolidated in New York City during what is now known as the golden age of musical theater. Toward the latter half of the twentieth century, decentralization and deindustrialization brought the emergence of nationally distributed regional theaters and performing arts centers. The resulting collapse of New York's theater craft economy rocked the theater district, leaving abandoned buildings and criminal activity in place of studios and workshops. But new technologies ushered in a new age of tourism and business for the area. The Broadway we know today is a global destination and a glittering showroom for vetted products. Featuring case studies of iconic productions such as Oklahoma! (1943) and Evita (1979), and an exploration of the craftwork of radio, television, and film production around Times Square, Blue-Collar Broadway tells a rich story of the history of craft and industry in American theater nationwide. In addition, White examines the role of theater in urban deindustrialization and in the revival of downtowns throughout the Sunbelt.




Acting Professionally


Book Description

Filled with essential advice and highlighting pitfalls to avoid, Acting Professionally gives a clear understanding of how acting careers are built and sustained. Now in its 9th edition, this book has become the leading book in the field since the first edition published in 1972. Critically, this new edition reflects the vital changes in the industry as a result of the Black Lives Matter, Time's Up and MeToo movements, and the Covid-19 pandemic. This new edition acknowledges and seeks to address the challenges of the industry often faced by actors when it comes to race, ethnicity, gender, diversity, and sexuality. It includes an extensive new section on the industry to reflect the 21st century, including signposting new resources and insights for the young actor, and considers the shifting landscape and opportunities offered by TV streaming, films, voiceover, internet, audiobooks, and podcasts. This 9th edition speaks to the changed landscape of unions, representation, self-tape auditioning and other best and up to date practices in the industry, ensuring that it's a book that's useful, relevant and accessible to every actor starting out today.




Actors as They are


Book Description




The Actor's Life


Book Description

Jenna Fischer's Hollywood journey began at the age of 22 when she moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of St. Louis. With a theater degree in hand, she was determined, she was confident, she was ready to work hard. So, what could go wrong? Uh, basically everything. The path to being a professional actor was so much more vast and competitive than she'd imagined. It would be eight long years before she landed her iconic role on The Office, nearly a decade of frustration, struggle, rejection and doubt. If only she'd had a handbook for the aspiring actor. Or, better yet, someone to show her the way—an established actor who could educate her about the business, manage her expectations, and reassure her in those moments of despair. Jenna wants to be that person for you. With amusing candor and wit, Fischer spells out the nuts and bolts of getting established in the profession, based on her own memorable and hilarious experiences. She tells you how to get the right headshot, what to look for in representation, and the importance of joining forces with other like-minded artists and creating your own work—invaluable advice personally acquired from her many years of struggle. She provides helpful hints on how to be gutsy and take risks, the tricks to good auditioning and callbacks, and how not to fall for certain scams (auditions in a guy's apartment are probably not legit—or at least not for the kind of part you're looking for!). Her inspiring, helpful guidance feels like a trusted friend who's made the journey, and has now returned to walk beside you, pointing out the pitfalls as you blaze your own path towards the life of a professional actor.




The Actor's Business Plan


Book Description

The Actor's Business Plan is a self-directed practical guide for actors graduating from formal training programs, as well as for those already in the business whose careers need to move ahead more successfully. Using the familiar language of acting training, the book offers a method for the achievement of dreams through a five-year life and career plan giving positive steps to develop a happy life as an actor and as a person. It assists performers to flourish using the same kind of business/career planning that is a necessary part of life for entrepreneurs and business people. This introduction to the acting industry provides essential knowledge not only for how the business actually works, but also describes what casting directors, agents, and managers do, demystifies the role of unions, discusses how much things cost, and offers advice on branding and marketing strategies. It differs from other such handbooks in that it addresses the everyday issues of life, money, and jobs that so frequently destroy an actor's career before it is even begun. While addressing NYC and LA, the guide also gives a regional breakdown for those actors who may wish to begin careers or to settle in other cities. It is loaded with personal stories, and interviews with actors, casting directors, and agents from throughout the US. The Actor's Business Plan is the answer to the common complaint by students that they were not taught how to negotiate the show business world while at school. It is the perfect antidote for this problem and can easily fit into a ten or a thirteen-week class syllabus. Offering support as a personal career coach, empowering the actor to take concrete steps towards their life and career dreams, The Actor's Business Plan: A Career Guide for the Acting Life is a must-have book for actors who are determined to be a part of the professional world .




An Actor's Guide: Your First Year in Hollywood


Book Description

For every actor beginning a career in Hollywood, this indispensable guide will lay out a clear and comprehensible path with tried-and-true advice. Up-to-date resources and new interviews with recently established actors experiencing the current movieland scene—as well as the timeless voices of established actors and industry pros—make this a rich compendium of Hollywood know-how. Delve into the industry with the support from An Actor’s Guide: Your First Year in Hollywood and discover with confidence how to: Find work through a variety of sources Deliver stunning auditions Join SAG-AFTRA Get a great headshot and put together a stunning resume Build your credentials and gain exposure Hone your craft with professional training and classes Snag a top-notch agent Utilize the power of social media From settling into Los Angeles and sticking to a tight budget, to adventures in reality TV and landing the breakthrough parts you came to Hollywood for, any actor eager to learn will get his or her fair share of insider knowledge with this manual and will discover how to create a positive experience while launching an exciting career. Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.




Actor's Alchemy


Book Description

(Book). An actor's script is both a gold mine, and the map to discovering it: if properly read, a script will reveal its riches to you. Unfortunately, most actors never learn to efficiently read the map, or master how to convert what they find in a script into playable gold. Why? Because this aspect of the acting process is seldom taught in a simple and tangible way in the classroom or studio. Acting can and should be more than guesswork and instinct. Actor's Alchemy: Finding the Gold in Your Script examines the relationship between the script and what an actor ultimately does on the stage or on screen. Here is a straightforward guide filled with useful information to help actors learn to use their scripts in a specific and analytical way to solve the problems of the scene and bring their elusive characters to life. In learning how to decipher the script, actors will be equipped to make the choices that lead to delivering a gold performance.