Fundamental Acting


Book Description

(Applause Books). Aimed at the beginning acting student, this book takes a commonsense approach to the craft, building on basic techniques in the first part and then going on to cover two distinct types of theater; comedy and Shakespearean verse. Kuritz introduces basic acting techniques through a series of simple exercises. the section on verse analyzes accent and rhythm with examples of dialog, while the comedy chapter lists 15 examples of comic situations, along with definitions and examples of comic figures of speech. Warm-up exercises, comic dialect guidelines, and a general stage terminology contribute to the usefulness of the book. Recommended for theater arts collections in public, high school and college libraries.




Acting in Musical Theatre


Book Description

Acting in Musical Theatre remains the only complete course in approaching a role in a musical. It covers fundamental skills for novice actors, practical insights for professionals, and even tips to help veteran musical performers refine their craft. Updates in this expanded and revised second edition include: A brand new companion website for students and teachers, including Powerpoint lecture slides, sample syllabi, and checklists for projects and exercises. Learning outcomes for each chapter to guide teachers and students through the book’s core ideas and lessons New style overviews for pop and jukebox musicals Extensive updated professional insights from field testing with students, young professionals, and industry showcases Full-colour production images, bringing each chapter to life Acting in Musical Theatre’s chapters divide into easy-to-reference units, each containing group and solo exercises, making it the definitive textbook for students and practitioners alike.




The Invisible Actor


Book Description

The Invisible Actor presents the captivating and unique methods of the distinguished Japanese actor and director, Yoshi Oida. While a member of Peter Brook's theatre company in Paris, Yoshi Oida developed a masterful approach to acting that combined the oriental tradition of supreme and studied control with the Western performer's need to characterise and expose depths of emotion. Written with Lorna Marshall, Yoshi Oida explains that once the audience becomes openly aware of the actor's method and becomes too conscious of the actor's artistry, the wonder of performance dies. The audience must never see the actor but only his or her performance. Throughout Lorna Marshall provides contextual commentary on Yoshi Oida's work and methods. In a new foreword to accompany the Bloomsbury Revelations edition, Yoshi Oida revisits the questions that have informed his career as an actor and explores how his skilful approach to acting has shaped the wider contours of his life.




Lessons


Book Description

Truthful human behaviour on stage and screen. Definitely not a 'how-to' book! This book articulates the intangible -- how to capture lightning in a jar. It works to develop awareness in order to help the aspiring actor evolve, grow and mature as a performer. Acting is an art that comes from oneself -- no tricks, no special techniques. Every great artist begins as a craftsman then develops into an artist. Each of the 100 plain-speaking lessons in this book is brief and deals with an essential truth. The book is divided into 5 sections: Approach, Fundamentals, Classes and Rehearsals, Performance and Final Lessons. A supplemental work for students and professionals.




The Actor's Art and Craft


Book Description

William Esper, one of the leading acting teachers of our time, explains and extends Sanford Meisner's legendary technique, offering a clear, concrete, step-by-step approach to becoming a truly creative actor.Esper worked closely with Meisner for seventeen years and has spent decades developing his famous program for actor's training. The result is a rigorous system of exercises that builds a solid foundation of acting skills from the ground up, and that is flexible enough to be applied to any challenge an actor faces, from soap operas to Shakespeare. Co-writer Damon DiMarco, a former student of Esper's, spent over a year observing his mentor teaching first-year acting students. In this book he recreates that experience for us, allowing us to see how the progression of exercises works in practice. The Actor's Art and Craft vividly demonstrates that good training does not constrain actors' instincts—it frees them to create characters with truthful and compelling inner lives.




The Art of Voice Acting


Book Description

Are you just starting in Voiceover? Do you have some experience, but aren't getting booked? Are you a working pro who wants to expand to new areas of VO work? The Art of Voice Acting is a must read if you are serious about a profession in voice over and looking to maximize your efforts for success in the business. Packed with basic acting techniques in The Art of Voice Acting, you will discover * All new scripts * 20 more pages of new and updated information * A completely new chapter of studio stories and 'tricks-of-the-trade' from professional voiceover talent around the world * Updated information for voiceover demos and marketing * A comprehensive index that makes it easy to find what you're looking for * More voice and acting techniques * Contributions from some of the top voice talent in the world * Audio content with the actual audio for every script in the book, http://voiceacting.com/aovaextras/ * PLUS: exercises, demos and more! Written in an accessible and engaging style Alburger shares his experience as a performer, producer, director and performance coach to give you a clear no nonsense introduction to the business and art of voice acting. Audio content and images from the books are available at http://voiceacting.com/aovaextras/




The Actor with a Thousand Faces


Book Description

(Applause Books). A movement-based gudebook compendium, resource workbook, and practical manual for students, teachers, and theatre practitioners who are dedicated to the advancement of ensemble work. Using movement, text, sound, masks, and materials, these exercises are designed to instruct, provoke, and inspire participants to launch works that eventually transcend them.




Act Like a Sales Pro


Book Description

Act Like a Sales Pro was a finalist for TOP SALES AND MARKETING BOOK OF 2011 and featured on the cover of Ken Blanchard's Sales and Service Excellence Magazine and her articles have appeared across the globe. "In Act Like A Sales Pro, Julie Hansen challenges the reader to examine themselves honestly first, (strengths and weaknesses) then provides numerous methods on how to proceed with passion. Her writing style offers sage advice and smart nuances for those who will use it. Specifically, her insight on closing sales should not be missed. This is important work." --Mitchell Tilstra, Business Development Manager, Bunger Steel Acting is the ultimate form of persuasion. Now you can learn the methods that great actors use to engage and inspire clients and win more sales than you dreamed possible! Act Like a Sales Pro shows you how acting and improv skills can enhance your own selling style, make you stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace, and create a memorable buying experience. Easy-to-follow steps, exercises, and real-world coaching sessions help you move confidently from cold-calling to closing by applying techniques that have produced some of Hollywood's most compelling stars. A breakthrough approach to delivering the sales performance of your life!




Masking Unmasked


Book Description

Acting with masks is one of the most ancient stage techniques still in use today. Masking Unmasked is a basic guide to using this ancient art to develop character and movement in four sections that correspond to mask size: Full-Face Masks, Clowning, Bag Masks, and Half-Face Masks. Each section addresses fundamental acting principles and shows how the ancient technique can be applied to the contemporary stage. It is the perfect book to use as background to traditional, non-masked acting principles. For instance, mask acting provides a great way of strengthening core acting skills. Actors in masks experience the primary goal of acting because they are required to tap into profound physical, vocal, emotional, and psychological transformations in the course of creating a character. In addition, masking promotes honest, believable, and detailed work. Illustrated profusely throughout, the hands-on exercises developed by Simon teach actors to shift cleanly between beats, execute moment-to-moment specificity, unleash creative impulses, take risks and expand character range, power and vulnerability. Masking Unmasked is a book of ancient acting techniques that are indispensable for the actor of today.




An Actor's Craft


Book Description

This inspirational guide for advanced acting students brings together multiple ways of creating excellence in performance. David Krasner provides tried and tested exercises, a history of actor training and explores the complex relationships between acting theories and teachers. Drawing on examples from personal experience as an actor, director and teacher, An Actor's Craft begins with the building blocks of mind, body and voice, moving through emotional triggers and improvisation, to a final section bringing these techniques together in approaching a role. Each chapter contains accompanying exercises that the actor should practice daily. Combining theory and practice, this thought-provoking and challenging study of acting techniques and theories is for actors who have grasped the basics and now want to develop their knowledge and training further.