One Less Bitter Actor


Book Description

An invaluable reference for anyone who is a working actor, or wants to be. Learn how to make it in the day-to-day business of acting and stay sane and focused while attempting to merge art and commerce. This book covers everything the author wishes someone had told him about how casting decisions are made, what rejection really means, how to behave on a set, the two factors the business is built on, and much more. Markus Flanagan offers encouraging, highly useful pointers on such vital matters as: How do you combat getting typed?, Understanding the people you are auditioning for, Bad habits to avoid in the audition waiting room, The two deadliest questions you may be asked before starting your reading, What are they looking for in the call back?. One Less Bitter Actor offers sage, pragmatic, anxiety-calming advice on how to succeed in acting from one who has.




Theater Careers


Book Description

Theater Careers is designed to empower aspiring theater professionals to make savvy, informed decisions through a concise overview of how to prepare for and find work in the theater business. Tim Donahue and Jim Patterson offer well-researched information on various professions, salary ranges, educational and experience requirements, and other facets certain to enlighten students contemplating a theater career, as well as inform counselors, teachers, and parents of available opportunities and the demands of each path. Theater Careers offers valuable details not readily available elsewhere, including • Dozens of informative job descriptions surveying the impressive variety of theater careers, both on and off the stage • Statistics on the working and earning prospects of various careers as drawn from the best sources in the business • Thoughtful assessments of the value of education and training choices, including the most meaningful way to look at the costs of college—estimating net costs, which is seldom described elsewhere—and how to choose a school Straightforward and objective, Theater Careers is an ideal reference for those seeking careers in the theater. Armed with this information, readers will be better equipped to pursue choices that best lead to satisfying and secure employment in the rewarding field of the dramatic arts.




The Present Actor


Book Description

Many actors are hungry for guidance. You're in a profession that offers no promise of recognition, fulfillment or even steady employment despite your talent, training or degrees. A great actor can be passed over for a lesser one; a year of booking wonderful roles can be followed by two years of unemployment; a successful actor can find him or herself spiritually empty in the midst of adulation. Performers must deal with the unique circumstance of having their face, body, mind and emotions on display for judgment every day. Consequently, there's an overwhelming desire to obtain some emotional grounding and inner peace within a very uncertain profession. The Present Actor was written specifically to address the challenges that you face every day, whether you're just starting out or have already acquired some measure of success. This book speaks specifically to the performer on an all-encompassing emotional, spiritual and practical level. As a casting executive for a major television network, understanding an actor's ego, heart, intellect and imagination is my job. Finding your way requires time, patience and love. I can't reach all of you personally, but I can hope to make my knowledge available to you through this book.“I was truly moved by what Marci wrote. I kept on saying, 'yes, yes, yes', I discuss these ideas with my clients all the time! It's more than taking class and breaking down a scene.. She captures the sum of the parts in such a comprehensive manner yet with so much compassion. It's the actor's self-help book for anyone who dares to dream. I LOVE it!”Rhonda Price, Partner - The Gersh Agency




Self-management for Actors


Book Description

"Self-Management for Actors will guide you through the process of taking control of your career from the business side of things. There is no secret method, there is no password entry system to the Working Actor Club. What does exist is a simple, self-management concept that allows you to handle the business of your acting career without losing the ability to be a creative artist."--BOOK JACKET.




Bad Actors


Book Description

Mick Herron, “the le Carré of the future” (BBC), expands his world of bad spies with an even shadier cast of characters: the politicians, lobbyists, and misinformation agents pulling the levers of government policy. “Confirms Mick Herron as the best spy novelist now working.”—NPR's Fresh Air Now an Apple TV+ series starring Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas. In London's MI5 headquarters a scandal is brewing that could disgrace the entire intelligence community. The Downing Street superforecaster—a specialist who advises the Prime Minister's office on how policy is likely to be received by the electorate—has disappeared without a trace. Claude Whelan, who was once head of MI5, has been tasked with tracking her down. But the trail leads him straight back to Regent's Park itself, with First Desk Diana Taverner as chief suspect. Has Taverner overplayed her hand at last? Meanwhile, her Russian counterpart, Moscow intelligence's First Desk, has cheekily showed up in London and shaken off his escort. Are the two unfortunate events connected? Over at Slough House, where Jackson Lamb presides over some of MI5's most embittered demoted agents, the slow horses are doing what they do best, and adding a little bit of chaos to an already unstable situation . . . There are bad actors everywhere, and they usually get their comeuppance before the credits roll. But politics is a dirty business, and in a world where lying, cheating and backstabbing are the norm, sometimes the good guys can find themselves outgunned.




The Laws of Subtraction: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything


Book Description

In the long-awaited follow-up to the bestselling "In Pursuit of Elegance," May outlines seven simple principles for designing more engaging strategies, products, and services in any industry.




The Craft of Comedy


Book Description

"a work on the art and craft of comedy as important in its own way as works by Stanislavski and Chekhov" – Oxford Theatre Companion In 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 comedy acting. This major new edition takes a brilliant book and makes it better. Editor Robert Barton has devised extensive supplementary material, including: An introduction to the correspondents, the culture of the time, and the evolution of their book; Summaries, definitions, and exercises and practice scenes for readers wishing to explore Athene Seyler’s invaluable advice; Photographs, additional essays by Seyler, and a guide to easily accessed video clips of her performing. Seyler’s lucid guidance, and Barton’s scrupulous editorship, ensure this legendary work’s rightful status is restored: as one of the great practical guides to the craft of comedy, and an essential resource for actors and students of acting.




Woodcutters


Book Description

Fiercely observed, often hilarious, and “reminiscent of Ibsen and Strindberg” (The New York Times Book Review), this exquisitely controversial novel was initially banned in its author’s homeland. A searing portrayal of Vienna’s bourgeoisie, it begins with the arrival of an unnamed writer at an ‘artistic dinner’ hosted by a composer and his society wife—a couple he once admired and has come to loathe. The guest of honor, a distinguished actor from the Burgtheater, is late. As the other guests wait impatiently, they are seen through the critical eye of the writer, who narrates a silent but frenzied tirade against these former friends, most of whom have been brought together by Joana, a woman they buried earlier that day. Reflections on Joana’s life and suicide are mixed with these denunciations until the famous actor arrives, bringing an explosive end to the evening that even the writer could not have seen coming.




Lives of Shakespearian Actors, Part V, Volume 2


Book Description

Extracts from diaries, memoirs, private letters, obituaries and other rare ephemera are drawn together to build a contemporary account of the acting achievements and personal lives of three inspiring figures from the late nineteenth-century theatre; Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Henry Irving and Ellen Terry.




The Actor's Guide to Self-Marketing


Book Description

Stand Out from the Competition! How do actors sell their personality? What does it take to make a lasting impression? How can actors use their image to achieve their dreams? The Actor's Guide to Self-Marketing answers all these questions and more. With a background in acting and publicity, author Carla Renata has gathered insider info and proven tips to help actors create their own brand and utilize it for success. With The Actor's Guide to Self-Marketing, you will learn how to: Highlight unique traits and skills Distinguish yourself from the crowd Market yourself through social media Angle for your dream role And so much more! Renata's methods have been tested and developed through her branding and social media program, The Branding Buddha, which has been taught online and privately, as well as in group classes at top universities in the United States. Along with tips from her program and extensive background in the field, Renata uses meditative practices and self-actualization to help actors develop their public image and reach their goals with clarity and intention. As she writes, "The mind is everything. What you think, you will become." With The Actor's Guide to Self-Marketing, you'll be well on your way to becoming the actor you really want to be and landing your dream roles.