5 comments about Thinking Like a Director: A Practical Handbook.

1. I've read about a dozen books on directing, and this is my favorite because it gets to the essence of what a director must do to bring out the most from a script and the actors. Sure, other books are breezier, but if you're serious about creating a great play, reading this book should be Job One, especially if you're not dealing with top-of-the-line professional actors. Yes, Bill Ball's book gives you a great sense of the kind of persona that works well as a director but his largely "less-is-more" advice works far better with the top actors he directed at American Conservatory Theatre than the solid but not magnificent actors that serious community theatre directors like myself work with.



2. This book does a great job communicating to a first-time director what it is like to direct a show. It demonstrates common thought processes of the author using clear examples as well as giving details that one needs to know without being overly prescriptive. Unlike some other books on the subject, it does not dictate what one must do to be a director, but rather accepts that there are many different approaches that might work well for different directors, and does an excellent job outlining the potential advantages and pitfalls of each.
   
   It truly does teach you to think like a director.



3. I picked up this book when it was first published. Since there are so few books on the subject, any new book is a welcome addition. That is, until you actually read it. I've had college textbooks that were more fun to read.
   
   Apparently, this title sells very well. Perhaps it's the curtain on the cover or the whimsical thought bubbles that lead people to believe the secrets of directing are within this book.
   
   If you want a book on directing that is uninspiring, lifeless, and an all-around chore to read, this is your book.
   
   If you're still looking for the straight-forward approach to directing you thought would be within this book, "A Sense of Direction" by William Ball will ultimately be more helpful.



4. I was required to read this book for a directing class on the Masters level. I read the back, there was a nice quote from Donald Margulies: "It is smart and lucidly written and should prove to be an invaluable guidebook for students and emerging directors." I thought that it would be a good idea to read the book with that in mind, as a potential textbook.

   As a student of the graduate level, even one who has never directed, this was pretty easy reading. There is something to be said for going back to the basics. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the theoretical that we forget the fundamentals, and it's good to go back and review and recall things we had forgotten. With that in mind, the book did open my thoughts to different ways of thinking about a scene or a play. As primarily an actor and playwright, I found that the book illuminated examples of how my own work can be improved by thinking about things in a new way. I have to feel that the book would have the same effect for a director. Yes, it covers basic things that have already been covered in various classes, but it offers a different side to thinking. If I were to start on a directing career, I would take away two very important lessons from the book. First, I would concentrate on creating an "approach" to a play, rather than a "concept." "Approach" offers a path that can potentially change and accommodate the needs of the production, whereas "concept" locks the ideas in a narrow vision and forces the play to accommodate the concept. Secondly, I would attempt to see the production from two different viewpoints: the internal view and the external view. Bloom believes that maintaining this balance is the key to successful directing.

   As a teacher I would recommend this to an undergraduate. I find that the book takes complex concepts and manages to define them in clear, concise terms, something that I have come to appreciate this semester. Bloom takes the time to specify his terms and define them in non-confusing ways. A lot of the time the lessons serve as reminders. "Don't forget to do this..." These terms reinforce ideas that may have been taught to them and may enable students to have a basic understanding in which to facilitate a classroom discussion to further illuminate the point

   Once again, I liked Bloom's substitution of the work "approach" for "concept." Essentially the idea is the same but the phrase "concept" gives a feeling on some esoteric idea that every aspect of the production must accommodate. "Approach" suggests a method of dealing with the production, but doesn't force conformity. It denotes a direction and has a connotation of flexibility. Also as I mentioned before Bloom suggests a duel-perspective approach: external and internal. What Bloom gives the reader is a basic process of creating a production while at the same time allowing a flexible approach to the production itself, for no two plays require the same approach. Bloom gives suggestions to deal with different situations or problems that may crop up, but not a rigid methodology. He also suggests ways to prevent problems from arising by dealing with them in pre-production before they explode into a crisis.




5. Having seen so many copies of this book being tossed around on campus, I was surprised to see that no one had stopped to review this book, yet. And in keeping with the practical, no nonsense approach of the book, I will keep it brief.

   This book is quickly catching on, and is becoming a textbook for many graduate classes in directing.
   
   Most directing textbooks I have read don't deal with certain areas of directing that I find to be most important. Bloom also adresses this in the book, that many books and graduate training programs do not deal with some of the most practical aspects of directing. Old texts have since become museum pieces, restricting the job of director to staging, pace and rhythm issues. One has the idea of a director reading his newspaper in the back row letting the actors magically discover their performance without any help.
   
   Bloom quickly destroys this myth, and presents the director as a crucial link in the process. His internal/external approach, which is a little difficult to sum up in a short review, is an efficient and effective way of approaching a set text, ensuring truthful, committed work from the actors, without sacrificing the requirements of pacing, staging, and clear storytelling. Bloom suggests many practical means for finding one's way into the work, and developing an effective storytelling technique, through common terminology that most actors and directors can respond to. As a graduate student in acting, I certainly wish more directors had a chance to pick up and peruse this book.
   
   Included are also sections on working with designers, structuring your rehearsal space and time, developing rehearsal strategies, approaches for technical rehearsals, etc. It covers everything, even after the show is up and running and you are moving on to the next project.
   
   A simple, no nonsense guide. It covers area missed by the others. Applause to Michael Bloom for such a great book.

1 comments about Taken by Surprise: A Dance Improvisation Reader.

1. Collaboratively compiled and ably co-edited by Ann Cooper Albright and David Gere, Taken By Surprise: A Dance Improvisation Reader collects together under one cover some twenty-one essays by well-known dancers, scholars, and historians. Discussing improvisation in dance within contexts and traditions ranging from Yoruban masked dance to Indian Bharatanatyam, flamenco, and more, Taken By Surprise offers an informed and insightful exploration into the art of impromptu dance, as well as the changing emotions expressed within its many forms.

5 comments about How to Talk Dirty and Influence People.

1. This book is just as relevant now as it was in the age it was written. If you don't "get it" then it wasn't meant for you.



2. I first read this book at the tender age of fourteen, and even then it had an impact on my perceptions. Now, over thirty years later, it has remained one of the strongest influences of my life! I would not be the wise and compassionate Spiritual teacher that I am without having read about Lenny's life of pushing the boundaries and comedic concepts far ahead of his time. He was and still is the most profound comic Spiritual visionary America has ever seen...and most likely will ever see. Long live Saint Lenny!



3. I found this book to be thoroughly enjoyable. Lenny Bruce is an interesting guy and I think it's very insightful just of life and society in general and of all their inconsistencies. Though today, I'm sure, is much different than Lenny's era, most of what he has to say still applies. He can be really funny at times, but I'd say its a darker humor. I remember thinking it dragged just a bit when he gets deep into his legal battle near the end of the book but overall it kept me entertained.



4. You could be forgiven for thinking that this book is by Eric Bogosian. Although generally okay, the Fireside edition spends more time talking about Bogosian on the front cover than it does talking about Bruce himself.
   
   Too bad. But luckily for the reader, this book is pure Lenny.
   
   More readable than the transcripts of his performance (since he intended this to be read)-- How To Talk Dirty and Influence People is part autiobiography and part diatribe. Bruce explains, jokes, cajoles and convinces as he writes. This is the story of his life from his birth until 1963 when it was written.
   
   Lenny Bruce is a very important figure in the histories of performance and free expression. This book is a little bit sketchy to be a final remembrance, but is still worth the time and effort that it takes to read. In particular, the beginning sections of the book are magical-- funny, wry and moral. It loses the thread a little bit towards the end, as Bruce is more and more obsessed with the legal wars that he was then fighting on every front. Certainly understandable, but the latter chapters are much less open for the reader and seem to have been written in a much bigger hurry than the rest of the book.
   
   If you are interested in Bruce, this book is a must-read. The Fireside edition is bound with an introduction by the aforementioned Bogosian and with a preface by Kenneth Tynan.



5. You don't have to be a fan of Lenny Bruce to love this book, you don't have to really know who he is (I really only know him from a few recordings and by reputation). This book is funny. This book is still a valuable piece of social satire and criticism. This book is an interesting story. This book is a piece of history. This book is great. This book should be read.

No comments about Making Short Films: The Complete Guide from Script to Screen, Second Edition.

No comments about Human Communication: Motivation, Knowledge, Skills.

2 comments about Acting is Believing.

1. The book got to me super fast, it was new and in perfect conditions. These people really try hard to make the customer happy.



2. This was our assigned text in beginning acting. I was first skeptical about how much one could learn about from a book. The answer is, "quite a bit." The book, in spite of its slim appearance, holds a good amount of information and is packed with acting exercises. All in all, a good supplement to anyone's shelf.

3 comments about Enjoyment of Theatre, The (7th Edition).

1. Let's face it. Most introductory textbooks are pretty much alike: a little history, a little theory, an overview of what theatre professionals do, etc. Cameron and Gillespie give the student a leg up by writing their chapters in a user-friendly format, with chapter objectives, bulleted (main) points, and key terms at the end of the chapter, as well as web sites for further information. They also provide headings and subheadings as chapters progress, helping us digest the material in conceptual chunks rather than one long narrative. As one reviewer pointed out, there are no cuts from plays inserted, but that gives the instructor the freedom to choose his/her own plays to examine in class. Overall, I think it's an excellent introductory text. I especially like the attention to script analysis using Aristotle's Poetics.



2. This book is meant to be informative. It is. Unfortunately, only about 15% of the book contains useful information. It actually takes the time to explain what a standing ovation is: "To show exceptional approval, audiences may stand and applaud (give a standing ovation)." It goes on to explain that if an audience finds something funny they will laugh. Imagine that.



3. The story of the textbook is to give students an appreciation of theatre, to delineate theatre from other Art forms such as sculpture, dance, and painting as well as film and sporting events. The text gives a concise and accurate, although thoroughly Western, overview of theatre history with brief emphasis on African and Asian theatre. One is taken Chapter by Chapter through a discovery process from the very broad appreciation of theatre as a performing art to the very specific nuances of various Asian performance techniques. Along the way there are three units broken up into various chapters. Unit one focuses on audience relationship to the stage, the social context of theatre, textual and visual analysis a.k.a audience appreciation. Unit Two analyzes the state of theatre today and occupations in theatre. Unit Three focuses entirely on theatre history with chapters on ancient theatre, the middle ages, neoclassicism, romanticism, avant garde, eclectic and current theatre, and concludes with world theatre (mainly African, Islamic, and Asian). The book's weaknesses are its decidedly Western and Caucasian focus, very little of the text is devoted to non-white theatre and (although much improved on other texts) there are very few multi-cultural photos and illustrations included. Also, there are no plays included in the text. It is difficult to encourage script analysis if no script is included, and one page of a script with blocking scribbled all over it does not suffice. There is not much focus on design besides explaining the role of designers in the theatrical process and showing different illustrations of various historical theatre buildings or areas. Lastly, not knowing how to eloquently state this, there is something disturbing about siphoning Chekhov, Ibsen, the Federal Theatre Project, Kathakali, avant garde, Ira Aldridge etc. to two paragraphs or less. By trying to include so many various historical topics in one relatively small text, the authors have sold many of them short. Overall, If used in combination with lectures or texts on design, live performance, and a collection of world drama or scripts this is a solid and very useful text.

1 comments about Actor's Choice: Monologues for Teens (Actor's Choice).

1. 
   This volume of highly entertaining monologues is gleaned from previously produced one-act and full-length plays allowing for full characters with interesting stories.
   
   The book is organized well with monologues divided by gender including a section with monologues that would work with either gender. Pieces range from one to five minutes in length and cover a wide range of emotions. Characters run the gamut from historical to modern, literary to supernatural. While the age range of characters is 5-18, most of the characters are written as straight Caucasians. Dialogue in the book is realistic giving the teen actors opportunity to use strong voices.
   
   This is an excellent monologue book for middle and high school students with applications for competition as well as use in drama, speech, or English classes. Drama instructors can also get an idea of tone and pace of the plays from which these pieces come, making it easier to select a school play.

No comments about Mastering Public Speaking: The Handbook (MySpeechKit Series).

No comments about An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein.