No comments about Staging Philosophy: Intersections of Theater, Performance, and Philosophy (Theater: Theory/Text/Performance).

5 comments about The Complete Make-Up Artist : Working in Film, Television, and Theatre.

1. This was the first makeup book I ever bought. I think it was great and I've read and reread it many times. This is the perfect book if you don't know anything about makeup and would like to learn. They break stuff down really simply into lots of step by step projects. It touches on many areas of makeup and has some great profiles of professional makeup artists. I do wish there was more info about the business and work part of being a pro, but the makeup is covered and explained nicely.
   
   When you're done, you'll have everything you need to begin step one in your makeup artist career. Honestly, I just finished a great book that is the one you want if you are ready to begin or add to a professional career in makeup. It's The Makeup Artist Handbook: Techniques for Film, Television, Photography, and Theatre. This is the book you want when you're ready to get serious!



2. I would recommend this book for someone that is just starting out in their career to keep as a refresher (i.e. moulding and wigmaking sections were great)or for a person who has not studied at all. The book is VERY basic on most other levels however does give a good insight into the who's who on set which most other books lack.... 3/5 for me.



3. The book covers the basic principals of makeup, both staight and character makeup. I especially liked the activities (hands-on practice) that accompanied the chapters. These were things that were not touched on in cosmetology school. The book also contains student profiles, examples of their work and how they got started. The book is a good reference for anyone beginning a career, but would probably be to general for an accomplished, working artist.



4. The service from Amazon was great! It came earlier then expected w/free shipping. Now I know why Amazon is the only way to buy!



5. WOW, THATS ALL I HAVE TO SAY!IM PLANNING TO BECOME A MAKE UP ARTIST AND HAIRSTYLIST FOR MOVIES AND TELEVISION!!

5 comments about Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption.

1. It was difficult for me to sleep after I finished this book last night. Thinking about it now makes me sick to my stomach. Mr Lawford writes well enough, it's his character that I find most disturbing. Given his childhood traumas of parental abuse and neglect, he chooses to ditch his own wife and kids to become a part-time dad and full time "player" and justifies it as personal growth. The most troubling aspect of the book is that what his parents did to him they did "under the influence". This man chose to throw his family off the cliff stone sober and then boasts about it. Fortunately for me, I watched an ABC special about author and father of three children, Randy Pausch, after finishing this book. Mr. Pausch is a truly inspirational man who shares the love of his family in a memoir, taking special care to erect safety nets for them as they approach the cliff's edge. It's been said that nothing is more frightening than a person with no conscience. That's what I found most disturbing about this story. The only consolation is that the paper and covers are recyclable and that's exactly where this book belongs.



2. I really enjoyed this book, I could not wait to get back to it. The Kennedy's, Lawford's and others in their circle of life are quite interesting to me. Lawford give us some golden nuggets of the movie stars and their often unbeautiful side. I wish he had given us more juicy antics in the family, don't get me wrong he claimed he didn't know of a romance with LaMonroe and his uncle, Ha,like we really believe that! But there are some morsels to be found in his book. I reccomenned this read.



3. Christopher Lawford, nephew of John F. Kennedy, has written his life story which is notable only because of his relatives. He was born into a glamorous life of luxury, movie stars, and political power and threw it all away for drugs.
   
   For at least the first half of the book, I was angry at the author for being such a name-dropper. Every page described a conversation, touch football game, or ski trip with RFK or Uncle Teddy or John Jr. as if it were front-page news. (Those other folks were news; he wasn't.) He then described his descent into the sewer of drugs and crime. This was the most interesting part of the book for me. The final chapters recount his divorce and, again, I was angry at him; this time for walking out on his wife and children just because he had a wandering eye.
   
   The book is written in a very humorous, self-deprecating style that kept me turning the pages. It's an interesting, if unnecessary, memoir by a rather pathetic hanger-on who's cashing in on his family. (But if you remember him fondly, as I do, as a regular on All My Children years ago, it's worth a look.)



4. Purchased book not expecting it to be as honest, forthright, insightful and educational. Mr. Lawford's honesty is refreshing. He writes of his personal journey through his addiction to alcohol and drugs. He portrays it realistically and does not 'whitewash' the facts about his own struggle and those of his notorious family.
   
   Anyone that has a loved one struggling with addiction should read this book to get into the mind of an addict. It may assist in understanding the pull that the addict feels in choosing drugs or alcohol over all else in their lives.
   
   Bravo Mr. Lawford, bless you and may you live the rest of your days clean, sober and full of happiness in still being alive. Your honesty is refreshing, especially considering who your family is.



5. I always wondered what the country would have been like if RFK had not been killed and he had become president. After reading this book, I wonder what the Kennedy clan would have looked like if he had lived. Would these cousins have sunk to the depths as they did? It seems the boys were so much more impacted than the girls.
   
   Christopher Lawson does a great job in this book helping you to see how the national events were personal ones for himself and his family. It is a fast read with lots of tales from behind the Kennedy compound. But I really wanted to like the guy in the end and I can't say that I do. His spiritual growth has not come full circle to encompass his own family. The only reason I can see for his divorce is so he can continue his hunt for the most beautiful girl in the world. Maybe there are other reasons, but he does not provide them in the book.
   
   Oh well, it was good summer reading.

3 comments about A Handbook of Costume Drawing: A Guide to Drawing the Period Figure for Costume Design Students, Second Edition.

1. This book is lame. It's black and white drawings are sloppy and they don't instruct. There is little or no instructions
   This book is way over priced. Stay away from it.



2. I bought this book as a gift. I was stupid enough to throw away the return slip before I realized what I bought. This is a flimsy black and white book that does not show much of any detail. There is nothing from China and Japan and maybe one exaple for every 250 years of history. There are even blank pages throughout the book for no reason. I am still going to give the book because I have nothing else to give but I know the person will be thinking that I"m a cheapskate and will never guess in a million years that I actually spent 50 bucks. I feel like I've been robbed. The reviewer that was the reason I bought the book has obviously only seen one or two books in his/her life.



3. As someone who has "fallen in" to costume design, I was hoping that this would be a great reference that would help me to get my ideas across to my director, but it has done little more than show how to proportion the male and female figures correctly. I was dissapointed in the lack of technical information about drawing fabrics on the human figure. Instead of technique, it gives a very brief overview of what changed in the line of the garments and has a half silhouette on the side of the page to show how the figure changed from period to period. There are several fashion history books availible that have much better overviews and illustrations. Only a few examples on four pages are given for each period.

5 comments about Sondheim's Broadway Musicals (The Michigan American Music Series).

1. This is an excellent publication, but very dense, and designed for the musicologist rather than just the fan. This covers Sondheim's works up to and including "Into The Woods".
   
   Banfield is not "starry eyed" about Sondheim, and is, at times, critical of his 'borrowings' from other composers. He also insists on placing all his citations within the body of the text, rather than as footnotes or as an appendix at the end of the book. This makes for a very disjointed reading experience.
   
   Worth a visit, but quite a plod through it's technicalities.



2. This book is wonderful in that Banfield has created a series of dissertations on the composition of each of Sondheim's most important works. Those of you who have extensive music theory background will find this book to be golden. Banfield uses musical exceprts and analyzes these small musical moments in regard to how they support the character or the situation and even foreshadowing at hand. I am reminded of a Bach sacred work in which the work is scored in such a way that the printed page creates a picture of the crucifix, yet at the same time depicts a remarkable musical moment. This is the sort of detail and craft that Sondheim uses. Sondheim is a man who is writing many years before his time. The politics and unions of New York Theatre have jaded him, but at any given moment one of Sondheim's works is being produced in revival and being understood far more so than the original production. "Merrily we Roll Along" is a brilliant work that has yet to be completely understood by the public, though "Sweeney Todd" is finally begining to be seen as the major work it is: one of the most important pieces of theatre to have been created so far. "Passion" was recognized as best musical at the Tony awards though never did a road production. "Passion" is brillaintly written so that there is no applause break, no intermission and the audience is not permitted a single moment from start to intense ending where he may slip back into the "real world." In this way, "Passion" moves more like a film, so that the audience, once caught into the magic, is not permitted even an instant of coming back to the surface, making the intensity of this work even more powerful. Sondheim's inteligence and insistence that our fast food nation use its mind to experience an evening of brilliance that often hits very close to home is both part of his brilliance and part of what causes critics to shy away. (We now laugh at the foolish critics who criticized the brilliant second act of "Sunday in The Park With George." Stephen Banfield's "Sondheim's Broadway Musical" gives us a book that is not only fun to read, but allows us to understand the work better. Before staging any Sondheim work yourself you must read this book and if you teach music theory, musical theatre or acting, then this is a book that must be included in the curriculum. For me? I read it both for the professional need as well as the intellectual stimulation. This is not a souvenier book but rather a brilliant study for those who are very serious about music, lyrics and the creation of character, life and art on the stage. Sondheim is an international treasure and we have the very unusual experience of living as contemporarys with a man who will be placed in history beside Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. Banfield's book will begin to show you why.



3. This is not a book for the casual Sondheim fan. Be warned, unless you have a fair degree of musical sophistication -- and this involves music theory and musicology -- this is not the book for you. But for those who do understand such arcane things as harmonic (including Schenkerian) analysis, or how a typical Broadway tune is constructed, or, to use Banfield's favorite term, the diegetic uses of music, this 1993 book is a gold mine. The emphasis throughout is on the music, not on dramatic construction or the lyrics themselves; they are noted but not dwelt on.
   
   Banfield gives us some historical and biographical background, with a fair discussion of Sondheim's pre-Broadway career (including some tidbits about the collaboration with Bernstein on 'West Side Story'), an overview of the compositional process, detailed exegesis of each of Sondheim's works from 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' through 'Into the Woods.' There are many scholarly references and a voluminous bibliography as well as a slightly light-weight index. One is disappointed that the book stops in the early 1990s. Perhaps Banfield will update it one day.
   
   This is definitely a book for serious students of Sondheim's work. It is a densely written text that definitely repays close study.
   
   Scott Morrison



4. Despite the wealth of information which is hidden in this book, the professorial writing style makes it very difficult to unearth. The average sentence runs on for 7 full-length lines, and is annoyingly interrupted by literary name-dropping (Sondheim 1980) disguised as references and countless "the former" and "the latter"s. Many opinions are arrogantly offered with no clear examples, which is sadly typical of the "professor" mentality. I'm ashamed that my own college music lit professor is the editor of the series, and didn't ask the author to rewrite the book in a style meant to communicate rather than pontificate.



5. As a Sondheim afficionado and serious music student, I adored this book and the insights it gave into the techincal aspects of Sondheim's compositions. As Banfield says in the introduction, too often the music isn't given the serious consideration compositionally that it deserves. Just a warning though, the book is really just about the music, there is fairly little discussion of the dramatic or theatrical aspects of Sondheim's work. That being said, this is an amazingly intelligent, in depth, and scholarly treatment of Sondheim purely as a composer.

No comments about Folklore, Cultural Performances, and Popular Entertainments: A Communications-centered Handbook.

4 comments about The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet (Pictureback(R)).

1. I was in first grade in the late 80's and we were doing a unit on the nutcracker. We went to go see the play and did a lot of music, art and english activities related to it. I was enjoying it so much that my mom bought me a copy of this book, same cover and all. I really loved the illustrations in it, from the christmas decorations to the land of sweets to all the snow. I've misplaced my copy but if I ever do find it it's a keeper!



2. Although many versions of the ballet call the girl Clara, she is called Marie Stahlbaum in the original E.T.A. Hoffmann story and in some versions of the ballet. This retelling is lovely. The name "Marie" is not incorrect; it just refers back to an earlier version of the story.



3. In reference to the next review, Marie and Clara are not the same character. Marie is the little girl, and Clara is her doll.



4. This book is beautifully illustrated and the story is an abreviated version of the origional which is nice for young children. My only complaint is that the character "Clara" is called "Marie" which is very confusing to children (and adults).

2 comments about The Stanislavsky Technique: Russia: A Workbook for Actors (Applause Acting Series).

1. I adore this book.It made me understand what our teachers try to explain to us in such unclear and tortous way.
   If you're involved in theater and/or acting I've one advice for you: READ THIS.



2. Before I read his novel, I had my doubts about Stanislavski. I had tried active memory with some disastrous results. However, Gordon clarifies these misconceptions and others in his novel.

   He begins each section by explaining the lives of Stanislavski and his disciples (Chekov and Vakhtangov). Hence, the reader gets an understanding of the motivations for each section or interpretation of the System. Furthermore, Gordon gives exercises designed by each man that are useful for actors. Perhaps the greatest thing I gained from this novel is an understanding of what disciple of the System I follow. Chekov and I have similar views on acting. If I had not read this novel, I may never have discovered this. My advice to any young actor who is persuing the Stanislavski's System as a method for acting to read this insightful book

5 comments about A Story Is a Promise: Good Things to Know Before You Write That Screenplay, Novel, or Play.

1. Perhaps Bill Johnson was enthused about the writing process at one time, but this book doesn't reflect that. He may have taught too many courses over the years to the point he couldn't generate enough interest in his own manuscript. The promise is nothing new. It is clearly dicussed in Nancy Kress's beginnings, middles and Ends: a very good book by a published writer, not just a teacher of writing.



2. I'm not feeling it! Rather than take the book back to the bookstore and request a refund, I decided to write this review.
   A story is a promise is an idea that I buy, and probably still do, but the book itself was written in a style so dull and boring that I couldn't focus on it, or finish it. The book's promise to me was broken. It doesn't deliver.

   For instance, the "naming" concept is about as clear as mud. Do we name a story's promise, or merely suggest a dramatic purpose to make it less obvious?

   And being reminded--in every chapter--that bumbling, "struggling story tellers damage their stories" is offensive. Even if it's true, we don't need to be hammered over the head again, and again, we can see it.

   I gave the book three stars, because writing clearly is not easy. Just because I'm confused doesn't mean someone else won't benefit from reading this.




3. Mr. Johnson spends the beginning of the book trying to explain what he means by a "story promise." He admits himself that his students often have a difficult time grasping it, and it doesn't help that his use of terminology seems somewhat fluid. Eventually I figured out that what he refers to as a "story promise" is something most writers would call a theme. To be fair, it's possible that Mr. Johnson would say "no, that isn't it at all." But even if that wasn't what he meant, he could have cut and clarified his clunky 45-page explanation drastically by comparing and contrasting the two ideas rather than starting from scratch.

   In addition to those 45 convoluted pages, Mr. Johnson has a wordy and often redundant style. However, there's also a lot of good stuff in this book. If you're having trouble making your stories dramatic and attention-grabbing, this book could seriously help you. Johnson's explanation of why the"story promise" is so important to drama makes a lot of sense to me. He believes that "issues of human need" are what pull an audience in and cause readers to invest emotion in a story. He goes into plenty of detail on the how as well as the why.

   He uses examples from well-known movies and books; these help to prevent you from using his suggestions to accidentally create formulaic stories. I'm not saying that his system creates formulaic novels. However, there is a type of formula that could serve as an example of what he's trying to teach, and you could easily fall into it out of sheer familiarity without even realizing it. The examples help to prevent this because he likes non-formulaic examples. However, the book could really use a section about this trap, how to notice if you're falling into it, and how to avoid it.

   This book teaches a valuable enough way of thinking about writing that I feel vaguely guilty pointing out its flaws. But the truth is that while Mr. Johnson's methods are fabulous, his expository writing can be convoluted and confusing. With some changes in the writing and some extra material on formulaic writing this could easily be a five-star book, but for me it's currently a three-star book. It's well worth your time and energy, but it may cause frustrations along the way.




4. This was my first introduction to how I could take my idea and turn it into a screenplay--I was psychically comfortable for the entire trip, which meant that I remembered a lot of what I'd read and used it again and again. Bill Johnson (no relation) tells you what you already know about stories you've enjoyed all your life. Then he applies these ideas to the other end of the process:
   actually creating a story, fulfilling a promise you make to your audience. I'm about to start my fourth screenplay; Bill's book was instrumental in getting me going with gladness and enjoyment.



5. Recently I wrote a short story for a friend and it amused her to no end, yet she said the ending was somewhat surprising to her. I wondered if I had in fact left something out of the story, which would have otherwise prepared her for such a harsh ending.
   
   I had never written a story before, let alone developed a plot. I had also never thought about how emotionally fulfilling a story would need to be, so I was a great candidate for reading this excellent guide. I simply sat down and wrote the story one night on a whim. I saw the story playing in my head and simply wrote down what I saw. It was fascinating since I had never experienced anything like that before. I mostly write recipes and this was new territory for me.
   
   Since I review popular novels and movies, I have noticed a deeper truth running through them. After watching "The Big Country" I noticed a theme of "pride" running through the entire movie. Everything in the movie revolved around the fight between two very selfish men. Most books which also capture my attention have a definite theme running through them.
   
   Since I read "A Story is a Promise," I realized how true it really is. When reading "Kitchen" by Banana Yoshimoto, I felt cheated by the ending. Something was missing......"Had I really spent that much time reading, only to feel a sense of anger at the ending?" While I was addicted to reading the entire book, nothing prepared me for the ending, which seemed to drift off into nothing. Had the promise been broken?
   
   That is the problem with many stories written without an underlying purpose. Bill Johnson explores this in depth. This is the best book I have read on understanding the most difficult of all arts: writing! To create a dramatic engaging story takes and understanding of the underlying principles. Authors of the most popular works have tapped into this deeper understanding. They have fulfilled the promise to the reader.
   
   Bill Johnson knows why human's need stories. That is something many of us have most likely never really considered. Why do we love a great story? Is there something within us that wants to escape? Or do stories help us survive when we can't think of any other way to explain our lives? Do the stories we tell ourselves give us a sense of belonging?
   
   "Take away a person's sense of place in the world, and you'll have an unhappy person." -Bill Johnson
   
   This book is a highly intellectual look at how to fulfill the promise to your readers. It is written in a more conversational style. Bill took his nagging feeling that there was more to a story than just the plot and turned his quest for answers into a book which can help you write that next novel or screenplay.
   
   You will discover how a story function like a promise, learn to develop dynamic characters and be more aware of the role of ideas in a story line. The role of conflict in storytelling, writing that first dramatic sentence and developing a plot are all discussed. By reading this book you will in fact be taking a fascinating journey to the heart of storytelling. This book will fulfill the promise of making you a better writer! :)
   
   ~The Rebecca Review

No comments about Henry IV Part 1: Oxford School Shakespeare.