5 comments about The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.

1. I ordered this book the day after we saw the play. There was much to think about and I wanted to read what I had heard. The lanuage was a bit rough for me but then I'm old. I really would recommend it to anyone who likes to think about what they do or do not believe. Patricia Murchek



2. This was so distasteful to me that I ended up throwing it away.



3. I enjoyed this play so much. It wasn't that I could not put it down- instead I wanted it to last- I would read a scene and force myself to put it down so it would be waiting for me the next day. The way he makes his characters come to life is brilliant. As you read it you can hear the voice of each person. Mr. Guirgis causes you to think about how things are perceived differently by different people, and we ourselves are sometimes our own worse critic...I loved how when I was reading the scene with Satan- at one point I literally felt nauseous- I did not love feeling nauseous- but then I realized- this is Satan- it should make you sick. And the stunning monolgue given by Jesus near the end is so beautiful and heart wrenching and says, "This is who I am- who I am meant to be-and many of you who think you know me- need to think again about who I am and what I came here for." It sums up the teaching of Jesus using his greatest lesson- to love others- especially those whom you really really really don't want anything to do with. And it's the lesson that most of us forget so easily- and yet its the most important one. And the final monologue by Butch Honeywell-well--you just have to read that one yourself...What a great play...Thanks Mr. Guirgis.



4. If you have ever read a play by Stephen Adly Guirgis, you know he's a great writer, in his own right. "The Last day of Judas Iscariot", in my opinion, is a very well written play with a variety of differents characters that bring a certain savvy to the play. I enjoy read plays show character interaction with a purpose either subtly or obviously and I think "relationships" and character interaction work effectively. Now if one reads this thinking they're about to read some kind of biography of Judas Iscariot from the bible, then they are about as backwards as someone watching the musical "Jesus Christ: Superstar" for spiritual growth. The play presents different ideas, not necessarily about religon, but about ethics, morality and seems to show characters in a three dimensional matter. I strongly recommend that most every one should read this play, especially if one is a student of the arts. If you are open-minded and like good plays, then read this play! I'm a christian and I still think it is a good play! I also recommend that if you like this play by Guirgis then you will certainly love his play called "Our Lady Of 121st." You can't go wrong with either of these play.



5. Stephen Adly Guirgis is a playwright that as a young person living in an urban city you feel you could chill with. He's also a playwright that if you're an affluent privileged person you'd still love to meet...why? The guy makes you think.
   
   In The Last Days of Judas Iscariot we are met with a cast of characters that are so famous and infamous that we can't help but get excited to see what's next. Where else can you see Mother Teresa and Satan take the stand on the same day in a trial set in purgatory. Comic and thought provoking at the same time.
   
   The play focuses on what led to the downfall of Judas Iscariot, the notorious disciple. Was it really his fault? Did Jesus want him to do it? Did he still love him after the fact? This play is not an attack on christianity. If anything it is a play that spotlights spirituality and the importance of faith, whatever that may mean for the individual.
   
   The writing is very accessible with dialogue you would hear on a modern day street corner to more refined monologue moments. If anything, this play will make you think about right and wrong and how what we opine is relative, especially if we weren't there and didn't "walk a mile" in their shoes thing.
   
   Get this and get the Guirgis trilogy. If you're a young actor who can't find a monologue that "speaks to you" check out Guirgis's work. You'll be hard pressed not to have at least one "wow" or "that's tight" moments after reading.
   
   Enjoy.

5 comments about Amadeus: A Play by Peter Shaffer.

1. Playwright Peter Shaffer is an exceptional dramatist. His characters are unforgettable, and each one is dealing with a psychological struggle. In "Amadeus," Shaffer examines seventeenth century Vienna and the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his rival, court composer Antonio Salieri. This play shatters the view of Mozart as an innocent child prodigy, and instead paints a picture of a childish, scatologically minded, yet ultimately tormented musical genius. Trapped by the financial demands that are placed upon him, and the demands of a domineering father, Mozart strives to make his music and to be excepted.
   The main focus of the play is upon Salieri, whom the audience sees as a sweetmeat loving, conniving schemer who is appalled by Mozart's new ideas and manner. However, Salieri is not one demensional. He is a sympathetic character, who wrestles with his conscience. Feeling betrayed by a god who shows favoritism, he recounts his desire to make music that will provide him with unsurpassable fame. However, his music is ordinary when compared with Mozart's genius, and Salieri is fully aware of this whereas ordinary citizens of Vienna are not. Vowing revenge, Salieri decides to lash out at Mozart: "God's Flute," therefore providing an opportunity for a terrifying confrontation in which Mozart is driven into madness and early death. Everyone can relate to the character of Salieri because we have all felt betrayed when our own specific talents were regarded as inferior to someone else's.
   Shaffer introduces us to two tortured individuals who are nevertheless sympathetic and unforgettable. Please give this play a chance.



2. When I was younger, I almost never reread anything. My hunger was so voracious that I gobbled up a book and then rapaciously moved on to the next. But as I've aged, I read less frantically, returning again and again to a few works that especially move me. At the top of the list of such works are the plays of Peter Shaffer. And at the top of that list is his masterpiece "Amadeus."
   
   What I find remarkable about Shaffer's "Amadeus" isn't so much the title character, Mozart, as the character who becomes Mozart's nemesis, Antonio Salieri. Salieri is one of the great tragic figures in literature. He's an individual who appears to genuinely love musical beauty, and who genuinely wants to dedicate his life to it. (In an early scene, for example, he makes a deal with God. "Signore," he begs, "let me be your flute, your mouthpiece. Let me produce absolute beauty. In return, I'll be your slave.") But Salieri is also a hopeless mediocrity. He knows good music when he hears it, but he's simply unable to create it himself. His compositions are acceptable, and sometimes even pleasing to the ear. But when compared with the music of Mozart, they reveal themselves for what they are: technically proficient, but utterly uninspired. The awareness of his own mediocrity, coupled with his absolute yearning for beauty and his life-destroying jealousy of/admiration for Mozart, is the heart of the play. (Milos Forman's 1984 cinematic production of the play unfortunately rewrites the script to put Mozart rather than Salieri centerstage, thereby missing the whole point.)
   
   When one thinks about it--and I believe that this is what makes Shaffer's play so poignant and profound--Salieri is everyperson. Let's face it: most of us are mediocre. We fall somewhere in that great middle zone of "average." We'll never be able to create artworks that express the yearning for beauty that even the dimmest of us occasionally feel.
   
   As if that's not bad enough, the world, as Shaffer demonstrates in his play, is unforgiving of mediocrity when it comes to art. One can work like a demon, as Salieri does, but it's genius that the world wants, genius that the world demands, and genius that the world rewards. Moreover, the creative genius is allowed anything by the admiring world--in fact, the world expects its geniuses to walk to the beat of a countercultural drummer. The mediocre artist, however, is allowed no latitude whatsoever in personal lifestyle.
   
   The paradox of this situation, as well as the horrible burden of mediocrity felt by artists like Salieri (and the rest of us), is the tragic message of "Amadeus." When Salieri at play's end tells us, in his decrepitude and madness, that we can pray to him when we feel the sting of our own shortcomings and he will bless us, most of us ought to shiver. For, after all, we don't want our mediocrity blessed, do we? And yet the tragedy of the human condition is that, blessed or not, it's what we are. And so Shaffer leaves us with this question: how do we overcome our Salieri-like resentment and frustration at not being able to create beauty long enough simply to appreciate beauty when we encounter it?



3. The best part of the book is the introduction, which tells of the changes made to the script over the years, based on on-going research by the author. I saw the movie and the play, then bought the script in order to compare the different renderings of this amazing story.



4. Peter Shaffer's award-winning and highly popular play AMADEUS is in many ways a morality play but seen through the eyes of a complicated postmodern villain. The play is called AMADEUS but the chief character of the story is Antonio Salieri. Salieri is the Court Composer for Emperor Joseph II of Austria during the end of the 18th Century. He is held in esteem not only by the Emperor and Court, but by the masses as well. Then Amadeus Mozart makes his way to the Austrian Court at Salzburg and Salieri recognizes in the young man a musical genius superior to anything musical he has ever heard. He becomes enraged with bitter jealousy. Feeling that God has abandoned him and given the talent that he has trained to develop and possess his entire life, Salieri declares a war against God that he will fight on the battleground that is Amadeus Mozart.
   
   AMADEUS is a fantastic play. Author Peter Shaffer has revised the play several times since its first performance in 1979 and this version of the show (written twenty years later in 1999) is in my opinion the best because it is the one that portrays Salieri more than just an evil man, but as a human being that the audience and readers can relate to and actually understand somewhat. A must see play that anyone who enjoys theatre should be familiar with.



5. Like a newspaper article, theatre has to convey its story with an economy of words.
   
   In this way, great playwriting is a rare skill much like land the penny toss at the carnival and Shaffer is that rare playwriter who accomplishes his task so seemingly effortlessly.
   
   Deftly, Shaffer tosses his Amadeus and Saliere together and in so doing plays each against their type rendering his Amadeus into the simple squeezebox which provides the background for the languid single note of Saliere's mournful jealousy.
   
   What's so amazing is that in telling us the story of Amadeus' art, Shaffer shares important insights about his own. Don't have too many or too few notes but just the right number. Don't be so flashy in being good that people concentrate on the flashiness instead of the point.
   
   And don't become so engrossed in your art that you lose sight of the ultimate ends it was meant to service in the first place.
   
   Whether we are each more Amadeus or more Saliere we can connect with this play.

No comments about Actor Training the Laban Way: An Integrated Approach to Voice, Speech, and Movement.

5 comments about Pretty Things: The Last Generation of American Burlesque Queens.

1. I just received this book in the mail, and i have only one word for it - Stunning.
   
   This book is full of beautiful photos and sketches of original costumes, and there's a wealth of written information to go with the pretty pictures!
   Even the presentation is lovely, i'm really impressed with the matte pink binding - it'll look great in my book case ;)
   
   Go ahead and order this book, you won't be disappointed.



2. the book is very dazzling ,and it would be my ture love for the passed Age.



3. An artistic design layout provides the reader with lots of photos and scrapbook pages of original costume sketches, fabric swatches, letters, postcards, and lots more. This visual collage is a wonderful piece of film toward understanding the life these women lived. Their attitude and sex appeal as we know it only disguised the reality of their life, tough working conditions and a career contingent of youth and beauty eventually leading these women to fall on hard times and in the end forgotten.



4. If the book title sounds familiar, it's because Liz Goldwyn's HBO documentary of the same name aired in July 2005 to much acclaim, covering the history of American burlesque. If you think you've seen it all in the show, think again: the book holds much more! Here are personal stories, career overviews, and biographies of some of the most talented genre stars. Burlesque history comes alive here as in no other collection, making PRETTY THINGS a 'must' for any holding strong in American arts history, from general-interest to college-level libraries.



5. An enlightening look at a largely misunderstood/misinterpreted art form, this book combines rigorous scholarship, engaging narrative, rare photos, and well-executed design. Liz Goldwyn's love of the subject matter is clear and infectious. Highly recommended, as is the author's HBO special of the same name.

5 comments about The Producers: The Book, Lyrics, and Story Behind the Biggest Hit in Broadway History!.

1. 
   This is a soundtrack of the original 1968 movie "The Producers." It is not a soundtrack of the movie that was made from the musical that was adapted from the original movie "The Producers" (whew). That may be good or bad, depending on your point of view.
   
   The original movie wasn't really a musical, altho it was about a musical and had some music. Therefore, this CD is mostly dialog. The 3 main pieces of music of interest are "Springtime For Hitler," "Love Power," and "Prisoners Of Love." These are all great works of musical comedy, but, considering the price, that's not much for the money.
   
   I decided to buy this because: 1> for some strange reason, digitally transferring the audio of these songs from my DVD didn't work quite right; 2> I absolutely loved the (original) movie and these songs, and 3> I thought it might have a snippet or two extra that I might want (such as when Dick Shawn sings "1+1 is 2, 2+2 is 4, I feel so bad 'cause I'm losing the war") - it doesn't.
   
   Well, I got the songs I needed - at a pretty exorbitant price - maybe it'll be worth more someday as a collector's item. I do like that they included Zero's "That's our Hitler!" at the end of Love Power.
   
   Also, just for the record, if you only know "The Producers" from the stage or the 2nd movie, you really should watch the original The Producers (Deluxe Edition). In my humble opinion, it is much, much, better (in fact, one of the finest movies ever made), albeit less musical. Unfortunately, many people are only interested in something new or "hot," so that's how you can make money today - by perversely reworking something sublime into an inferior product.



2. IF you LOVE Mel Brooks. IF you LOVE the stage show " The Producers" . IF you LOVE the music, BUY BUY BUY THIS BOOK. This is a MUST have for ALL "The Producers " fans. This book is the Guide to what is the most stimulating show I have EVER seen.
   Based on the process of turning the original " The Producers " ( Gene Wilder ) movie into a Stage show, along with cast selection and music ( The entire score and lyrics By MEL BROOKS . HIMSELF ).
   JUST BUY BUY BUY THIS BOOK.
   
   It even tells you how to spell Ullas' 1st name correctly, wow wow wow wow. Got to go , Its almost 11.



3. On my C.D. list for Christmas is this HILLAROUS C.D. I've always been a weird producer fan thinking that the movie is actually better than the stage show- despite the lack of 1968 songs. This C.D. is annoyingly funny.
   
   "Love Power"has always been my favorite song in the movie- I laugh each time I see it in the movie. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed this Christmas for this wonderful C.D. I'm still a little disappointed that Mel Brooks cut the character and the song from the show.
   
   Although there are only two songs with complete lyrics. This is still a soundtrack that any "Producer" fanatic will enjoy and I personally like the "Springtime For Hitler" song in the movie more than the actual one put into the show. You also catch a glimpse of Mel Brooks voice as the Nazi "Come and be a smartie and join the Nazi party."
   
   By all means hit that buy now button and laugh yourself silly with these two songs!



4. ... KITCHY fodder for the limp-wristed masses.
   
   (PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE CD OF THE ORIGINAL FILM, SO IF YOU HAVE TO RATE ME, BASE IT ON THAT!)
   
   I loved this movie. I watched it at a time when the Vietnam War was waning in in 1975 here in Chicago, as it was playing on WGN TV on the late late late show. Apparently, even the censors were asleep at the time, but God bless em, this was the perfect time to see him. Mel's brand of humor reminds me of a time when they used to use brown paper bags to wrap up the porn in.
   
   It always has been a guilty pleasure to watch this film, laugh at the humor, and sing along with the actors. This CD captures the essence of the film, the heart of his message - it was as if the lyrics, the tone, and the actor's very intonations were possessed by the vision Mel tossed out after looking into himself and at the world when he penned these tunes, and think about it - in the late 60's! Who was confronting racism, gay sexism, and the Jewish question? Secondly, who could do it with such brave humor and didn't fear the reprocussions?
   
   This CD contains over a dozen tracks of spoken lines from the film, and to listen to Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder's interaction witrh the wonderful diologue is to listen to the genius of Mel Brooks' zenith of comedy. In this CD is also included the true ability Mel had in making his special brand of comedy work - it was simply to make it as campy as hell by including MUSICAL NUMBERS ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST! Yes, I was laughing about Hitler, and Goebbels ( "I loves my little joe") and yes, I was shocked at first, but who wasn't?
   
   This CD of the movie is giving us some of the greatest parody tunes of ALL TIME - "Springtime For Hitler," "Prisoners Of Love," "Love Power," and the spoken word of Zero Mostel - ULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLA! ('I met her at the public library.') I can listen to this CD in the car, at home, ANYWHERE.
   
   (I can also watch this film on DVD - a bit dated, yes, but it represents a time when this was still edgy - but I will stand by this and gladly watch this over and over til it cracks.)
   
   (On a personal note: I am saddened at what Mel Brooks did by making this film about a failed play into a musical about a failed play!!!
   
   I consider it to be one of his all-time masterpieces and part of his holy trilogy of his genius -
   
   "The Producers" is followed by "Young Frankenstein" and of course the gem on his cap, "Blazing Saddles." He will NEVER be able to top himself, because once you've been to the mountaintop, how can you go any higher?)
   
   PLEASE! Buy this CD and LISTEN to it and remember a time when anyone could go out and try to be daring, try and amaze, listen to every second of this CD - I own a copy, and heartily endorse it!
   
   A play based on a film based on a play? Only in New York.
   
   Sad.



5. "The Producers: The Book, Lyrics, and Story Behind the Biggest Hit in Broadway History!" is such a colorfully fun book. It goes through the excruciating brainstorming process, right through opening night and the actual script. The pictures are so vibrant and you can just hear the actors saying the lines on the page. The handwritten notes on the side of the pages are interesting and catching. This book is perfect for fans of the show and Broadway. I recommend.

5 comments about Writing the Broadway Musical.

1. Aaron Frankel, who has directed more than 100 plays, loves the stage, especially musicals. He brings his genius to Writing the Broadway Musical by formulating an organized book, which is easy to use both as a reference and as a guide.
   
   He fills the text with pertinent examples -- plenty of them --like chocolate chips in cookies. Frankel's book is full of encouragement for the dreamers, while it outlines the practical aspects of taking a musical play from a dream to a full-fledged production.



2. This book gives a good foundation for basic elements of a musical script. I bought this wanting to write a musical script but not necessarily the lyrics/musical score and am a complete novice - was a bit lost on the different musicals it quoted. However another book that is quite "meaty" in terms of how to write a compelling gripping story/script for theatre is "The Writers Journey" surname is Vogler. What Frankel says is that the book or story needs to be written first before appropriate lyrics/musical score can be created. So I would have gone straight to this book first. Good as reference but can borrow from library, not a must have.



3. Frankel's concise, clear volume on writing large-scale musicals is a welcome addition to the bookshelf of anyone who wants to understand how this peculiar theatrical genre works-- when it does. By focusing on two artistically successful, well-known pieces in the canon-- "My Fair Lady" as a well-executed classic musical with linear plot, "Company" (my personal favorite) as a well-executed plotless musical whose songs move character forward--, Frankel can support his intelligent teaching points with concrete yet familiar examples. I'm very happy to see this book back in print.



4. In only 192 pages, Frankel presents writing for the musical theatre from the perspective of the book writer, lyricist and composer -- and how each contributes to the whole. Enough specifics for each to gain a better appreciation of the others' unique contributions. The book would be an excellent introductory text for a musical theate workshop. Most examples from My Fair Lady are illustrative and excellent; other examples from Company were less helpful (as that show was less successful). Highly recommended for those working on musical to keep near at hand.



5. Many of today's top talents in musicals on and off Broadway have studied with Aaron Frankel. Now anyone can learn the ropes from this honored director and instructor in a step-by-step guide that makes for good reading whether you are a writer, composer, or simply an avid theatergoer. I enjoyed the previous edition and found this revised and updated one an even more interesting read.

3 comments about Scenes for Young Actors.

1. As a middle school theatre teacher, it is often hard to find suitable scenes for my students. This book, however, offered a few nice scenes for them to do. Yes, much of the material in this book is way over their heads, but there are still charming scenes I know my students really enjoyed from plays such as: "Heidi," "Pride and Prejudice," and "West Side Story." Not the ultimate book for middle school, but I'm sure excellent for high school students.



2. It's great when we - as teachers - have great tools to work with. It makes things so much easier. This book is one of those indispensible tools that anyone dealing with young actors MUST have in handy. Scenes are so important in classes. Couldn't work without them. Sometimes, though, they may be banal. This is not the case. They are classics, and classics are never banal. My only hope is to see a second edition of this book, perhaps with more international and eventually contemporary stuff. Ah... I was forgetting... I would LOVE to translate this book for Italians!



3. I find this book to be a very good variety of emotional scenes. I recommend it highly.

2 comments about The Intimate Act Of Choreography.

1. If you're taking a composition class or teaching a composition class, this book IS the thing to use. It teaches you the basics, what will work, what might work, what won't work.
   
   It's wonderful!



2. This book is a masterpiece of creative and technical inspiration for choreographers eveywhere. It breaks dance down to its most minute details, and slowly builds into a work of art. This book is truly at the forefront of dance literature.

5 comments about Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, Third Edition.

1. This is where to go for anyone seeking an in-depth appreciation of film noir. There are lots of good books on the subject, but start here, if for no other reason than the exhaustive list of films from the classic cycle.
   
   And to the guy below who gave this book a one star rating, Sweet Smell of Success IS included in the alphabetical list of films. The Third Man is not, for one simple reason: it's a British-produced film. A strong argument could also be made for the inclusion of French films like Rififi and Diabolique, but the authors clearly made a conscious choice to only include films produced by American studios.



2. I have been exchanging noir themed dvds with a Canadian friend for the past two and a half years or so. Unfortunately, none of the production details for the intriguing films that I received recently are provided in this book.
   
   That underscores the difficulty with books of this type. Completists are going to be displeased to find their latest discoveries and long time favorites are omitted. The approach to the material by the contributors and editors is pedantic to the point of being boring. Many of the summaries contain mistakes and occasional plot spoilers. As a reference resource, the book is somewhat worthwhile, but do not fool yourself into thinking that you are going to read it from cover to cover or that it is going to be a page turner. It is more of a thick catalogue or a ponderous textbook. I would not recommend this book as a gift to a casual film noir enthusiast.
   
   The book has been revised and updated, but the newest entries do not always contain full descriptions. Some of the films are simply listed with cast and crew credits. One would have wished that the revision process would have included editorial corrections of prior mistakes, but the changes seem to consist wholly of new appendices of film titles that were omitted in earlier editions of the book. The latest version also contains listings of neo-noir films to. My personal preferences run to obscure titles and "B" films, so the book is something of a disappointment as Silver and Ward seem to have a bias in favor of big budget productions. Very few of my favorites from Poverty Row made the grade by being included here.
   
   On the positive side, the essentials are included in the book and it contains sufficient information to direct you to other more specific resources or to find films that are new to you. One such book is "The Noir Style" by the same author (with James Ursini). I found that collection of photo essays to be far more entertaining.



3. This book is a reference book and not the type of book you just sit down
   and read for fun. It is a very comprehensive work on the film noir culture. Just about any information that you will want to know about the film noir classics will be found in this work. Fun to flip through and make a mental note of the format and where to look for your future inquiries.



4. If I could give this book ZERO stars, I would. I ordered this book, looked inside for about 2 minutes and promptly returned it. It excluded my 2 favorite film noir movies, The Sweet Smell of Success and ...what I deem, next to the Maltese Falcon and Sunset Blvd., as the absolute epitome of film noir....The Third Man. Not even a mention, even though it is #2 on the all time favorite film noir movie list at the IMDB website.
   
   I thumbed through the book for a sec or two and noticed MANY full technicolor movies, some of which, because of the content of the movie, I thought had absolutely no place in a film noir book, technicolor or not. The genre is not as wide open as this author believes it is. C'mon....Dirty Harry? Sorry, but that is NOT a film noir. I did not read the book, but whatever definition of film noir he is using, it CERTAINLY comes nowhere near MY definition of film noir. And according to Wikepedia.org, my definition is correct...color films have no place whatsoever according to the "purist" view. But I'm openminded, you know, it can be in color and it can be made after 1970....I don't have a huge list of criteria. I only asked that it include a few of my favorites, but when it didn't even meet my needs with the very first glance at the index, I pretty much discounted it as hogwash. Yeah, it has loads of obscure gumshoe B movies and if that's what you're interested it, go for it. But if you think all film noir movies should be in black & white and contain the Third Man, et al, pass it by.



5. This book is the bible of film noir, and the 1992 revisions of the 3rd edition make it even more useful than before. Want to know who plays every bit part in one of your favorite films noirs? The info is here. Want to know when shooting started? When it was released into theaters? Ditto. Want a chronological list of the great noirs? Or more "inside" film lists, organized by directors, stars, even cinematographers? They're here. One of the old criticisms of the previous editions of the book is that its plot summaries were sometimes incorrect in the details. The authors cleaned up some of those problems in this edition, although they decided not to add or change text that would disrupt the original page layout. This means that the new language is a compromise for space, and it doesn't quite live up to the original. And some developments of the past decade, like the discovery of a print of the silent noir "The Racket," are too recent for corrections - the bible still says, "This film is lost today." This not-so-new edition includes a great essay on neo-noir and a fine list of neo-noir films (although I miss the obsessive detail of the original listings). Also, it's paperbound instead of hardbound. But it's still a superb reference work for the film noir fanatic - so treat it well until Silver and Ward get a 4th edition on the stands.

4 comments about Acting As a Business, Third Edition: Strategies for Success.

1. Advice is addressed to those actors who have already reached a high level of success (i.e. putting broadway credits on their resume) , but the information he is giving is of the utmost basic level. I found the information repetitive of all the information I have already received through classes and school, but in a slightly more pretentious and patronizing tone. Also, DON'T buy this book if you don't live in New York or LA.
   
   If you are looking for career guidance because no one has told you anything before on how to write resumes or cover letters, DO buy this book. If you are looking for that extra edge to help you out, this book is not that extra edge. Go out and meet some people instead.



2. I've read and re-read this book. I've read the others too, and this is the best. Brian simply gives concrete and actionable advice that everyone can use and implement. Other books explain how difficult the field is and then give you useless examples of some "stars" lucky break. . . As a professional actor and member of the actors unions - this is the book I recommend.



3. Mr. O'Neil's last edition of Acting As A Business was the first book that I read when I got out of college, and it proved invaluable in helping me break into the New York acting scene. This latest edition provides even more strategies of how to be a competitive player in the market.
   
   What Mr. O'Neil illustrates in this edition is so direct and clear, yet so many of my peers remain in the dark, because they never read his book. They are continuing to waste their time and money, rather than do what needs to be done, which is outlined in even greater detail in this latest edition.
   
   After reading this book, I landed an agent, had a recurring role as a college student on All My Children, became eligible to join SAG, worked at some top NYC theatres, booked several national commercials, and secured meetings with not only top managers, but with Warner Bros. Televison (twice)- all because I did what Mr. O'Neil said to do!!
   
   Mr. O'Neil's book should be required reading for any aspiring actor, and, moreover, should be part of the cirriculum at any university drama department or acting school.



4. I have had an interest in drama all my life, but lacked the knowledge of how to go about turning that passion into a career. The last edition of Acting As A Business gave me a specific plan of action, and led me to get into AFTRA, then SAG. This newest edition has even more invaluable information to someone at any stage of their career.
   After having purchased a slew of other books that turned out to be full of little more than "pep-talks", this one stands out as a reference tool that I will always have handy. I bought three as gifts for actor friends, and every one of them had something specific they got from it that made Acting As A Business invaluable.
   Mr. O'Neil cuts through the mumbo-jumbo and gets right down to business, not only educating, but motivating the reader to take action... the hardest part for MOST creative types.
   I especially suggest it to those just starting out. It should be required reading for anyone seeking to de-mystify the baffling task of starting a real, legitimate career as an actor.