2 comments about The Actor and the Target: New Edition.

1. This is an excellent resource for actors. The general guidlines are great. But the part I liked best of all were the specific examples regarding an actor faced with the difficulties of playing Juliet. The specific examples are complex and so helpful in fleshing out the general guidlines and for making them easier to remember for future reference. I also liked the fact that there was a lot of "new age" psychology--which is so great at plugging us into our own psychys--which is really what acting is all about. This book was dealing with very complex concepts, but they were presented simply and clearly. I give it 5 stars unequivically. As an actor, I am very grateful for this book!



2. The Actor and the Target is an invaluable insight into the actor's process. Well written with terrific clarity and wisdom.

3 comments about Living Theatre: A History.

1. Just what the professor ordered! My son is quite pleased with this purchase. He needed the text for his theatre class in college. Thanks for the speedy delivery.



2. This is a [must have] for anyone who desires to study theater outside of high school and into college. Throughout my studies in college, I constantly referred back to this piece for references. It is an expensive book, but trust me. You will get your money's worth out of this one.



3. This has been the only textbook I have enjoyed in 4 years of university. Great pics. Very well done.

5 comments about Chinatown and the Last Detail: Two Screenplays.

1. Among American screenwriters, Towne is one of the greats, and if you're interested in the craft of writing for the movies (as I am), you have to read his stuff. He worked on BONNIE AND CLYDE and THE GODFATHER, got nominated for an Academy Award for THE LAST DETAIL and finally won for CHINATOWN -- one of the truly great screenplays of the century. Reading a screenplay is different from watching the film, though if you know the film -- and who hasn't seen CHINATOWN? -- it can be difficult to keep the images out of your head while you're reading. But the point is to follow the way the narrative structure moves the story. THE LAST DETAIL doesn't really have a big plot, being just the story of a lost weekend, of two career sailors escorting a third guy, much younger, from Norfolk to the brig at Portsmouth. Meadows is a nice kid, almost an innocent, a kleptomaniac who received a very stiff sentence for a very minor attempted crime. Billy Buddusky (a name remarkably similar to "Billy Budd") and Mulhill (known as "Mule") try to take him through a few life experiences on the way, including getting drunk, getting laid, and almost getting a tattoo. And the story ends quietly when they deliver him to jail and go their separate ways. A very nicely rendered slice-of-life story. CHINATOWN, of course, is the story of Jake Giddis, well-dressed private eye in Los Angeles in the 1930s, who takes on what he thinks is a routine matrimonial case but gets caught up in water politics and other people's strange lives. The writing here isn't quite Sam Spade; in fact, there's a very modern `70s tone to it. Towne was writing about the eye-opening `60s and `70s, for all that the story is set a generation earlier. But the pace is perfect, the characters are magnetic (even though Towne doesn't tell you everything that he might about them), and the very abrupt climax is shocking. Great writing, both of them.



2. I haven't seen this book, but I assume that the script it contains for "Chinatown" conforms to the final cut of the film as released. If so, just be aware that the film wasn't really written by Robert Towne. Towne's screenplay was COMPLETELY redone by Roman Polanski, over Towne's very strong objections. Polanski, to his credit, has been pretty quiet about the subject. Towne, to his shame, has also. He continues to receive and accept credit for a script he never wrote. It's much more Polanski's movie than Towne's.

   I'd love to see someone do an article on what went on between these two guys between the time Towne turned in his final draft and Polanski finished cutting the film. That would be much more instructive.




3. I've long admired the films based on Robert Towne's scripts during the 1970s. These two lead the pack of the dark, cynical films produced during that period. Movies of a type I miss greatly now. But until reading this book I was never able to fully appreciate Towne's talent. From his revelatory introduction to the screenplays themselves, Robert Towne proves himself to be a talent of the highest order. My only regret is that I didn't learn of this book sooner so its influence on my own work would have already much sooner. If you have any appreciation for these films, you NEED to get this book.



4. Robert Towne's CHINATOWN is the finest example of screenwriting in the last thirty years. Towne could have written this story as a novel about how modern Los Angeles was formed, but chose to do so in the medium of film. The result has the richness and depth of a great novel. Students everywhere study CHINATOWN to learn the craft of screenwriting and for inspiration. Towne's brilliantly funny, disturbing script of THE LAST DETAIL, based on the novel by Darryl Ponicsan, is a worthy companion piece.



5. Robert Towne is easily one of the best screenwriters whose words have ever graced the silver screen. In these two screenplays, Towne displays his mesmerizing talent by fusing all of the integral elements that make a film not only brilliant but fun as well. With his mixture of memorable and unique characters, cutting-edge dialogue and nuanced styles, Towne is able to craft films that play out in the mind as well as they do on the screen. In the mystery thriller "Chinatown" that starred Jack Nicholson, Towne takes us on a nostalgia trip to a thinly disguised water war in 1930s-era Los Angeles. The characters leap off the page as well as they did off the screen in the film. Towne's words build momentum, snowballing through the heavily stylized locales and situations to a climactic sequence. Even without the support of Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston the screenplay is extremely readable and enjoyable. "The Last Detail", also starring Nicholson in the film, tells the story of two Navy lifers who are assigned to transport a buffoonish young recruit cross-country where he will spend the next eight years imprisoned - and the wild "Odyssey"-inspired events that unfold when the two lifers attempt to show the young prisoner a good time before he goes under. Not as intricate as "Chinatown" but the dialogue here is way before it's time and would fit right in with even the more unconventional of 90s movies. The heartfelt emotion needs no musical score or fancy camera movements to show up, and Towne invokes all the feelings by simply putting words into a character's mouth. These films were released in the mid-70s and he won Oscars for both of them, and they have definately stood the test of time. Reading this volume is almost as fun as watching the films, and in these days of reckless abandonment when it comes to screenwriting and throwing formula and paradigm out the window - Towne makes it look all to easy, but his scripts are perfectly layered and unravel before our eyes both in the viewing of the films and in the reading of the scripts. This is a true testament to the fact that screenwriting, while often scoffed as the lowest form of writing, second only to television, is transcending itself as a true and beautiful art form.

5 comments about Law & Order: The Unofficial Companion -- Updated and Expanded.

1. This is way out of date, and has a lot of uninteresting information apparently used to fill out what otherwise would be a short book. Still, the old episodes are the best ones. I like having a list of them. Also, they provide the scoop on such disasterous cast decisions involving George Dzunda (he left and was a nightmare to work with), Dann Florek and Chris Noth.



2. L&O is my favorite show. I've seen every episode several times. This book helped me to understand more about the characters, and about the episodes. I'm impressed with it.



3. The authors couldn't have known it when it was written, but they managed to write the definitive behind the scenes look at Law and Order when it was at its best, which was the first nine seasons. Shortly after this book was written, Steven Hill left the show as seasoned D.A. Adam Schiff, and a series of bad casting choices began to degrade the show's quality.
   
   Particularly interesting are how all of the cast changes happened, including the actors' stories on how they found out and their reactions versus the reasonings of the show's producers. For example, Richard Brooks, who played ADA Robinette during the show's first three seasons, said he found out he had been ousted via a message on his answering machine and was very perplexed by the decision. The producers said that the reason for getting rid of Brooks was that he and Moriarty did not get along at all. We also learn that originally Chris Noth thought that the addition of the character of Lenny Briscoe, perhaps the most beloved character in Law and Order history, was a mistake because Briscoe and Logan were too much alike and could practically finish each other's sentences. Eventually the producers came to the same decision as Noth - and fired Noth. At the time this book was published this was still perhaps the most controversial personnel move made by the show. There is also the behind-the-scenes story of Michael Moriarty's resignation, which includes a bizarre if not paranoid letter from Moriarty in which he says that he believed Janet Reno and the federal government were wanting to censor the show.
   
   Another chapter I really liked was on the challenges of filming on location in New York City. The California crew members are always afraid of New York traffic interfering with the logistics of filming, when in fact traffic can be more unpredictable in California. There were some occasional problems with crime - in 1992 a mugger trying to evade police hid under Paul Sorvino's trailer. Another time, someone shot a policeman down the street from where filming was taking place, with the gunshots clearly audible to the cast and crew. Also, S. Epatha Merkerson says she gets annoyed at all of the graffiti that NYPD Blue put up on the walls when they did filming, since that is more of an L.A. than a New York thing, by her estimation.
   
   All in all, I found this book an interesting read, even though it is several years old. Perhaps a second edition will be in order after the show is over, once the cast, crew, and producers can be honest about some of the mistakes that have been made over the years since this book was published, particularly in the area of casting decisions.



4. A great little book covering both the territory of a behind the scenes book and an episode guide.
   
   It starts off dealing with the genesis of the series, and quite a bit of detail behind the first four years of the series. Details of why certain cast members left or were fired are covered, and some of the stories are quite entertaining.
   
   It does have a heavy bias towards the first four years of the series, giving the later seasons short coverage.
   
   It also only covers up through the seventh season (now the series is in it's 16th year).
   
   The episode guide is a good analysis, and better than most of the same age. Although it is nothing as good as the guides you get out of Keith Topping.
   
   All in all, worth it for the measly price I paid for it used. At a new cover price, given it's age, probably not.



5. I am, without a doubt, THE BIGGEST "Law & Order" fan. I've seen every episode at least three times and I can tell you about all the actors and characters. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the show until I was given this book for a birthday gift. That's when I REALLY started learning about my favorite television show. Aside from the actor/character profiles, pictures, and run-down of all the villians, there's also the ever helpful episode guide that gives you a rundown of every episode ever aired! What more could you possibly ask for? Well, how about all the juicy gossip that went on behind the scenes. All the backstabbing, fighting, and quarrelling amoung the stars and the show's producers/writers are aired out for everyone to read. There's also some really nice cast/actor pictures for your enjoyment. I took deep interest in the Chris Noth pictures (he's such a doll!).

   I totally recommend this book if, like me, you're a fan and you want to know EVERYTHING about the show. This book is a must-have for the ultimate "Law & Order" fan!

   Gennie Bailey-Rogers

5 comments about Strategic Communication in Business and the Professions (6th Edition).

1. The contents of each chapter is very well organized. It helps tremendously for taking notes and making outlines of the chapters.
   Everything is explained thoroughly with plenty of examples.



2. I felt this book was very useful for the class I took with it. The case studies included throughout the text made it easy to comprehend and easier to apply to business situations. The book is very detailed and although I felt I knew things about meetings and mentoring the text taught me even more. If you want to be in the business world one day, this book is a must have if you want to be successful.



3. This book is perfect for college-level courses in either Marketing or Business. Chapters consider the basics of communication perspectives within businesses. The book was complex and full of facts yet easily understood. I learned quite a bit while reading this book.



4. I found this book very helpful. Even though the chapters were very long, they were very informational with a few good example. I thought this book was a good choice for the class that I took: Organizational Communication. The book was organized very well, including everything that I thought was relevant and important. Before reading the book I thought most of the stuff was common sense but it taught me many things I never leaned about and did not know.



5. I found this textbook very readable. The skills and strategies were further enhanced by real world examples. The material is presented in a concise format. The chapters are well organized. The summaries and key terms at the end of the chapters were helpful in reviewing the material. Our class used the activities in the classroom to engage students in the process.
   
   I recommend this book and will hold onto it for future reference.

5 comments about Secrets of Voice-Over Success: Top Voice-Over Actors Reveal How They Did It.

1. Like a good song that make you get up and move, this book is pure inspiration! The stories are told in a way that gives you the experience of discovering the truth of your own heart. I appreciate the contributors' honest accounts of their setbacks, and discomforts. I also wanted to know what the professionals learned on their way to reaching the pinnacle of their success. Most of all, it delivers a powerful message of having the nerve to turn out the odds. It stimulated my conscience in a way that even my understanding of passion elevated to another level.
   
   Even though I'm not a voice over actor, I'm still an actor who audition on a regular basis. The principles are the same and I've had to refer to the lessons more than a few times. Needless to say, this book has served me very well. I applied the lessons to my line of work and have gotten amazing results.
   
   It is your soul that will find food here. Unless you put the suggestions to practice, the secrets will pass you by leaving you once again with frustration and doubt. In other words, this book will point you into the direction of your hearts' desire. If you follow your heart, "Secrets" will find and move you in some way. Only when ready to receive new information will your thirst for knowledge and a new point of view expand. After reading, I asked myself, do I dare? The stories in this book tells me the answer is a question of courage and effort; a question of desire. We either love/enjoy our labor or not. It's for each of us to decide.
   
   Certainly, you'll get a second wind after reading this gem of a book called, Secrets of Voice Over Success.
   
   
   
   Joan:
   You and the other contributors' courage have encouraged me. If just one soul is empowered, that's valid enough. And, you've even managed to find a creative way to enlarge the vision of humanity by contributing to a good cause such as the Alzheimer's Association. Bravo!!! Your work is a perfect expression of love in action! Now suddenly the impossible seems possible!



2. This book does what no other VO book has. It puts aspiring VO talent into the world of successful VO talent. Every other book I've looked at is a technical guide...dry and dull. Training is important and I've had my share but this book answers all the FAQ's the other books miss. If you want to make a living at VO this is a must have.



3. One of the most common question questions I hear in the Los Angeles voice over world is how did the big guns get to the top. Well, this book uses standardized interview questions to 19 of the top vo talent in the U.S., Joan herself being one of them. You couldn't wish for a better one on one interview with each one.
   
   Everyone interviewed certainly had distinct things to say, but some common threads were "just fell into it", battled racism on the way and hard work and persistence really pays off.
   
   A note to the wise: if you're in this business for quick profit forget about it. This career path has alot of competition, and only those with stamina and passion for voice work will stand the test of time and make a full-time living at it.
   
   The Alzheimer aspect was valuable in today's society where it is estimated that in the coming decades, unless something is done, millions of the aging group of Americans will succumb to this heart-wrenching disease. Go Joan!!
   
   Tansy Alexander



4. I'm just flummoxed by a previous review of Joan Baker's "Secrets of Voice-Over Success". Ms. Baker is deemed by the reviewer to be irrelevant, obvious and out of date because she neglects to deconstruct the semiotics of the latest manifestations of an ever-changing gamut of voiceover styles. Whazzat? Pretty heavy, I guess, but these quibbles convey nothing of the wonderful and inspiring book I read. What could be more relevant and uplifting than the tales these voice artists relate as to how they reached the high level of success they enjoy today. These are top people, engaging in national level campaigns right now. Their voices are supposed to be irrelevant? I don't think so.
   
   For a newcomer to voiceover like myself it's so encouraging to learn how others overcame pitfalls and obstacles to make it in our chosen field. Joan Baker's nifty volume is like a pat on the back and a helping hand along the way. Kudos to Joan and to all the artists who so generously gave of their time and experience to help make this marvelous book a reality. And what more wonderful theme to tie the volume together than touching on the effects of Alzheimer's on the lives of so many of us? Something tells me that one day, when we've reached the other side of the River Jordan, we'll be surprised to learn just how much good this book will have done to help those poor souls afflicted with Alzheimer's.



5. I orginally met the author Joan Baker at her Learning Annex workshop called "Make Millions With Your Voice" where I was very very impressed but after just finishing her book and meeting more than half the people in the book at her workshop-Iam overwhelmed with inspiration!
   Thank you Joan Baker and the Vo Artist's in Secrets for moving me forward in my vo career that I've been navigating for the past 6 years. Thank you!
   I would recommend this book to anyone seeking solutions in the Vo industry.

5 comments about Folktales on Stage: Children's Plays for Reader's Theater (or Readers Theatre), With 16 Play Scripts From World Folk and Fairy Tales and Legends, Including Asian, African, Middle Eastern, European, and Native American.

1. Do you want an engaging activity to use with elementary students that fosters reading, performing and listening skills? Aaron Shephard's book is a wonderful resource for K-8 teachers to use in the classroom. This book has a variety of texts adapted for Reader's Theater from all parts of the world. It has been a great addition to our reading lessons!



2. As a teacher of the gifted I find reader's theatre a creative avenue for teaching literacy and creative dramatics. Aaron Shepard does a great job providing interesting, well organized scripts with a rich selection of myths, folktales, and legends. I greatly appreciate this valuable resource!



3. The grade and school where I teach stresses folktales, legends and myths. I also wanted to try to get this in a "Reader's Theater" format. This book does just that! Bravo!



4. As a teacher of children with learning disabilities, I rarely find an activity that relates to the standards, a child's IEP, and is one that students rave about. This is entertaining as well as educational.



5. I love all of Aaron's books. As a future teacher who believes today's students don't know enough of the world's folktales, I know I will be using this book in my future classroom. I especially like the story of "The Sea King's Daughter." It is a wonderful story and Aaron Shepherd has done a wonderful job of adapting it and the other stories in this collection for readers' theater. I can't wait to see what he will do next.

4 comments about Decoding Wagner: An Invitation to His World of Music Drama (includes 2 CDs).

1. This well writen book has an analysis of all Wagner operas. I found it helpful, used together with the Metropolitan Opera site.



2. I used to be an opera singer and I have to say this is a fabulous book for any fan of Wagner. Tom May has done a terrific job of making this difficult material accessible, and the accompanying CDs help considerably. Even if you feel you have read everything there is to read about the maestro, you will find this book absorbing and very illuminating. Plus you'll probably want to buy a new recording of Tristan und Isolde as well [maybe the most beautiful music ever written, in my humble opinion]. I think Amazon may sell that too. LOL



3. I found this to be an excellent overview of Wagner and his operas in a book of only 200 pages or so. This book is for someone who is fairly familiar with the plots of Wagner's operas -- no plot summaries are presented -- and gives a good sense of how Wagner developed as both a composer and dramatist. The book is written mostly around the ten major operas wrote -- a chapter for each with an extra chapter to introduce the Ring. Although the book is relatively short, the reader learns a lot about Wagner's sources, his use of these sources, and key features of the individual operas. A portion of the discussion of the operas is tied to the CDs - one for the Ring and the other for the non-Ring operas. The CDs are primarily "greatest hits" - from the operas, with text making reference to different points on the CD in terms of timing.
   
   This book is probably not the first book you read on Wagner -- I would recommend "Wagner Without Fear" by William Berger as an introduction to Wagner and his work. For other readers, this book really provides quite a bit of diverse information in a small space. The book is well-written and meets the needs of many readers in that it written around individual operas. A reader can go right to the opera of interest, but I think may will also want to read through the entire book to better understand the context of individual operas and their place in Wagner's development.
   
   The book has a good bibliography (though it would have been nice to have some annotation).
   
   The book is a good value as is, but with the 2 CDs (primarily BMG recordings), it becomes an excellent value. Any reader interested in Wagner should consider owning this book. 5 stars.



4. This is a terrific read: entertaining and briskly paced. May considers historical and social factors in Wagner's work without bogging down the reader with theory or dull historicism. In fact, this work brings me a greater appreciation for Wagner than I thought possible (I'm not, my apologies, an opera fan). I would recommend it to the casual theater goer, the fine arts critic, opera fans, and anyone interested in music or 19th century theater.

3 comments about Godard On Godard (Da Capo Paperback).

1. Godard displays all his unimaginable masterful in this set of reviews originally written for Les Cahiers du Cinema in the far Fifties .
   The charm , of this enfant terrible is present all alnog the text .
   The reviews about Orosn Welles , Ingmar Bergman , Francois Truffaut , Mizoguchi and his favorite western Seven men from now of Budd Boeticher (I have not watched it) are specially revealing .
   Acquire this book , because despite the fact you may argue these reviews are dated , constitute - and who denies? - a crucial period in the cinema story .



2. I've just read the book and though it dragged at some points because I wasn't familiar with a couple of the films he was talking about it, the overall experience was uplifting. If you have the slightest interest in Godard and the New Wave read the book and get inside a New Wave director's head and see how he looks at films. The book contains a number of his Cahiers du Cinema reviews and articles, and some interviews he gave later in life. By the end of the book you finally begin to understand a little of how this genius thinks.



3. "Weekend (best pre-packaged volition)." -Premature Positivity

4 comments about The Complete Voice and Speech Workout: 74 Exercises for Classroom and Studio Use.

1. This book is standard nothing special and aimed at children who need to learn to speak properly that's all. Like most books in this genre you don't leave feeling that you and tackle any songs as the exercises are weak or usually lack of them. Its nothing but poetry and rhymes What I would recommend is `an introduction to singing with style' I came across this book quite by accident on amazon.co.uk and it has helped me a lot. It goes into great depth about how to develop a great singing voice, vocal projection, vocal clarity and this book even tells you what diet to avoid and what food is good for healthy living it's amazing! If you're looking for vocal stamina then this book has it! `An introduction to singing with style' covers most styles and the emphasis is on vocal tone scales and breathes control you won't need a singing teacher either as you are left in control over your own progress



2. I'm a PT and got this book for ideas for breath support activities. It has a lot of good ideas for older children that are high functioning (I would say cog. level of about 4yrs+.



3. A great book with practical exercises useful for singers, as well as actors. Concisely and well described, and fun, too!



4. This is an good book to use to practice intonation, pronunciation and articulation. I actually use this book when teaching phonetics in my speech courses.