5 comments about Costume Design: Techniques of Modern Masters.

1. This book is filled with sketches from some of the best costume designers alive! The chance to see the different sketching styles and read their interviews is a rare opportunity. The book scratches the surface, giving only few pages to each designer, but I felt that the wide scope of the book was a positive balance to that. Each designer represented is interviewed for several pages and offer their unique perspective on costume design.
   Every costume design student should own this book and Lynn Pecktal needs to get working on the sequel!



2. As a student in costume design, I found this book to be of great interest and indeed help in gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges facing costume designers.
   The writing documents interviews of 18 professionals who tell about their lives and careers, the joys and difficulties of costume designing and the odd tip for aspiring students
   The designer's sketches are plentiful and in glorious colour and while the book would not suit as a text book for costume design methodology it is an excellent source of inspiration.



3. This is a great book that I bought when I was starting out in costuming. I found it to be a fun read for those who are interested in costume design. It isn't really a resourse book, but if you love costuming or design, it has wonderful interviews with famous costume designers that I found interesting and inspiring. For those times of the year that I wonder why I am still in the costume business (October) this is a great book to rekindle my love for design and theatre. The renderings are beautiful. For designers who do renderings, these would be good to refer to, to see different styles of presentation.



4. While this book is absolutely gorgeous, it isn't a book *about* costume rendering. It's not a how-to book, but I'll add that it's a wonderful book for inspiration. The text portion (that I find is often skipped over in favor of looking at the pretty pictures) is worth a read as well, since it goes into some detail on various costumers' processes. Good book, but not an essential read for costume students.



5. I have searched for this book in hardback form and I am so glad it is back as a paperback. The conversations with the designers are invigorating and enlightening for all of us in the design business. It is also a constant source for excellence in costume renderings. I find myself going back to the pages over and over again for refinement and inspiration in my own rendering techniques. A must have for every costume designer!

5 comments about How I Made A Hundred Movies In Hollywood And Never Lost A Dime.

1. Roger Corman wrote "How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime" in 1990, reflecting on a 35-year career making movies, during which he was nearly always in production. The title of the book should be taken literally. Corman tells us just how he directed or produced the low-budget independent films for which he is famous. After giving a brief account of his early life, Corman dives into his career of non-stop filmmaking, launched by "The Monster from the Ocean Floor", made for $12,000 in 1954, through directing films for American International Pictures 1955-1969, producing youth-oriented exploitation films and distributing foreign art films for his own company New World Pictures 1970-1982, and finally his focus on the home video market in the 1980s.
   
   Corman learned the business of making movies as he went along, so he takes the reader though the financing and production of many of his movies, his mistakes, his philosophy, and his legendary efficiency. The recollections of people who worked with Corman, many of whom got their start in the unofficial "Corman School", are scattered throughout the text. These add an interesting variety of perspectives. Among those who chime in with their thoughts on working with Corman are actors Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, Bruce Dern, and Vincent Price, directors Peter Bogdanovich, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, John Sayles, and Francis Coppola, and Corman's wife and associate producer Julie Corman.
   
   Corman's disdain for bureaucracy, his many methods of penny-pinching, his attempts to inject social relevance into exploitation films, his commitment to making films to suit the market (or even to suit the sets!), and his almost infallible instincts for what people want to see come across strongly. Corman's obsessive thrift seems almost pathological at times. He might have done better to spend a little more money here and there and to have more concern for his cast and crew's safety. But the ways in which he managed time, re-used sets and footage, and got people to do things for cheap would be helpful to anyone trying to break into the business on a low budget. Corman filmed "The Little Shop of Horrors" in 2 days on a leftover soundstage. It's one of the cheapest and most enduring films he made.



2. The funniest random comment from Roger Corman in this book related to the use of stock footage: Corman mentioned that when he was filming the Edgar Allan Poe series (Poe was popular since all of his tales were in public domain)that nobody associated with the productions ever envisioned the home video market would permit film students and others to analyze the films on a frame by frame basis! One oft used fire sequence was economically obtained when Corman paid the owner of a barn, who had obtained a burning permit to demolish the dilphidated structure, a few dollars to photograph the razing of the barn. The collapsing rafters from the flaming roof appeared in film after film.
   
   Roger Corman managed to learn enough about filmmaking to become a profitable commodity. He avoided the major studios with one exception: "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre." This celebrated cult film was shot on the backlot of 20th Century Fox and featured just about every heavy and extra who had ever appeared on the television series "The Untouchables." Corman was foiled in his bid to cast Orson Welles as Al Capone. Studio executives feared that Welles would wrest control of the film away from Corman and begin directing the movie. Fox contract player Jason Robards, who was to have played Bugs Moran, was quickly recast as a malnourished Scarface, and Ralph Meeker was substituted as Moran. Corman regulars, Jack Nicholson, Dick Miller and Bruce Dern can also be glimpsed in the finished film. This cult favorite was the closest that Corman ever came to the Hollywood mainstream.
   
   Corman was steadily employed as a cost conscious producer and director who got most of his projects completed on time and under budget. He was an advocate of getting every last dollar's worth of production values up on the screen. The sole exception was "The Intruder." This civil rights message picture about a bigoted political agitator was the only Corman film to lose money in its initial release.
   
   Roger Corman's greatest legacy may well be the number of actors and directors who launched their celebrated careers in his B minus films. This book is an amusing diversion, but like many of Corman's drive-in quickies it is not too deep in terms of its analysis.



3. An interesting if not biased look at the life (and art?) of Roger Corman. Essential reading for low-budget filmmaking.



4. I'm not sure of how I happened upon this biography, but I'm glad I did. I'm not particularly a Roger Corman fan, having seen perhaps three or four of his films without really noticing that Corman had a part in their making.
   
   Corman's life is interesting. Not only was he probably the most successful independent filmaker in history, he was also mentor and first-chance for many of today's leading producers, directors, writers and stars.
   
   Remarkably down to earth and honest, Corman admits that his life has not been totally fulfilling: like many successful people, success is never enough - there's always one more challenge down the road and more than one challenge left unexplored in the past.
   
   Corman engages in some, but not deep, analysis of his films, explains his evolving political philosophy and provides snippets that from another author might be construed as name-dropping. But Corman was there and it's his interactions with these people he's talking about, so it's not in the least obnoxious.
   
   Above all, the value of Corman's book may not be to film buffs, but to business people, especially small scale entrepreneurs. Corman's management methods and his approach to filmaking were true nose-to-the-grindstone. He knew his market; he studied his market; he created his product to appeal to his market and he kept costs down to a minimum in order to reduce his risk of loss.
   
   Quite a guy and his biography is worth the couple of hours it takes to read it.
   
   Jerry



5. To this day, I haven't seen one Corman film I've liked. Still, this book is a nice look into the world of low-budget producing. It gave me the opportunity to truly understand my disdain for Corman and AIP.
   
   Most of the book focuses on three or four of the productions Corman is most proud of. I would have preferred him spending additional time on his more obscure films. Teenage Caveman only gets a paragraph or two written about it.
   
   A documentary would have been a more appropriate format for this material than a book. It would have been much shorter that way at the very least. Then again, Corman always had a knack for dragging things out in his films. Ever seen Swamp Diamonds?
   
   The main theme of the book seems to be, "Yeah, Corman's films were bad, but he did pretty good for what he had." That doesn't take away the fact that they're bad films. Don't watch them unless you have a high threshold of pain.

4 comments about Middle Mania: Imaginative Theater Projects for Middle School Actors (Young Actors Series) (Young Actors Series).

1. Easy to use lessons, projects, and ideas for the middle-school drama teacher or coach. I liked that you could pick and choose what works best in your program. I think every middle-school teacher should own this book, not just drama coaches - the creativity and energy and response will enlighten any classroom.



2. Almost as soon as I began reading Johnson's book, I was thinking of individuals in our school with whom I could share it. Although it is written for theater teachers, it's useful for any teacher or administrator that might occasionally need an activity for community building. The book is written for middle school environments, but the ideas could easily be transformed for high schools or elementary schools as well. The chapters consist of seven different activities that promote involvement from all students, even the shyest, that are also fun for adult moderators. A few of the activities include Mask/Movement, Clan Drama: Solving a Mystery, and Rock `n' Roll Playwriting. Step-by-step instructions for developing and organizing the projects are broken down into chapter sections. I especially like the preface that summarizes each chapter and activity into single paragraphs. Following the activities, Johnson provides curriculum summaries, assignment sheets, grade assessment charts, and reflections on the book's projects. Every school should have at least one project. Highly Recommended.



3. I teach middle school drama to 8th, 7th, and 6th grade every day! Approximately 600 students rotate through my curriculum each year! The activities presented in MIDDLE MANIA have prompted me to revamp my whole approach in teaching drama. They are fun, creative, easy to do and feel a lot less stressful than continually preparing for large-scale productions. What a gift! Thank you for sharing, Maureen!!



4. All my life I have wanted to write a book. I knew that I would do it someday, I just didn't know what the subject would be. Combining my love of theatre and my desire to help teachers teach drama in unique and creative ways lead to this book. It is filled with imaginative projects that really work, not only for teaching theatre, but you can use the projects to work collaboratively with other teachers. This book brings students and teachers together to do drama. It is my journey. I hope that you will make it a part of yours.

5 comments about Teaching Beginning Ballet Technique.

1. This book is great for the beginning teacher. I liked the suggested order and combination of barre excercises going from beginning to more difficult. Center work is also covered with suggestions of how to build a routine for an adagio and an allegro. It's a wonderful reference book and can be used in teaching adults.



2. This is an excellent resource for adults wanting to understand more about the basic movements of classical ballet. The first couple of chapters are aimed at dance teachers - you can skip these if you want - but definitely read the section on the steps. It makes some of the things you do in class much easier to understand. This is a great resource for adults doing recreational classes and college students.
   I also purchased the CD ROM that goes with it. Its great. You need to contact the publisher for an 'unlock code' to install it on your pc. But thats ok, they are pretty quick. A++++



3. This book was written to be used in an academic setting but is an excellent resource for teaching beginning ballet in general. I was a dancer for many years, but I am just now getting in to teaching. Like the authors said, it is good to get a review because it is a long time since I was a beginner. The book helps to clarify what beginners can and can't do. I just skipped over the parts about tailoring your classes to teaching in high school/college since it didn't apply.



4. I was asked to teach a ballet class as an extension club activity in my school and was looking for a book that would illustrate correct technique. After carefully reviewing numerous books, I chose this one. I provided what I was looking for.



5. As a new dance teacher, I have ordered several books and other resources on teaching. This book is definitely a good purchse - it basically outlines class format and what should be covered for various levels of beginners. I feel it also applies to intermediate students as well. Lots of pictures and descriptions make it easy to understand. I would recommend it for any ballet teacher.

5 comments about The Actor's Encyclopedia of Casting Directors: Conversations with Over 100 Casting Directors on How to Get the Job.

1. Had some useful information
   but nothing that was ground breaking good but not amazing if you havr extra money ,not a bad investment



2. I enjoy reading this book. It is useful for when you are submitting or auditioning for these casting directors since after reading the book, you know what they want. Or do you? I find people changing their minds very frequently and we as human beings are always changing. What is printed on the book, may no longer be true after a few years. However, it is interesting to read just what each person thinks an actor is or should do during auditions. I think as a whole, the book is useful because it provides some universal principles that we can all treasure and use in every aspect of our lives.



3. The role of a casting director is often misunderstood and actors are too often unaware of the pitfalls of auditions. This book is a must-have to help you find your way through. With direct interveiws with over 100 casting directors (mainly LA-based film/TV CDs, but some NY ones also) it gives you direct feedback on what casting directors like to see and don't.

   One of the best advantages of this book is that you can see what preferences vary among casting directors...and what preferences are universal in the industry. This is an extremely valuable took and one I think should be in everyone's library!




4. This is a well intentioned book, and has 100 interviews with real life Casting Directors. But after repeating the basics over and over with 100 interviews, there is not alot of depth or additional details. The basic teachings, such as being early to the audition, being prepared, being polite, being a professional, being an enthusiastic auditioner.....well, this is repeated for the 100 interviews. It could have been a much better book, with more details, so 3 stars.



5. This is a fantastic up-to-date reference for all actors who are serious about the business! And if you don't want to follow the casting directors' advice, then get out of the business now!I have recommended this book to all the actors at my agency. I just wish it was bigger to include even more LA casting directors.

5 comments about The Power of the Actor: The Chubbuck Technique.

1. I have been an actor for 5 years now. I've studied in multiple disciplines with multiple coaches. And over time while that has improved me as an actor, it has confused me as well. I have so much information and styles running around in my head that at times I have found that I have forgotten the basics. In addition, I haven't been able to find a systematic approach to acting that brings everyting together. Until now.
   
   I was given Ivanna's book 2 years ago and never took the time to read it. I was studying with someone else and thought I was doing what I needed. I decided to pick up the book a few months ago and I found Ivanna's technique was what I was missing in my acting, a structure to wrap all of my thoughts and training around.
   
   This book appeals to me as a person who likes some structure when approaching a script. However, it still encourages me to make discoveries and remain in the moment. It has truly opened my eyes to the possibilities that Ivanna's technique allows in delving into a character's psyche.
   
   Not only was the book richly rewarding for me, but it has led me to her acting studio to study under her guidance in hopes of further utilizing her knowledge and approach.
   
   I can't recommend this book enough for the working actor, as well as the newcomer. All levels of actor can benefit from the technique and structure she provides. Not to mention Part 2 of the book is FANTASTIC in preparing for auditions by offering some insights to careers and hang ups people have.



2. I wouldn't recommend this book for raw beginners, but someone who has a working knowledge of acting and stagecraft will find it immensely valuable. With its full exploration of the "why" of techniques mentioned in other texts, Ms. Chubbuck's technique refines Stanislavski to a practical and accessible recipe for creating believable and powerful characters. Highly recommended!



3. This book opened my eyes to another way of operating. I now use this technique even in my class scenes. Like AMEX, I don't go anywhere without it!



4. I don't go anywhere withouit it...If you are serious about being an actor you need to be familiar with the Chubbuck Technique...you need to read the book! It has changed me as an actor and as a person...I feel empowered.



5. I cannot say enough about what a gift this book and technique are for the actor. Ivana's book is a fresh and practical approach for all, especially those who may feel "techniqued- out". It is the first technique book I have looked at in over two years and I have been really enjoying it, digesting it and "overcoming" my own training wounds in the process. The whole idea of overcoming obstacles within the text is so alive and active for any actor who considers themself an overcomer, and also for those who long to bring themselves fully to any script. Ivana has created a technique that will custom fit the actor and not the other way around. I wish I had found this book long before I started my training.

1 comments about CliffsNotes Importance of Being Earnest.

1. When I told my mom that we were reading The Importance of Being Earnest in our English class, she thought it would be a good idea to pick up the Cliff Notes for me to study. I appreciate the guesture, but it was completely unncecessary.
   
   The play itself is only about 80 pages long, just 10 pages more than the Cliff Notes. So don't expect to save any time by reading Cliff Notes instead of the play.
   
   Also, the play isn't really that confusing at all. There are only a handful of characters and the dialouge is not hard to understand (though it isn't written in a modern dialect). While reading this play (I finished it in one night), I never once was confused or lost.
   
   Cliff Notes can be useful for long, boring, confusing works such as The Scarlet Letter. But something as short and simple as The Importance of Being Earnest stands fine on it's own. Skip the Cliff Notes and just read the play. It's actually pretty funny and you'll probably enjoy it. I did.

5 comments about Improvisation Starters.

1. This book has a HUGE variety of improvisation starters which not only provide a scenario, but also provide the actors with an objective toward which to work. This has really helped my students focus their work and stay on track with their improvisations. The only thing that would make this book better is if there were some scenes set up for more than two actors, which would make it more useful for larger group/class sizes (it takes an awfully long time to get through a class full of students two at a time!), but some of the two person scenes can be adjusted to allow for four actors instead, so I would not rule out this book simply for that reason. This is a great resource for anyone teaching improvisation!



2. Philip Bernardi's "Improvisation Starters" is a fantastic collection of scenes, moments, and games that will provide an excellent foundation for improvisational work, rehearsal, and performance. A must have for actors, teachers, and improvisors.



3. If you're thinking of buying this book in preparation for comedy improv classes, you're off track. You'll learn in the first weeks of your class that you discover what your scene's about as it unfolds, not a second before. That's what's funny about comedy improv, watching players discover in the moment what the scene's about. And the game is usually something little, something accidental, like everyone's wearing too much jewelry on the job. That's it.
   
   You and your partner figure out as you go what the game is in the scene based on the information you uncover, step by step.
   
   I keep cringing when I think about kids buying this book because instead of learning to explore character, activity, emotion, dialogue and stage picture as a way to build a throughline from scratch, they're being handed pre-packaged "plots" which burden the player with required attitudes and, saps the life and comedy right out of everything.
   
   The only way these scenarios may work is if you teach the kids to take the opposite point of view to what's expected. "It's 3AM and you were expected home from your prom three hours ago. That's my boy!"



4. This wasn't very useful to me. It contains merely lists of possible conflicts and conversations one might base an improvisation around. The ideas arn't particularly imaginative and are nothing I or my students couldn't come up with ourselves.



5. This book is an incredible value. There are, as the title indicates, hundreds of different improvisations. There are improvisations between coworkers, spouses, friends, salespeople/customers, managers/subordinates, and many more. There are also sections where scenes for one individual are introduced. In addition to the different improv situations, the author also includes instructions for teachers or instructors. I am not all that experienced with improvisation but this book makes it easy. Two thumbs up to Philip Bernardi for his excellent contribution to this area.

5 comments about Lysistrata: A Modern Translation (Mentor).

1. I thought that this would be a very dry and difficult read. It is actually very interesting, and fairly easy to read.



2. This was exactly what I was hoping for, a simple copy of Lysistrata's text. No extra frills, no bells and whistles. Just perfect.



3. Neither the creaky and surprisingly prudish anonymous translation published by Dover Thrift Editions nor the profanity-laden, anachronistic but highly readable translation by Sarah Ruden is the perfect classroom edition of Lysistrata. Between the two, I guess I'll start teaching Ruden's version, especially since the footnotes and other apparatus are genuinely scholarly and indicate where liberties are taken.
   
   But is the language Ruden chooses really the modern equivalent of how Aristophanes would have sounded to 5th-Century BCE ears? Visually, the play is inescapably bawdy, but is Aristophanes' dialog really so much the equivalent of today's stand-up comedians who "work blue" and use strings of low-minded profanity instead of clever innuendo to be amusing?
   
   Personally, I prefer the Dudley Fitts translation, which seems to strike just the right balance between high-tone literal and "urban" street-talk. Unfortunately, the Fitts translation seems to be unavailable in an inexpensive, single-title edition. Any chance Dover might get the rights to it and retire their stilted anonymous translation?
   
   [...].



4. This is obviously a translation meant to be read and not performed, and thus has lost the purpose of Lysistrata, and best to be avoided at all costs. Professor Parker's tortured retelling of this very funny play sucks the humor out in favor of clever witticisms and offensive stereotypes. He has forgotten that this was a play written during the Peloponnesian Wars, and was a direct response to that conflict. If he had not, then why the references to Hamlet and other plays? Are we supposed to follow the story or applaud Parker's precocious re-telling? If you read this play as part of a class and use the anthology "The Living Theatre", do yourself a favor and get another translation.



5. Having read several different translations of Lysistrata, I can report that the one you select may make all the difference in your opinion of this early comedy. Roche's translation is very vulgar but has good footnotes: get ready for cockney Spartans, however. Jack Lindsay's translation, done in 1925 (included in the Bantam edition of Aristophanes) seems to be overly literary in comparison to the original but lacks notes. It reads well, though sounds a little old-fashioned. The bawdry is present but made less direct; in this one the Spartan dialect is Scottish.
   
   I found Parker's translation to be the least satisfactory. The "hillbilly" dialect he gives the Spartans is painfully overdone,not to mention inaccurate, and the speeches are awkward and pedestrian. An excellent edition overall is Alan H. Sommerstein's in the Penguin Classic "Aristophanes: Lysistrata and Other Plays." The introduction and notes are extremely informative, and the translation itself strikes the right note to represent Aristophanes' style in English. (Once again, though, the Spartans are Scots.)
   
   But perhaps the best choice is Sarah Ruden's 2003 edition. Her dialogue is unusually funny without straying too far from the original. Added value comes from her four very readable essays on Greek democracy, warfare, women, and comedy. It's also printed on quality paper and comes with a great cover!

5 comments about Mayberry 101: Behind the Scenes of a TV Classic.

1. I gave this as a gift to a friend who adores all things Mayberry. He absolutely LOVED it!



2. Neal Brower's book, "Mayberry 101" is one of those books that you pull out before or after you watch a classic episode of the Andy Griffith show. In Brower's book, the episodes are broken down by season and a little more information about each show is given along with comments from the writers, producers, directors and even the actors. I do wish there were more comments from the actors, but the book is still a gold mine of information for Andy Griffith show fans (like yours truly).
   
   I wonder what happened to the other two volumes of this book? This is Volume One, but according to what I have read/understood two more volumes were to be published.
   
   Get this book if you enjoy the Andy Griffith Show!



3. we are trying to get into the andy griffith fan club. could
   some one please help us out!
   our address is Bruner's 804 Pecan Cir.
   Hickman,Ky. 42050 thanks



4. This book is a delight for Andy Griffith fans and scholars alike. I have used this book for graduate work, the Mayberry Bible study, and for a reference tool when I am watching a marathon. Brower brings new insights to these old friends and makes the show even more enjoyable



5. Let me first start off by saying Neal Brower did a fantastic job on Mayberry 101, that said, all that was missing was an in depth look at all the cast members. I would have like to seen profiles of actors like Frances Bavier, what made her the opposite of Aunt Bee in real life ?