1 comments about Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?.

1. Here is a play that conflates the rhetoric of war into bite size pieces and shows us that one war, particularly as we Americans get involved in them, is all wars. Churchill's staccato lines, and disjointed dialogue is not for everyone, and her play presses our continuity buttons, but this two person dialogue between an allegorical Uncle Sam and an allegorical Guy who is drawn to Sam's cockiness underscores how the language of war is a language of insanity.

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.

2 comments about The Playboy of the Western World and Riders to the Sea (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. It is undeniable that J.M. Synge was a very important Irish playwright of the early 20th century. These plays, especially, "Playboy of the Western World," are pivotal to Irish literature, and now, Irish culture. Any serious student of British drama, or actor should read both of these plays.

   On the other hand, it may not be an ideal idea for someone that does not fall into one of those two catagories. The dialectic style is very thick, and at times difficult to understand. "Playboy," an important (and early) Irish peasant drama is beautifully writen, but for a casual reader it would probably come off as a slow read that is not all that entertaining.

   Important work from cultural and recent historical perspectives, but these plays are very dated and, as I mentioned, not the most entertaining read.




2. First off, I write in favor of the works of Synge; yet, I find it unfortunate that Amazon is not offering a better version than the Dover Thrift. Synge's symbolism will pull you in and embrace you and warm out to his style. John Millington Synge was a lover of words and dialect, he even says that he only used words that he heard being used in Ireland. Both of these plays are well written and full of symbolism. For the serious love of Irish Literature or drama, J.M. Synge is a must. Read on...

2 comments about Year of the King: An Actor's Diary and Sketchbook - Twentieth Anniversary Edition.

1. South-African born actor/diarist Anthony Sher writes the book on the physical process of character development with his excellent memoir on the evolution of his character for the title role in William Shakespeare's "Richard III".
   
   Sher drew upon the natural terrain in the Western Cape region of southern africa to inform the physicality of his character and to create one of the most memorable interpretations of Richard in Stratford history.
   
   This book is an invaluable source for working actors as well as for non-actors who wish to better understand and appreciate the intuitive actions of the artist in search of excellence.
   
   Antony Sher's other books include the memoirs Woza Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus in South Africa, with Gregory Doran (1997), Beside Myself (2002), Characters (1990), and Primo Time (2005); the novels, Cheap Lives (1995), The Indoor Boy (1996), Middlepost (1989), and The Feast (1999); and the play "ID" (2003).



2. "Year of the King" is a fine opportunity to watch an actor prepare for a role. In this case, the actor, Antony Sher, on the verge of leaving the Royal Shakespeare Company, is offered Richard III, one of Shakespeare's most complex and twisted characters. The book is Sher's journal, filled with a mixture of backstage anecdotes, evocative illustrations by Sher, and moments when the acting process becomes clear, inspired, and thought-provoking. Sher opens his life to the reader, taking us from the initial speculation ("Will they ask me to play Richard?") to the rehearsal processes and character work to the performances. Sher's writing is compelling, honest, and comfortably readable, without even the tiniest bit of ego that so often plagues this kind of journal. It is a glimpse into the process, both artistic and personal, that an actor endures in pursuit of a character. I have used "Year of the King" as a textbook in an acting class, as an example of how one can use a journal, and as a foundation for a course in theatre criticism. I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in theatre and classical acting.

2 comments about Drama: A Pocket Anthology (Penguin Academics Series).

1. I haven't read the book, so this is actually a review of the info on the book. Why is there no TOC listed? How am I to decide on this book if I don't know what plays it contains. Very bad marketing.



2. This book presents a collection of the twelve most frequently studied plays along with a fairly short but well done introduction to the art of drama itself. The book is intended as a text for drama students with a wide collection of plays to be studied. The plays range from 'Oedipus the King' (first performed about 430 BC to 'How I Learned to Drive' - 1998 Pulizer Prize winner for drama.
   
   This is the third edition of this popular book. In this edition the number of plays has been expanded to twelve (from nine) and the introduction has been expanded with coverage of Greek 'old comedy' and the theater of the absurd. Finally the section on writing about drama has been both expanded and revised to conform to the sixth edition of the MLA handbook.

5 comments about The Making of the African Queen: Or How I Went to Africa With Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind.

1. Hepburn didn't set out to win any literary prizes with this book. The Making of the African Queen is an informal work, without any tight structure or organization; at times it can get pretty thin. She meanders along from one reminiscence to another and dwells on whatever memories catch her fancy or amuse her. It's as if she were sitting opposite you talking, rambling along with little smiles and devilish laughs.
   
   She jumps along from topic to topic chronologically, starting from the offer she received for the part of Rose and ending with her recollection of Bogart's Oscar win. Some of the content she touches on is expected - observations of Bogart and Bacall, the mercurial Huston, and the rigors of filming in Africa. But then there are other anecdotes you don't expect, such as her bathroom-related anxieties (she was a urologist's daughter), her musings on different kinds of water (I loved those descriptions and that she would notice things like that), and her various peculiarities of taste, like her delight in finding out that her cabin would overlook all the others in the base camp in Africa.
   
   What I liked best about the book is that I got a sense of Hepburn from how she wrote and what she chose to write about. She likes to take on a dry, amused tone; she does not spread gossip about her colleagues or supply salacious details, though she does make general observations of their characters. At one point, she writes a wickedly clever description of Bogie and Bacall having a spat, something along the lines of "two cats locked deliciously in the same cage". She is largely generous in her praise of the people she worked with, and is fond of them all, though she doesn't conceal those moments when she felt exasperated with them (Huston gets up her nose more than a few times). There are times when she's aloof and remote, preferring solitude, and overall she gives the impression of someone who won't suffer company merely for the sake of having company, but likes to go out on her own exploring or simply thinking; at other times, however, she enjoys lengthy conversations, particularly with Huston. She's aware of her foibles and laughs at them; they don't seem to trouble her all that much.
   
   Fans of Hepburn, Bogart, Bacall, and/or Huston would perhaps enjoy this little book; so might people who liked The African Queen or are interested generally in classic movies and stars. The book sports lovely photos of the cast, director, and shooting locales, and Hepburn is our link with that older era of movie-making and its wonderful characters.



2. I have always rather liked Katharine Hepburn, and this movie. This is a rather nice "making-of" book. It is mildly humourous, good-natured, and nicely illustrated. While I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it or keep, I did really enjoy flicking through it.
   
   This is really Hepburn's diary/account of the making of the African Queen and all the attendent problems of filming a movie in an equatorial country, and specifically in this case, in the continent of Africa. The rain, the mud, the mosquitos, the director, the other actors.
   
   Hepburn does come across as being slightly removed from it all, she has a slightly distant and almost superior tone to her writing - for instance she is always up first in the morning and likes eating alone, and then from her hut she watches everyone else going about their morning. It is like she is Jane Goodall analysing Chimpanzees at times.
   
   However she does lavish praise where praise is due, and she is not above laughing at herself at times either and so I felt fine about forgiving her the occassional remoteness.
   
   This was fun to flick through.



3. Katherine Hepburn's lively account of her experiences on location in Africa is very short, but packed with amusing and exciting incidents. Her style of writing is very distinctive, short abrupt sentences which vividly describe the inconveniences, discomforts and sometimes dangers of life in the jungle. There are some alarming encounters with wildlife, whether it's being attacked by hornets, finding a snake in the bathroom, or watching a herd of elephants stampede by a mere twenty-five feet away. The eccentricites and charms of her human companions are clearly and amusingly described as well, as are all the difficulties encountered in the making of this wonderful film.
   
   The book is illustrated with lots of fascinating photographs takne on location, including some beautiful ones of Miss Hepburn (I particularly like the ones of her 'luxurious jungle dressing room'), and should delight any fan of The African Queen or of Katherine Hepburn.



4. OK, it was cheap and it was kinda fun but this book is very short and very light and fluffy. Don't pay much for it because you can read it in a half a day.



5. This is one those books that is really autobiographic - it seems no one has altered or interfered with anything. If you have seen many movies with Katharine Hepburn, you can actually hear her tell the tale of how she survived the African jungle and actually loved it.

   She is the first one to say that she is a bit of a pain in the neck, bossy and interfering. And always worried about the details. And she freely admits that when there is no bathroom, she's gotta go.

   She lively discribes how the cities look, how it feels to be in the jungle. Explaining that taking a shower there is like angels touching your body. And that there is nothing worse than having to go to the bathroom (in somewhat of a rush...) and finding a black mamba snake there. She was so shocked she had to throw up. And the throwing up keeps up until after they come back in England.

   What struck me as most odd was that she doesn't hold back. She told off Huston often, refused to help Lauren Bacall with the food, carried the mirror around and often thought what the hell she was doing there. But it was fascinating. Reading about it is fascinating, you want to go there yourself and look what it is like in real-life (instead I watched The African Queen for the 164th time).

   The photographs in the book are really worth looking at - they give you a feeling of actually being there. Seeing Kate washing her hair with her 'house-boy' standing by, the costumes close-up, the little comments next to the pictures, one of 'Bogie Allnut' - Bogie laughing out loud wearing his costume and of 'Rosie Hepburn' - Kate sitting on the railing, wearing slacks, holding Rosie's English umbrella...

   It really shows that Katharine Hepburn had many talents - she is certainly able to write an extraordinary tale of adventure, making movies, making fast friends, overcoming problems (the sinking of The African Queen, giant antz, losing twenty pounds by drinking water, almost being killed by a wild boar) and loving it all.

5 comments about Audition Success (A Theatre Arts Book).

1. Audition Success has changed the way I perform forever. It has instilled a very high confidence in my playing during auditions. Before, I was always nervous and doubtful about my auditions. But, after reading this book, I won the highest seat at my university orchestra audition. Thank you, Don Greene, for helping me achieve my dreams.



2. I ordered this book because my horn teacher recommended it, and I was confused that it was labelled (A Theatre Arts Book), because it isn't. This book by Don Greene was developed specifically for the professional classical musician. The methods might be useful to people involved in the other performing arts, but that is not what it is specifically for.
   As for the quality, I haven't yet finished the book but find it interesting and potentially useful. The connection between professional sports and professional musicians is interesting to explore. If you are debating between this book, and The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green, I would reccommend this book if you are a performance or serious student of classical music. There are fewer errors in this book, and it is more directly applicable. However, if you are more of an amateur, then I think that The Inner Game of Music would be more interesting to you.



3. 'Audition Success' by Don Greene is probably the best book I have read regarding audition preparation. It consists largely of transcribed interviews with two of Greene's clients. Using their experiences, the reader can craft his or her own audition preparation plan. It covers everything from methods to practice orchestral excerpts through to word association techniques which help performers settle in to the right mood the moment before they perform.
   
   I am usually very skeptical about these sorts of books as there are many out there that are simply too wishy-washy. 'Audition Success' is a no nonsense approach that if read, understood, and applied, can be very helpful in making performers more successful in audition and other performing situations. A must read (and must do!) for all musicians taking auditions.



4. i had to read this book for a class and I found it to be one of the most superficial books I have ever read. By talking to the young singer and the horn player, they tell him everything, and he just restates everything they just said in a more positive light. He turns Brian, the horn player, into a paranoid schizophrenic, making him give names (ethel and fred and bob) to his pre-audition problems. I gleaned nothing from this book and I would not reccomend it to anyone. The book is simply a transcript of a whole bunch of conversations. . . Greene could have at least put a LITTLE effort into it. I'll sum the book up in a sentance or two . . . if your nervous, put it all in perspective, you'll move on if you don't get the part. You have ups and downs, sometimes are better than others. So when your nervous just take a deep breath and look at reality, not this junk about rating your talent and nervousness on a profile of 1 to 100. You can't measure that kind of thing on a scale. All in all, DON'T BUY THIS BOOK, you are wasting your time.



5. The book is conversations of the author with two muscians. I really enjoyed that format and found the twist and turns insightful because it wasn't presented as do these six steps and you will be successful. I found the key ideas of a structured approach to training such as training under stress conditions, in mixed order, and multiple environments, and tapering applicable to anyone who must use skills to produce results--either singing on a stage or a presentation in a group. The one reviewer was right about the conversation, and maybe each chapter could have used a short summary of the techniques in that chapter. But if you read and label the technique when it is applied and then incorporate it into your skill training, I think you will find the book very helpful.

5 comments about Script Supervising and Film Continuity, Third Edition.

1. This book is the BIBLE of the Script Supervisors book to purchase. If you are looking for a Internet class to take on Script Supervising you can use this book in the class! Internet classes are available at Riverside Community College and also Saddleback College for those interested in learning Script Supervising taught on your own home PC or laptop and classes run 8 or 16 weeks depending on what semester you sign up.



2. I'm new to Script supervising and I've learned a wealth of information. I highly recommend this book.



3. Miller's book provides the necessary foundational data one will need before getting into script supervising. Her writing doesn't exactly scintillate with humor like some of the new "guerilla filmmaking" books out there today -- she tends to write like a 1950s schoolteacher, precise and methodical -- but in an admittedly esoteric specialization of the industry where there are only a few books on the topic available, you really don't have a lot of options and you'll need this book. It's NOT sufficient for giving one the complete training needed to actually work as a script supervisor, however. Whoever wrote that you can learn what you need to know "on set" is just asking for trouble -- it's like thinking you can read a book on piloting an airplane and just get behind the yoke and learn "what you need to know" in the air. On a "real" film set (not some zero-budget digicam or student project that no one will ever see) mistakes are EXPENSIVE. Mistakes by a poorly trained s.s. can cost thousands of dollars (not including the cost of therapy when the director and editor go bonkers trying to cut the film from the scripty's notes.) Trying to learn on a "real" set could make it the first and the last real movie set you'll ever work on. I value Miller's book but it must be combined with a good course of study with a real-life teacher who can answer your questions. A course that includes on-the-job training and followup and information on how to research and obtain real jobs doing script supervising is critical -- obviously no book can contain all this. I found Jim Kelly Durgin's course to be helpful in this regard, and there may be others out there too if you look for them. BTW, I don't feel that the 3rd edition of the Miller book is substantially different or better than the 2nd, so if you need to save some money, you'll do just fine with the 2nd edition. I agree that she is old-fashioned (she doesn't deal _at all_ with the new continuity software on the market, a huge omission) but, again, there aren't that many books about this subject readily available.



4. Hi everyone:
   
   I am based in Toronto, Canada and have been script supervising feature films and television series internationally for 12 years now (read my imdb profile if you're interested in my "street cred"). During that time I have had the pleasure of training dozens of working script supervisors in the classroom as well as on set.
   
   I would like to say that I do recommend this book to all my students as a basic starting point - especially for those who never went to film school - mainly because nothing exists out there that is as clearly written and includes much of the basics (thus, the necessity of my Script Supervision 101 and more advanced seminars, and other in-depth courses available in different cities out there). As another user commented, most of what can be learned about script happens either on a film set or in the editing room, not by reading a book.
   
   Further, the limitations of this particular book are that she deals mainly with the old Hollywood studio system and does not account for the present-day realities of technological advances, the more recent varieties of on-set politics and settiquette, and alternative/maverick directing and coverage styles. If this book is all you know about script, you're going to get fairly frustrated fairly quickly.
   
   The complexities of the job do require a certain knowledge base, and learning as much as you can from a working pro before stepping out onto a film set will save you months or years of trial and error down the line.
   
   However, that being said, do give this book a read and augment your learning with great books on the art of coverage and directing (for example, Daniel Arijon's classic "The Grammar of the Film Language" can be very useful to the new script supervisor) - then get out there and shadow a script supervisor directly, or edit a few films for yourself or take an intensive course then jump right into the fire.
   
   I wish you all well in your burgeoning careers!
   
   ciao :)
   daniela
   mondocinema@ca.inter.net



5. I just want to toss my hat in here about the Pat Miller's book on script continuity.
   
   This book was recommended to me last summer when I was on a film shoot. I was cautioned that the book was very old but it was basically the "Bible" for script supervisors. Hey it was published 1998, written maybe 2 years earlier so given it's 2005, that's almost 8 or 9 years ago. I was told to read the book and to use what I wanted from it. The script supervisor who recommended the book was also nice enough to give me her forms that she uses on set.
   
   The problem with reviews by Larry D. Madill Jr. and "a reader" about courses by Jim Kelly Durgin and Mark Thomas is that (1) I don't live in LA (2) I need to come up to speed reasonably fast for 2 small films I am working on (3) if Durgin or Thomas are such 'experts' why haven't they written books on the topic (4) script supervision is something that you learn on the job and not from a course (although a course is sure better than a book and a book better than nothing at all).

5 comments about Stop the Show! A History of Insane Incidents and Absurd Accidents in the Theater.

1. The concept sounded great....funny stoties about productions, like film outtakes. We get the stories, but not the funny. The author blandly recites the details, with no real humor - I could count on one hand the ones that made me chuckle. Very disappointing...



2. This book is a must for anyone who loves the theater, and is a fun read for anybody. Most of the anecdotes are quite amusing. The 'mishaps' are each told in a brief, 2-page-or-less missive, so it is perfect for when you want a book handy to pick up whenever you need a quick laugh.



3. A disappointing number of errors appear thoughout this book. Two that immediately come to mind are: 1) Book states that Sarah Jessica Parker was in the revival of the musical ANNIE. Not so. Parker was in the original production, 2) The showstopping song from CATS is listed as "Memories". The title is "Memory".
   
   I also found it to be rather expensive as it's a paperback.



4. Funny and at times cringe-worthy through tears of laughter. A must for theatre geeks everywhere!



5. A funny and fascinating look at just how wrong things can go onstage. A must-read for anybody with an interest in theater or acting -- or just having some yuks at the expense of master and not-so-masterful thespians. Should be handed out as required reading for those who dare to tread the boards wearing less than full body armor.

5 comments about Broadway Babylon.

1. Lots of Broadway dish and fun. I couldn't put it down. And I will re-read it many times. Hooray for this book!



2. This is a must have for every broadway fan. It tells the stories behind the hits and misses on the great white way. If you think you know the story wait until you read it here. How close some hits came to being misses! I could not put it down!



3. This book by Boze Hadleigh is GREAT FUN! He always entertains without being really nasty in HIS comments about celebrities talking trash about other celebs.He let's THEM do it! His focus in this book is Broadway and if you love Broadway, you should find this book entertaining. Some quotes of stars are "repeats" from his other books, but they are well-placed and relevant to what is his focus.Don't expect any bombshells but DO expect to enjoy!
   Note: If "Show Biz" is of no particular interest to you, you might want to skip Boze's new work.



4. A mix of rather humorous, sometimes outlandish, sometimes unbelieveable quotes from various Broadway personalities and stories about the Great White Way, Boze Hadleigh's book is rather trashy, but entertaining to read on a rainy day when there's nothing better to do.
   The book spends much too much time on the topic of homosexuality and the horrible AIDS crisis. Of course, this topic cannot be ignored as much of Broadway's community consists of gay men and AIDS was a disease that killed an entire gerneration of brilliant talents, but much of this becomes redundant and sometimes sort of bitchy.
   On one final note, you could find plenty of these stories and one liners in other books as well. For the David Merrick section, Hadleigh seems to use bits from Jerry Herman's lovely memoir Showtune and for the Michael Bennett section, repeats of stories from Ken Mandelbaum's book appear. This could be said for numerous other chapters. Honestly, if you'd like to spend some extra cash, buy those various books instead of this one.



5. This is a weird little scrapbook promoted as a book.
   
   Hadleigh has two goals.
   
   One is to make sure we know that a great many people working on or around Broadway are gay. Even when he is addressing topics unrelated to sexuality, he must get in that such-and-such was -- Wow! -- gay. But how many people who would buy this book have missed that there is a certain nexus between the gay world and the theatre world?
   
   The other goal is to just dish, and that could make for a fun book. But what Hadleigh wants to dish about often makes him seem like someone who stepped out of a time machine from 1986.
   
   This is a book most excited about the likes of Carol Channing, how bad CATS was, Michael Bennett, and AIDS. Except for the coverage of RENT, this book reads as if it was written two decades ago-plus by a show music fan of a certain age. Mary Martin? Harold Lang? THE BOYS IN THE BAND?
   
   I suppose there is value in getting the nuggets Hadleigh has mined from dishy conversations in piano bars and after cabaret shows down in print, and I am sincere in that.
   
   But readers going from the title will be disappointed. This book is largely a meandering anthropological survey of the Broadway scene from about 1948 to 1988. Special attention is paid to who was gay and which among them died of AIDS. Special attention is paid to performers and shows most of interest to people who were attending to the aforesaid scene during those years, and thus chapters on the controversy over Jonathan Pryce in MISS SAIGON, whether or not Ethel Merman was nice, and magnificently "floppish" shows (a cultish in-joke cherished largely by fans the age of Ken "Not Since Carrie" Mandelbaum).
   
   One chapter follows another for no apparent reason; it's like a transcript of a conversation you could have with an august old gent at Don't Tell Momma's.
   
   If you wouldn't mind having that conversation, pick this one up. Otherwise, be under no impression that this is, in the true sense, a book.