5 comments about The Empty Space: A Book About the Theatre: Deadly, Holy, Rough, Immediate.

1. I am not very knowledgeable about Theatre and certainly not about Theory of Theatre. I found this book quite abstract and difficult to understand. Its opening sentences sets the tone for the whole work.
   "I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. An actor moves across this space while someone is watching and a piece of theatre is engaged."
   This would seem to detach Theatre from local trappings and customs.
   The book consists in an effort to define four kinds of Theatre, the Deadly or Conventional commercial theatre: the Holy Theatre based on sacred repetition , the Rough Theatre that of people in the steet, and the Immediate Theatre, the flowing transformative Theatre which Brook himself is trying to do.
   As the author is considered one of the most revolutionary and important of modern Theatre directors I believe the book might be of value to those actually involved in 'doing Theatre' more than it is to the general reader.



2. Before you read anything else on theatre, you should read The Empty Space.



3. What is great about the empty space is that Peter Brook's theory is relevant to all art forms. The four theatres he describes are basically categories in which all art falls into. This seems odd at first until you see what he is describing. What turns most people off is the idea of over-categorizing art. But Brook's theatres tend to be more or less critiques of individual performances, or what the effect of that performance is on the audience. This is also easy to read. Too much theatre philosophy gets bogged down by either melodramatic thespian writers, or rambling philosophies from those who have not trained themselves to ge good writers. With Brook, it is pretty straightforawrd, not always easy to understand mind you, but straightforward. If you are at all interested in the arts then this is a must read.



4. This book, along with Uta Hagen's "Respect for Acting" and any Stanaslavski, is the motherload of theater expertise.



5. This is an essential read for anyone interested in the creative and performing arts

5 comments about A Practical Handbook for the Actor.

1. ...until a grad-student friend of mine required this textbook for a class he was teaching. I later learned he was going against the grain by doing so; university education in acting frequently concentrates on the emotional state of the actor, and this book punctures that paradigm like a shiny pin. A Practical Handbook for the Actor, written by pupils of acting workshops run by David Mamet and William H. Macy, puts forth the idea that the actor's emotional state is pretty much irrelevant, if it doesn't translate into actions that communicate something to the audience.
   
   This book utterly demystifies the process of how an actor creates a powerful performance. It answers every "yes, but how?" question actors in training -- and interested fans -- should have about how acting really works.
   
   There's nothing pedestrian or insulting about pulling back the curtain and providing specific, detailed instruction. There's nothing limiting or proscriptive about this method -- because it gives the actor two kinds of tools. The Handbook provides a framework for delving into the intellectual side of script analysis, so that the actor can really understand what's going on, boil it down to essentials, and avoid all the traps of poorly-defined emotionalism.
   
   From there, it is completely up to the actor to translate that understanding into specific, personally meaningful, play-able actions. Which are, after all, what a performance is made out of. It's not that imagination or emotion aren't important, it's just that they are the actor's tools just like her voice or posture, and deserve the same kind of forethought and attention.
   
   There will therefore be as many different ways to play a scene as there are different actors. It's just that by paying attention to what's going on, both in the script and on the stage at this exact moment, the actor has a clearer and more direct way to do what they mean -- without having to go through the mental and emotional gymnastics required to try to mean what the script says they have to do. As the authors point out, a system that doesn't work when you're tired, when you have a cold, or when your mom is in the audience is a pretty lousy system. So why do we spend so much time trying to work ourselves up into a particular state?
   
   There's a famous story about Dustin Hoffman and Sir Laurence Olivier, on the set of "Marathon Man" in the mid-1970s. It's one of those stories that isn't actually true, but is so instructive that it should be. They're about to film the scene where Hoffman's character confronts Olivier's, after an intense period of cat-and-mouse. Because his character hasn't slept all night, Hoffman stayed up all night, and jogged around the studio lot so he'd be appropriately sweaty and worn-down for the scene.
   
   The story claims that as the director called "places," Olivier set down his newspaper, got up out of his chair, and was startled to see the dismal state of his co-star. "My dear boy," he said, shaking his head, "you really should try ACTING."
   
   This book is very much more the kind of acting Sir Laurence was talking about, and not the kind that makes an actor exhausted and neurotic. I can't recommend it highly enough, both for those studying acting and those who are just fans of the process.



2. Bought this to aid in developing better performances as a magician. Lots of helpful advice in this book. Recommended.



3. I used this book to teach a beginning acting class at our community college. It is an excellent introduction to the craft. The book gives clear examples of selecting an action that create clear and exciting choices for the actor. Rather than focusing on emotional states such as "you're angry or you're happy," the text shows how to allow emotional truth to come from the moment while focusing on what the character is doing. The examples in the book are practical and relate well to the craft. I particularly appreciated that an action should have a test in the other character. So rather that an character delivering a letter with an action "to deliver" that is over without fanfare, a more exciting action would be "to please my boss so I'll get a promotion." The character still delivers a letter, but with a more dynamic action that is interesting to watch. The book is short. I covered the material in our film acting and stage acting units in about eight classes. It's short, sweet & to the point. I recommend it as a great review for experienced actors and as a wonderful introduction to beginning actors. Enjoy!



4. This is a very useful guide to teaching theatre. I will be using it a lot in my classroom.



5. I studied for a couple of years at the Atlantic Theatre in NYC which David Mamet and William H Macy founded...they teach exclusively the principles in this book..the title says it all.."Practical"..as far as analyzing a script, breaking it down and coming up with acting impetus this book will free you from all that crap you've been taught and give you basic, workable tools to act..especially in auditions where you might be given a script and then 5 minutes later be asked to do it..once I got a grasp of the practical techniques I found my audition success rate soar..I still incorporate these techniques in every audition...the method and all that other acting stuff you'll learn like smelling the coffe and being a leave floating off a tree, well, that's nice but an actors basic tools never change, knowing your lines and analyzing the script, knowing what's going on in the scene and what you want in the scene..this book give you the tools to do just that...highly recommended!

5 comments about Tudor Tailor: reconstructing sixteenth- century dress.

1. I didn't like the way this book was laid out, but there were some good tips for the Ren Faire costume maker.



2. Wonderful. Book arrived on time in excellent condition. Is a wonderful asset to my classroom and library.



3. If you are looking for a great book about Tudor clothing it doesn't get any better than this book. The illustrations and the patterns are really wonderful. I love this book.



4. 
   I purchased this book for my wife, who enjoys sewing Renaissance English and Italian costumes. (Wife) I found this book very enjoyable to read, as far as the history of English costuming, patterns included, how to directions on sewing the pieces and trim, and detailed info. on why each piece was worm. I definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in sewing English costumes, as well as those that would like to learn more about the history of English clothing and culture.



5. This is an excellent book for anyone who is studying History of Costume, or who is interested in making the costumes. The book gives detailed sewing instructions with pictures. I've been sewing for over 50 years. I like the book just for my collection of sewing books. EXCELLENT!!

5 comments about The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters: Insider's Secrets from Hollywood's Top Writers.

1. In real estate they discuss the three "L's" Location, location, location. This is the three "W's" Write, Write and Write more. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to write a screen play.



2. This is a must read for anyone who aspires to be a screen writer. Any wannabe writer has their own personal favorite blogs, a blog that helps inspire, motivate and teach them. This book is almost a best of those blogs from successful writers whose movies they have written have actually BEEN PRODUCED.
   The one main theme of this book is just write and write and write because you love writing and not because you want the Hollywood celebrity lifestyle. Great writing will open a lot of doors for one and most importantly, keep that door open.
   In my opinion, I like to study and and read how successful writers from all genres got their first break, their work ethic and how most importantly they work through writer's block and rejection. Again, Karl Iglesias' book does that successfully.



3. I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Iglesias at the Screenwriting Expo. He knows his craft, he loves the business. And he's brutally honest in conveying the realistic odds of breaking into Hollywood. While no one ever says it's easy, he can tell you just how hard. This book is a must read for any aspiring screenwriter. Interviewing some of the greatest screenwriters, they all are forthcoming in telling their own tales of struggle, achievement, success, and most of them, frustration.
   
   This book may be geared toward all screenwriters, however it succeeds in leaps and bounds, by telling the realistic truth any up-and-coming screenwriter needs to hear. Too often people are putting together a script hoping to win the lotttery, sell it for mid-six figures, and not taking the time to understand that the money should never be the motivating factor of writing any script. And if that's your only motivation, you'll never succeed in making your dream come true. This book reminds those of us that do it for a different reason, what that reason is. It's the love of writing. Anything else, any other reason, is simply a waste of time and energy.
   
   Mr. Iglesias lays it out in plain view, through interview after interview, just how much of an uphill battle it is get someone to simply give your script a look, and even then, chances of your selling it are slim. Nicholas Kazan once spoke at a seminar. He told them to go turn in their registration forms and go home. He then told them that if any of them seriously entertained that advice, they would never make it. It's all about challenge and it's all about sacrifice. This book will help you realize how important both of those things are.



4. I always find it frustrating when I go to Amazon and look at the reviews that are posted and find that they are at least 2 to 3 years old. So I decided to at least make a more up-to-date review.
   
   First and foremost, this book is NOT a `How to Write a great Script' book. This book is about screenwriters and their knowledgeable insight on the practice we all know as Screenwriting. These established screenwriters ( Akiva Goldman: A Beautiful Mind, A Time to Kill, and the up coming The Da Vinci Code Steven E. de Souza: Die Hard, 48 Hours.) reference their past experience on what works, what does not work, and what habits you need to establish to have a successful career in the shark infested waters of Hollywood. Not sure how many hours you need to write day in day out? Thinking that you are the only one with a spouse and kids, fearing that you will not have enough time to write? Arrived at Hollywood lost with no plan of action on how to get your script read? Worried that you born yesterday and began sending inquiry letters to agents and producers? Fear of rejection (it is inevitable) from everyone? All these topics are discussed and more in this book.
   
   This book is required reading for all serious screenwriters. I also suggest Breakfast with sharks by Michael Lent, The Art of Dramatic writing by Lajos Egri, Story by Robert Mckee, Making a good script Great by Linda Seger, and The Writer Got Screwed by Brooke A. Wharton.



5. This is one of thost books that you absolutely must read if you are an aspiring screenwriter. It's a goldmine of quality information to help you go from being a decent or lousy writer to a great one. Fourteen of Hollywood's most successful screenwriters share their secrets and tips to writing and selling your scripts to Hollywood. It's like getting private lessons from the pro's. Don't pass this book up, it will make a big difference in your writing career.

1 comments about Communication: Principles for a Lifetime (3rd Edition) (MySpeechLab Series).

1. I have been teaching Speech Communication for over 17 years. I have taught a few other communication courses. It is not very often that Professors get to brag about a textbook. I recently had an opprtunity to visit one-on-one with the author. He is the "real deal" and so is the book! Long on substance and short on fluff. This is a book the students can truly learn from and one any teacher can truly create the kind of flow that a seasoned instructor could create. I recommend this book to the serious student of communication or a department looking to give their students a first-class textbook.

5 comments about Rabbit Hole.

1. Dealing with the most traumatic event any parent can endure--the death of a child--David Lindsay-Abaire manages to involve his audience in the grieving process and illustrate how we all grieve differently and for different lengths of time. Despite the subject matter, this 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning play is often extremely funny, setting up emotional contrasts between ironic humor and infinite sadness which make the loss of the child more poignant, without dissolving into bathos.
   
   Danny, a four-year-old chasing his dog, has been struck and killed by a car driven by a seventeen-year-old driver, and the family is trying to cope with their grief. As the play opens, Becca, the child's mother, is folding the laundry--Danny's clothes--which she has just washed in preparation for giving them away. She has internalized her feelings, refusing group therapy, any religious counseling, and especially the advice of her overbearing mother. Her husband Howie goes to work, attends group therapy, becomes friends with some of the other grieving parents, and tries to coax Becca into becoming a wife again.
   
   Among the other characters, Nat, Becca's mother, has all the pat answers, and she equates the loss of this child with her own loss of her adult son, something she insists on emphasizing to Becca. Izzy, Becca's sister, an off-the-wall case of arrested development, has been having an affair and is now pregnant, an eventuality with which Becca must now learn to cope, especially since Izzy has used Danny's death as an excuse for her irresponsible behavior. Jason, the seventeen-year-old driver of the car, is also trying to come to grips with the events, blaming himself, reliving every moment, searching for some sort of forgiveness which he is not sure he deserves.
   
   As the characters interact, we see them as individuals, not just as participants in the terrible drama of their shattered world, but we also see that grief is not and cannot be a full-time activity. Many moments of humor make their lives more realistic and provide relief for the audience. As the eight months from Danny's death until the end of the play elapse, we see changes in all the characters, but the play ends (blessedly) without pat answers. Each character is different, reacting differently to the Danny's death, grieving their loss differently, and learning to cope differently. The audience, drawn into the events, will also react differently, respond to different characters in different ways, and imagine differently how they themselves would respond. Moving, memorable, and ultimately uplifting. n Mary Whipple



2. While well written, this is a standard movie-of-the week script which belongs on the Lifetime channel.



3. More beautiful, whimsical, touching, absurdist fare from David Lindsay-Abaire--in the vein of another terrific young playwright, Napoleon Ellsworth. It seems as though these two writers (along w/ perhaps Padriac Duffy) are spearheading a revolt against the dead, naturalistic world of theater. And it couldn't've happened a moment too soon! BRAVO!



4. The story is a very well plotted look of a family after a horrific death in the family. Starts out in the very middle of the family's struggle to get through their ordeal. There is turbulance with the parents and siblings and of course, ends with a bit of a surprise. The actual production would be a great one to see performed - definitely worth reading then watching a performance.



5. Dramatist David Lindsay-Abaire says his Pulitzer-winning Rabbit Hole "is not a tidy play," and he urges companies to resist smoothing out the show's edges. Those rough edges are understandable, though, in a story about a couple traumatized by the accidental death of their four-year-old son. Nothing about that could possibly be tidy.
   
   Of course, if Rabbit Hole decided to be a melodrama, then it could easily be tidied up. Fortunately, Lindsay-Abaire resists that at all costs. He keeps the play real and, in doing so, keeps it immediate and, at times, emotionally painful. It's not a ball-your-eyes-out kind of emotional pain, though; it's a punch-to-the-throat emotional pain. There is a rawness to it.
   
   While Rabbit Hole would certainly carry even more impact if performed--since that's why plays are written--it holds up extremely well on the page. From the first scene, Lindsay-Abaire unfolds the story gradually, using adeptly written dialogue to offer one small surprise turn after another. As a result, you learn about the characters in little steps, which keeps you interested in them and what they're up to.
   
   At the core of the play is probably the most horrific scenario any parent can imagine: the death of a child. In Rabbit Hole, the child's death has happened eight months prior to the start of the play. We meet the parents lost in the wilderness of their own separate griefs, unable to find their way out or find each other. The play is about that search and what a parent might find.
   
   The play may be affirming...but it might not be, either. That's up to the reader. One thing's for sure, though: Whatever you find, it will be heartfelt and real.

5 comments about Challenge For The Actor.

1. This book - a systematization of Stanislavsky's four cluttered books and a testimony to Aristotle's ideals seen through the lens of her fiery husband Herbert Bergdof and a complete rewriting of her notorious 'Respect for Acting - is a pinnacle of articulation.
   Indisputably a masterpiece of 20th century psychology.
   Moreover, dauntingly organized, sober, demanding and simple, Hagen left her legacy in both a scope and a detail of the Realism School that no other stage practitioner has rivaled - after or before.
   Clear and efficient, it is the gospel from which any actor must start upon their vita nova.



2. If you're an actor, this is mandatory reading. Also read "A Leap From the Method" by Allan Rich. You won't regret reading either, and you will gain a lot..just trust me.



3. a follow-up to her RESPECT FOR ACTING..I'd recommend reading her first book then this one..there are alot more activities and exercises you can do here..and some reiterations from the first book but an acting book that should be read and kept by any serious student



4. Challenge for the Actor is a book that will open your mind and spirit as you explore the artistry of acting. Surprisingly, you will learn a lot about yourself as you apply the teachings of Uta Hagen in your journey into the world of the actor. By all means get this book!



5. This is a must-have for any theater afficionado, actor or not. Ms Hagen's engrossing history of the American theater alone is worth the price, and her very personal insights into character development are fascinating. The portion of the book devoted to the development of the acting craft is powerful, with exercises designed to develop a range of physical and emotional actions. With its themes of authenticity, concentration and hard work, this is a great handbook for both the novice and experienced actor.

5 comments about Interpersonal Communication Book, The (11th Edition) (MyCommunicationLab Series).

1. This book is intersting and covers communication points very well. I also like the web site because it gives summarys for the chapters as well as test and powerpoints.



2. This book is very easy to read and understand! I wish there were short answer questions to test our vocabulary word retention.



3. I recently purchased this book for a class and was very impressed after only reading chapter 1. It is a very complete book and has a lot of extra information if you want to further study a topic. It has examples that are modern and from everyday life and helps students (like me) to better understand the importance of communication. I also liked the format and the inside is very colorful which does not make reading dull. I highly recommend this product.



4. Many college students go to school filled with the idea that they will learn the subjects they chose to study. No one tells them that the most important thing in their life is going to be the ability to communicate. Even Einstein with all of his brilliance worked at a low level in the Swiss patent office until he published his famous papers.
   
   Study after study shows that after college communications: be it written, oral and interpersonal communications is the most important thing in the minds of recruiters, teachers, and of course the other gender. While we all know how to talk, write and think we can communicate, there are basic rules about communicating that will improve our abilities.
   
   This book is now in its eleventh edition. It continues to be better polished based on feedback from users. It reflects the latest research to report on the best theories we have on communications. Finally, this book discusses the American culture. Culture provides the common basis we have in order to be able to communicate at all.



5. This book is not really orientated at making you a better interpersonal and intercultural communicator (although it could be a start towards this), it is more of a book on interpersonal and intercultural theory. This book was the basis of my Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication Studies course at UQ in Australia. It is very simple to read, a high school student could easily understand this. I think this is a good thing, however, because as some of my lecutures demonstrated, interpersonal communication theory can be very dry and dull at some points! So I am giving this book five stars because althoug simplistic, I believe it tells you the basics of interpersonal comunication theory, and is a great starting book if you are interested in this!

3 comments about The Taming of the Shrew (The New Folger Library Shakespeare).

1. This play is one of Shakespeare's most ribald, but I enjoyed it just the same. It's lusty, earthy and somewhat farcical. It's a very popular play because it is funny and fast-moving. And Shakespeare's wordplay is at its best here. I defy anyone not to laugh out loud numerously as they read this play. It is wonderful!



2. First off let me say that this is my first and only Shakespeare play that I have read so I have nothing to compare it too, author wise. I had to read this for my 9th grade english class, and my first thoughts on the text were that it was hard to understand, it was boring and I hated it. Looking back, I was wrong. The plot is a little lacking (I won't bore you with the details, you have read them elsewere), but the dialouge is very clever if you can understand it. Also, this edition has scene summaries and word definitions to help you understand it. Once I let it sink in after I completed it, I relized the underlying messages, the quick witted dialouge and the absurd (although a little weak, as mentioned before) plot make this a pretty good read. If you are up for a challenge I would recommend The Taming Of The Shrew. If you are new to Shakespeare, this seems as good of a place as any to start with his works.



3. Maybe it's because i read this through a class that it is not so good, but for some reason i didn't connect with this book. IT just didn't capture me like other Shakespeare books. King Lear was fantastic, Romeo and Juliet superb, Othello was fantastic, but the Shrew just didn't cut it for me. I think it's because it is a comedy. I enjoy the sirious Shakespeare better. OF course, besides all that the universal themes that shakespeare can recognize is amazing, so it still makes THe Shrew great. There are fantastic scenes of comedic wit, in which arguing scenes are taken to a whole new level of jabs and stabs with words. Overall, the story is weak, but does contain great writing.

5 comments about Breaking Into Acting for Dummies.

1. THIS IS A GOOD STARTED FOR THE INEXPERIECED. BUT AN EXPERIENCED ACTOR LIKE MYSELF WILL ALREADY BE MUCH BEYOND THIS, WHICH IS WHY I AM WRITING MY OWN BOOK ON MARKETING FOR ACTORS.
   JAY MADHAV



2. This book opened my eyes to a lot of valuable info, and I began reading it right before my first acting class started. It put me that much further ahead of my classmates. I recommend this to anyone who has a list of unanswered questions and no clue where to begin.



3. This book, as most "Dummies" series books has been a very useful, step-by-step guide to getting started in an industry that I was otherwise not very knowledgeable. Although I am a novice in the acting field, this book explains how to take my desire for acting to the next level in a complete and comprehensive fashion. Definitely a good source for beginners who like things worded in layman's terms!



4. This book is a great start, of course the best way to learn is by throwing yourself in there. Other things I recommend as a working actor in LA:
   Backstage West- for all the audtion listings

   "Voice Lessons To Go" by Vaccarino, hey you know we all need to sing as some audition at one time or another-these are great.

   "The Artist Way" by, Cameron- it has helped me and so many of my friends gain confidence and clarity- love this.
   craigslist.org for more audition listings- free!




5. For anyone who has always wanted to be an actor, but has no idea where to begin - this is a great book. It covers all the basic like getting an agent, your headshot and resume, the unions. And even deals with more intermediate stuff like marketing yourself as an actor, auditioning and managing your money. I found the chapters on acting in Film and Television, Commercials and Theatre to be very helpful, since each is so different from eachother. The book also covers getting Voice-over work, and working as an Extra. There is even a chapter on getting your kids into acting.
   This books touches on alot of different topics and is a very good starting book for the beginning actor.