"I was totally unprepared for the transformation that Seth's technique created in me. . . . I realized that what I thought I knew about acting up to that point was largely misguided . . . but I now had a great, talented, dedicated teacher who generously wanted to share his tools with everyone. There is muscularity, not to mention wisdom and truth to Seth's techniques. He is a wonderful teacher, and I know that having him as my first guide is one of the luckiest things to have happened to me in my career and life. And when I can't get back to class with him, I am so grateful I have this book to turn to."--Anne Hathaway

"This book is truly unlike anything else I know--these pieces are haikus on specific elements of performance and character building."--Philip Himberg, executive director, Sundance Theatre Institute

A collection of practical acting tips, tools, and exercises, "An Actor's Companion" is ideal for both the seasoned professionals and actors-in-training. The tips--all simple, direct, and useful--are easy to understand and even easier to apply, in both rehearsal and in performance.

Seth Barrish is an actor, teacher, and the co-artistic director of The Barrow Group in New York City. In his thirty-year career, he has directed the award-winning shows "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" (Lucille Lortel Award for Best Solo Show, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for Best Solo Show), "Sleepwalk With Me" (Nightlife Award for Outstanding Comedian in a Major Performance), "The Tricky Part" (Obie Award, Drama Desk nominations for Best Play and Best Solo Show), "Pentecost" (Drama Desk nomination for Best Play), "Old Wicked Songs" (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and Garland Award for Best Direction), and "Good" (Straw Hat Award for Best Direction), among dozens of others.

The Art of Speech presents a dynamic path of practice leading to an experience of the Word as a living, healing and creative power. Helping to deliver Western intellectual speech from what Artaud described as 'shrivelled throats' and 'monstrous talking abstractions', Langman brings to life the spiritual realities out of which a true Art of Speech arises. Inspired by Rudolf Steiner and pioneered initially in the German language by Marie Steiner, this artform is illuminated here through the genius of the English language. Langman builds a bridge between mainstream research into the intrinsic nature of Speech, and the levels of spiritual cognition that led to Rudolf Steiner's insights. Speech and language can no longer be reduced to an arbitrary collection of abstract symbols, she asserts. This book will inspire those working with these disciplines as practitioners (both artistic and therapeutic) as well as those who wish to understand their significance in human evolution, both past and future. Following her first book The Art of Acting, this volume completes a foundation of understanding for an exploration - in the conclusion of Langman's trilogy - of an integrated art of speech and acting. Grounded in the spiritual reality of the human being, Langman presents a systematic methodology with which to explore Rudolf Steiner's Speech and Drama Course.