Original, contemporary monologues for women. Both comedic and dramatic pieces written for the strong character actress. A chapter on the 'do's and don't's' when auditioning. Selections include several dynamic pieces for the African-American actress. This all in one book of monologues for women also features monologues from the Classics such as Shakespeare, Moliere, and Chekov

"'...bubbles over with imaginative ideas which could be used to good effect by non-specialist as well as seasoned drama teachers. Excellent resource for primary, secondary and other drama teachers.'"
- Teaching Drama Magazine, Spring 2013.

"'..this book cheered me up. Buy it and smile. There will be a lot of laughter in your classroom.'"
- Drama Magazine, Spring 2013.

This sequel to the best-selling 101 Drama Games and Activities contains inspirational and engaging games and exercises suitable for children, young people and adults. The activities can be used in drama lessons and workshops as well as during rehearsal and devising periods.

The book includes lively and fun warm-up games, as well as activities to develop concentration, focus and team building. The drama strategies can be used as creative tools to explore themes and characters. There are dozens of ideas for developing improvisation (which can be extended over several sessions). There are many new activities for exploring storytelling skills as well as mime and movement.

This revolutionary book is more than just a dry theoretical study of acting techniques. Against a background of Apartheid South Africa it tells the story - both humorous and moving - of how teacher/director Brian Astbury - founder of South Africa's legendary Space Theatre - and hundreds of actors and acting students both in production and at Britain's top drama schools developed a set of exercises over two decades to help actors overcome problems not addressed in other methods. These teach how to be 'in the moment'; to gain access to the inexhaustible storehouse of the imagination; to access, integrate and properly use the emotions of the character; to overcome difficulties with learning lines; to recreate performance without conscious thought. "An idiosyncratic, challenging and practical guide to the craft of acting, crammed with anecdotes and humorous insights" Richard E. Grant Actor/director/writer (Withnail and I, The Player, Wah-Wah and many others) "A truly inspirational teacher" Julie Hesmondhalgh Actor (Hayley, Coronation Street) "A unique figure in British theatre. Provocative, controversial, doggedly inspiring. He has been the pivotal teacher, enabler and mentor for me and countless others. Rufus Norris Director (Festen, Cabaret, Market Boy, Tintin, Vernon God Little, Blood Wedding) "I cannot recommend it highly enough" Stephen Moyer Actor (True Blood, NY-LON, Prince Valiant, the RSC) "A conversational (almost chatty) love story, a tale of a theatre company's struggle against Apartheid, an irreverent look at life" Alexander Siddig Actor/director (Deep Space Nine, Syriana, Un Homme Perdu, 24, Primeval, Hannibal) "Brian Astbury was, without a doubt, the biggest influence on me. His teachings are still what I go to in trouble" Jason Flemyng Actor (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Quatermass Experiment, Drum, the RSC)

Alexander Knox (1907-1995) was a distinguished stage and screen actor, who is best remembered today for his title performance in the 1944 production of Wilson. He was active both in London's West End and on Broadway, and began his Hollywood career in 1941 with The Sea Wolf. Because of his liberal activities in the film community, including co-founding of the Committee for the First Amendment, Knox was "grey-listed," and forced to settle permanently in the United Kingdom, where he became a familiar figure both in films and on television. On Actors and Acting collects together Knox's writings, published and unpublished, on various performers with whom he worked or was familiar, and on the art and craft of acting. Knox writes on Laurence Olivier, a close personal friend with whom he appeared in the memorable 1940 production of Romeo and Juliet. He discusses his performance as Wilson. Other actors and actresses about whom Knox has many original things to say include Sara Allgood, Dana Andrews, George Arliss, and Walter Huston. Anthony Slide, a film historian and a personal friend of Alexander Knox and his wife, actress Doris Nolan, edited On Actors and Acting. Slide contributes a lengthy career overview and has also compiled a complete filmography, documenting Knox's screen career from his first film, The Gaunt Stranger in 1938, through his last, Joshua Then and Now in 1985.

How do you actually set up a theatre game? And how do you actually play it? There are many books on the subject that describe theatre games, some even show illustrations. But the only way to really understand how a theatre game works is to see it in action. In a workshop setting, Adrea Gibbs directs students of all ages in a series of creative games for learning acting skills. Skills include: Imagination, Observation, Emotional Expressiveness, Listening, Teamwork, Trust, Improvisation, Scene Structure and Development, Focus, Confidence, and more. Over fifteen games and variations are demonstrated including: Name Game, Animal Farm, A Simple Piece of Fabric, Emotion Tag, Mime Alley, Improv Starters, The Bench, Concentration, The Orchestra, This Is A ...and more. This is an excellent resource for learning basic acting skills.

In this richly detailed study, James Naremore focuses on the work of film acting, showing what players contribute to movies. Ranging from the earliest short subjects of Charles Chaplin to the contemporary features of Robert DeNiro, he develops a useful means of analyzing performance in the age of mechanical reproduction; at the same time, he reveals the ideological implications behind various approaches to acting, and suggests ways that behavior on the screen can be linked to the presentation of self in society. Naremore's discussion of such figures as Lillian Gish, Marlene Dietrich, James Cagney, and Cary Grant will interest the specialist and the general reader alike, helping to establish standards and methods for future writing about performers and their craft.

Of all the subjects taught in the school system, dramatic arts probably has the greatest potential to help students prepare for life.

The study of acting helps students develop personal and social skills: increased poise and confidence, better awareness of their physical and vocal selves, and an improved ability to think and react quickly. These talents can help in dealing with sometimes difficult real life situations.

The intention of Acting Skills for Life is to integrate personal growth and the process of creative drama with the more formal skills required for stage production.

This is a very practical book, full of suggestions for drama exercises and improvisations, developed over Cameron's thirty years of teaching drama, and includes helpful information for teachers working with students on stage productions.

The Process of Drama provides an original and invaluable model of the elements of drama in context, and defines how these are negotiated to produce dramatic art.
John O'Toole takes the reader through a lively, fascinating account of the relationships between the playwright, the elements of dramatic art, and the other artists involved in this most interactive of creative processes. In doing so he demonstrates - with clarity and wit - how dramatic meaning emerges; how the dramatic event is constructed. Areas covered include:
roles and relationships
the drama space
language and movement
tension and the audience
gesture and movement
This is an essential book for every student of drama who wants to understand how the theatrical art form operates

eBook available with sample pages: 0203359615

Analyzing the relationship between dramatic action and the controversial art of acting, William Worthen demonstrates that what it means to act, to be an actor, and to communicate through acting embodies both an ethics of acting and a poetics of drama. Originally published in 1984. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Professional acting is both an art and a business, and this book advises beginning actors on how to cope successfully on both fronts. Opening chapters describe the difficulties every budding actor encounters and explains basic acting techniques, which include memory exercises and methods for developing stage presence. Chapters that follow instruct in--

• Reading the play with understanding and learning to build the character that the actor will be portraying
• Developing the actor's voice, imitating regional accents, and more
• Expressing the character's thoughts and ideas through body posture and movement
• Adapting acting techniques to different media: stage, film, TV, and radio
• Learning the business side of acting by selling one's talents effectively
  The author strips away preconceptions and cliches often associated with acting, and pinpoints common mistakes that inexperienced actors need to overcome and avoid. More than 300 instructive illustrations.

What is a hero? How is one defined?

When Gus Edwards discovered that the majority of the young actors, playwrights, and teachers he encountered didn't know who Nat Turner was - nor many other key men and women in black history - he summoned the power of theatre to correct the situation. "Black Heroes in Monologues" brings these and other influential African Americans to life once again.

As he did with "Monologues on Black Life," Edwards offers black actors and actresses a host of new, original audition and performance pieces. Perfect for black history month or any moment that calls for a stirring performance, "Black Heroes in Monologues" features twenty-seven monologues in the voices of heroes from every walk of African American life. From Civil Rights-era leaders Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X to freedom fighters Harriet Tubman and Joseph Cinque; from Hall of Fame sports figures Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis to influential artists Paul Robeson, Mahalia Jackson, Hattie McDaniel, and Oscar Micheaux. You'll find a wide variety of richly drawn portraits of people whose passion, resolve, and smarts will inspire your acting.

Heroes come from all walks of life. Some we recognize easily; others are unknown or forgotten. With "Black Heroes in Monologues," we can not only return them to our consciousness, but bring them to life for people of every color to cherish and enjoy.

'Wise, funny' Daily Mail 'Chatty and engaging . . . he often comes across as endearingly humble' Sunday Times 'Thoroughly engaging' Sunday Express magazine 'Fabulous storytelling' Prima One of 'the top 25 most compelling Hollywood autobiographies' -Guardian Hollywood legend and British national treasure Sir Michael Caine shares the wisdom, stories, insight and skills that life has taught him in his remarkable career - and now his 85th year. One of our best-loved actors Michael Caine has starred in a huge range of films - including all-time favourites - from the classic British movies Alfie, Zulu and The Italian Job to the Hollywood blockbusting Dark Knight trilogy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hannah and Her Sisters and Cider House Rules. Caine has excelled in every kind of role - with a skill that's made it look easy. He knows what success takes - he's made it to the top of his profession from the toughest beginning. But as he says 'Small parts can lead to big things. And if you keep doing things right, the stars will align when you least expect it.' Now in his 85th year he wants to share everything he's learned. With brilliant new insight into his life and work and with his wonderful gift for story, this is Caine at his wise and entertaining best.

This book forms the basis for a new approach to the art of speech as inaugurated by Steiner. This course is filled with insights that lead to a deeper understanding of the forming of speech and the art of acting.

The Art of Raising an Artist guides parents in helping their children explore the world of acting and ultimately invest in their child's future. Actor and director, Lilia Sixtos has seen thousands of auditions and taught hundreds of artists. By raising her two creative children, she has learned every possible way a creative person's journey can be helped or hindered by their parents. In The Art of Raising an Artist, she shows parents how to: Identify the best training they can provide for their child within their means Develop a safe and loving space for the challenges of their child's journey Create the support team their child needs Find their child's niche Fit the needs of their child's career with the needs of the whole family

Intended for actors, directors, teachers and researchers, this book offers an exceptionally clear and thorough introduction to the renowned acting technique developed by Michael Chekhov. Sinead Rushe's book provides a complete overview of the whole method, and includes illuminating explanations of its principles, as well as a wide range of practical exercises that illustrate, step by step, how they can be applied to dramatic texts. Part One provides an outline of the ideas that underpin the work, which help to prepare practitioners to become responsive and receptive, and to awaken their imagination. Part Two charts a journey through the foundational psychophysical exercises that can both orient an actor's training routine and be applied directly to the development of a role. Part Three focuses on more specific and elaborate methods of scene work, characterisation and the art of transformation. Drawing on the full range of Chekhov's writing in English and French, this book also examines unpublished material from the Dartington Hall archives and features interviews with actors who have worked with the technique, including Simon Callow and Joanna Merlin. It illustrates Chekhov's approach by referring to Rushe's own productions of Nikolai Gogol's short story Diary of a Madman and Shakespeare's Othello, as well as characters and scenes in Sarah Kane's Blasted and the contemporary American television series Breaking Bad. Michael Chekhov's Acting Technique is an accessible, comprehensive and contemporary point of reference for those already trained in the method, as well as an initiation and toolkit for practitioners who are just beginning to discover it.

Throughout his lengthy career as both an actor and a director, Clint Eastwood has appeared in virtually every major film genre and, at this point in his career, has emerged as one of America's most popular, recognizable, and respected filmmakers. He also remains a controversial figure in the political landscape, often characterized as the most prominent conservative voice in mostly liberal Hollywood. At Eastwood's late age, his critical success as actor and director, his combative willingness to confront serious cultural issues in his films, and his undeniable talent behind the camera all call for a new and comprehensive study that considers and contextualizes his multiple roles, both on and off screen. Tough Ain't Enough offers readers a series of original essays by prominent cinema scholars that explore the actor-director's extensive career. The result is a far-reaching and nuanced portrait of one of America's most prolific and thoughtful filmmakers.

Directed not only toward actors, dancers, and other performing artists who draw upon improvisation as part of their craft, this Zen-infused memoir of a life lived creatively will pique the interest of anyone in search of liberation from self-limiting concepts. What does it mean to live in a body? What does it mean to improvise? Do we wonder whether we're capable of improvising--to make up things as we go, step into the unknown, take a risk that changes our notion of ourselves and the world?
Author Ruth Zaporah has been a professional physical theater performer, writer, director, and teacher for forty years. Early on she realized that with a shift of perception, every moment of an improvisation holds both the familiar and the utterly new. With the same shift, so does every moment of life; every moment holds both the known and the unknown. And, as Zaporah says, "The body leads the way in this book. In each chapter the world is experienced by it and of it. It is the body that adds richness, wildness, and grace. The body invokes images and feelings. It is the body that imagines."
" Improvisation on the Edge" recounts events from Zaporah's life such as improvisational shows in the war zones of Sarajevo and Kosovo; apprenticing with a Huichol medicine woman from Chiapas, Mexico; understanding the concept of "practice" while on a beach; a bus ride in Cuba; a car ride in Estonia; the intricacies of onstage collaborations. Interspersed are chapters about awareness, listening, adapting, resiliency, time, space, silence, simplicity--all within the context of everyday life in the body. In several other chapters, Ruth writes from the logical (and nonlinear) voice of the improviser as she is on stage, within the immediate embodied process. A fascinating glimpse into the mind of an artist and true master of improvisation, this book will appeal to performers, teachers, and anyone who has ever needed to "wing it" with confidence and grace.
Table of Contents
1. Something That Needs Listening To 2. Mirror Mirror 3. On My Wall 4. Tutu Solitude 5. A Mind in Three Episodes 6. A Splish Splash Orchestra 7. A Take on Talk 8. Bobby's River 9. Roar 10. Meet Yourself Babe 11. Nuts and Bolts 12. Out of Chaos 13. Changing Course 14. The Flying Shaman 15. You Could Say Death 16. Ain't It The Truth 17. The Raging Boomerang 18. See This Feel That 19. Stalking War 20. Your Mother Just Died Christina, Leave the Backdoor Open 21. The Illusive Genture 22. A Pack of Lies 23. Again Gun and Boys 24. A Ride in Estonia 25. Art and Heart 26. Floating to the Surface 27. Stuffed With Junk 28. A Chair in Cuba 29. Any Where Practice 30 Teacher Says 31. Older and Under

An engaging, upbeat guide for any student thinking of applying to drama school.
If you're thinking of applying to drama school, "The Excellent Audition Guide" will give you everything you need to prepare well and perform your audition to the best of your ability. Experienced actor, director and drama teacher Andy Johnson leads you through every step of the application process: researching drama schools, writing personal statements and CVs, choosing and working on your speeches and songs, brushing up technical and vocal skills. And, of course, how to tackle the auditions themselves by being true to yourself and making fear your friend.
A reassuring, encouraging 'how to' book that demystifies an often scary-looking process, "The Excellent Audition Guide" is ideal not just for applicants themselves, but also for parents, teachers and career advisors looking to help young people fulfill their acting ambitions.
'Smart, dynamic and inspiring, this is an invaluable book for anyone thinking of trying for drama school' Michael Simkins
'There's only one book in the world I would read about getting into drama school and doing good auditions. It's this one.' Vanessa Kirby ("Great Expectations, Labyrinth, Three Sisters, Jupiter Ascending")
'This book is accurate and beautifully concise. I wish Andy's written wisdom had been with me when I was applying to drama school.' Freddie Fox (Guildhall School of Music and Drama, "The Judas Kiss, Hay Fever, The Mystery of Edwin Drood")

The first edition of The Actor's Audition Manual quickly became known as the 'red audition manual', denoting its status as the essential guide. Now revised and extended, it once more brings together a wealth of practical advice and a fresh, diverse range of speeches for both men and women that will help to make your audition powerful and effective.

Questo lavoro da uno sguardo minuzioso sulla ricezione teatrale dei maggiori episodi della Gerusalemme Liberata, studiata qui di riflesso attraverso il successo delle sue riscritture per il palco in Italia ed Europa. Frutto di un'indagine paziente sulla miriade di forme drammatiche musical-teatrali del secolo XVII, ripercorre la storia in gran parte inedita dei trascorsi barocchi di Rinaldo ed Armida, di Sofronia ed Olindo e di Tancredi, Clorinda ed Erminia. Ne risulta un'affascinante panoramica dei tentativi di drammatizzare il grande poema del Tasso che costituiscono un capitolo minore ma non certo trascurabile della storia del teatro e dello spettacolo barocchi. Tale storia e infatti ricca di sviluppi imprevedibili, di volgarizzamenti popolareggianti ma anche di riscritture originali da parte di autori noti (Chiabrera, Sempronio e Rospigliosi) come anche di epigoni oscuri. Il lavoro e corredato da un catalogo ragionato che include piu di 80 opere drammatiche del XVII secolo realmente derivate dalla Liberata o falsamente attribuite ad essa. Il catalogo costituisce uno strumento prezioso per qualsiasi indagine futura intorno alla ricezione teatrale del capolavoro epico di Torquato Tasso.

A comprehensive study of Johnny Depp's work through the lens of ten of his most iconic roles American film star Johnny Depp (b.1963) has led an incredibly diverse career, playing eccentric characters in what are now considered classics including Edward Scissorhands (1990), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) and Pirates of the Caribbean (2003). A new title in the fascinating series from world-renowned cinema magazine Cahiers du cinema, which focuses on ten key performances from a single actor. Once a teen idol, Johnny Depp (b. 1963) has led an incredibly diverse career, playing eccentric characters in now-classics like Edward Scissorhands, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Pirates of the Caribbean and Alice in Wonderland. An accessible text combines both a narrative and analytical dimension and is illustrated by 300 film stills, set photographs and film sequences.