A middle class Jewish woman and a light-skinned Harlem-born Black man meet while both are working on an Off-Broadway play. Although they come from very different backgrounds they are irresistibly drawn to each other.

But can their relationship endure the competition, bigotry and racism so present in the show business world of the 60's and 70's?

The second edition of this elegant and accessible primer offers a helpful reference and resource for directing actors in film, television, and theatre, useful to directors, actors, and writers. Combining underlying theory with dozens of exercises designed to reveal the actor's craft, Lenore DeKoven discusses constructing the throughline; analyzing the script; character needs; the casting and rehearsal processes; as well as the actor and the camera. Distilling difficult concepts to their simplest form, DeKoven explains how to accurately capture and portray human behavior on stage and screen, offering creative solutions to issues she has encountered or anticipated after decades of experience. Excerpts from interviews with acclaimed actors offer insight into their work with directors, what inspires them, and what they really want from the director. This second edition incorporates the film Moonlight (2016, Barry Jenkins) for analysis of the directing concepts discussed.

The second edition of this elegant and accessible primer offers a helpful reference and resource for directing actors in film, television, and theatre, useful to directors, actors, and writers. Combining underlying theory with dozens of exercises designed to reveal the actor's craft, Lenore DeKoven discusses constructing the throughline; analyzing the script; character needs; the casting and rehearsal processes; as well as the actor and the camera.

Distilling difficult concepts to their simplest form, DeKoven explains how to accurately capture and portray human behavior on stage and screen, offering creative solutions to issues she has encountered or anticipated after decades of experience. Excerpts from interviews with acclaimed actors offer insight into their work with directors, what inspires them, and what they really want from the director.

This second edition incorporates the film Moonlight (2016, Barry Jenkins) for analysis of the directing concepts discussed.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. The Actor and Training

3. The Actor's Vocabulary

4. The Text and the Throughline

5. Anaylsis of Script

6. The Character Outline

7. The Casting Process

8. The Rehearsal Process

9. The Actor and the Camera

10. Film and Theatre: Differences and Similarities

11. What do the Actors Say?

12. Tips to the Director

Appendix: Additional Exercises for Workshop or Class

Appendix: Suggested Reading and Viewing

A middle class Jewish woman and a light-skinned Harlem-born Black man meet while both are working on an Off-Broadway play. Although they come from very different backgrounds they are irresistibly drawn to each other.

But can their relationship endure the competition, bigotry and racism so present in the show business world of the 60's and 70's?