On Directing


Harold Clurman - 1987
    Harold Clurman, director of such memorable productions as A Member of the Wedding and Uncle Vanya, describes the pleasures and perils of working with such celebrated playwrights and actors as Marlon Brando, Arthur Miller, Julie Harris, and Lillian Hellman. He also presents his own directing notes for ten of his best-known productions.

The Open Door


Peter Brook - 1993
    In The Open Door the visionary director and theorist offers a lucid, comprehensive exposition of the philosophy that underlies his work. It is a philosophy of paradoxes: We come to the theatre to find life, but that life must be different from the life we find outside. Actors have to prepare painstakingly yet be willing to sacrifice the results of their preparation. The director’s most reliable tool may be his capacity to be bored. Brook illustrates these principles with anecdotes that span his entire career and that demonstrate his familiarity with Shakespeare, Chekhov, and the indigenous theatres of India and Iran. The result is an unparalleled look at what happens both onstage and behind the scenes, fresh in its insights and elegant in its prose.

Secrets of Screen Acting


Patrick Tucker - 1993
    He explains that the actor, instead of starting with what is real and trying to portray that on screen, should work with the realities of the shoot itself, and then work out how to make it all appear realistic.Tucker has created and developed several screen acting of a courses, and this book is an extension and explanation of a lifetime of work in the field. Containing over fifty acting exercises, this book leads the reader step-by-step through the elements of effective screen acting.Refreshing in its informal approach and full of instructive anecdotes, Secrets of Screen Acting is an invaluable guide for those who wish to master the art of acting on-screen.

The Dramatic Imagination: Reflections and Speculations on the Art of the Theatre


Robert Edmond Jones - 1941
    The volume includes A New Kind of Drama, To a Young Stage Designer and six other of Jones's reflections.

Extremities


William Mastrosimone - 1998
    The tables turn when Marjorie is able to subdue Raul and keep him tied up in her fireplace. When Terry and Patricia, Marjorie's roommates, come home, they are shocked and begin discussing how to handle the situation: call the police or take matters into their own hands?

Acting as a Business: Strategies for Success


Brian O'Neil - 1993
    Any number of books preached persistence, but O'Neil was the first writer who actually told actors how to be persistent. The book is such a vital resource that it won a spot on "Entertainment Weekly"'s exclusive list of Industry Bibles.Now in this third edition, O'Neil updates his indispensable resource to keep up with the latest show-business trends and help you put control of your acting career where it belongs: in your own hands. You won't just read "Acting As a Business," Third Edition, you'll dog ear, underline, and bookmark it as you discover: a how-to guide to writing your theatrical resume - for both the East-Coast and the West-Coast actor specific examples of cover letters and other important correspondence practical ways to join the performer's unions tactics for getting an agent and finding out casting information well in advance tips on preparing for and answering the questions most often asked by agents in an interview - and what you should ask them techniques for auditioning in an agent's office the dos and don'ts of effective interview follow-up strategies for finding work in the theater, on soap operas, and in independent films a chart for recording which casting directors know your work an effective approach to interviewing a prospective personal manager a discussion of the "League" schools the best ways to make use of the internet.

Dracula


Steven Dietz - 1996
    Mysterious, gloomy castles and open graves at midnight are just two of the Gothic devices used to chilling effect in this 19th-century horror classic that turned an obscure figure from Eastern European folklore into a towering icon of film and literature.

Harold Pinter


Michael Billington - 1996
    During the past ten years Harold Pinter has written a new play, three film scripts, sheaves of poems, several sketches and created, with composer James Clarke, a pioneering work for radio, Voices. He has acted on stage, screen and radio, he has appeared on countless political platforms, and his work has been extensively celebrated in festivals at Dublin's Gate Theatre and New York's Lincoln Center. In 2005 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and in 2006, the European Theatre Prize. As if this were not enough, he has in the last five years twice come close to death. But he has faced hospitalisation with stoic resilience and his spirit remains as fiercely combative as ever. As he wrote in 2005 to Professor Avraham Oz, one of Israel's leading internal opponents of authoritarianism: "Let's keep fighting."

Sense of Direction: Some Observations on the Art of Directing


William Ball - 1984
    Founder and long-time general director of the acclaimed American Conservatory Theatre, Bill Ball engages his audience in a wide-ranging discussion of the director's process from first reading through opening night. Speaking as a director's director, Ball offers a candid, personal account of his method of working including the choice of a play's essential elements, preproduction homework, casting, and rehearsal techniques. Throughout, his discovering and insights guide the director in building the world of the play and bringing it to life.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee


William Finn - 2006
    Vocal selections from the popular Broadway musical, including: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee * My Friend, the Dictionary * Pandemonium * I'm Not That Smart * Magic Foot * Prayer of the Comfort Counselor * My Unfortunate Erection * Woe Is Me * I Speak Six Languages * The I Love You Song.

Jesus Christ Superstar -- A Rock Opera: Piano/Vocal


Tim Rice - 1970
    Songs include: Heaven on Their Minds * Everything's Alright * Hosanna * Pilate's Dream * I Don't Know How to Love Him * The Last Supper * I Only Want to Say (Gethsemane) * King Herod's Song * Superstar.

The Theater and Its Double


Antonin Artaud - 1938
    

Confessions of a Casting Director: Help Actors Land Any Role with Secrets from Inside the Audition Room


Jen Rudin - 2013
    A sampling of topics covered include: how to find an agent or manager; detailed audition preparation tips for musical theater, television (including commercials and reality TV) and film, voiceovers, and animated movies; using technology to your advantage; the demanding world of child acting and how parents can help their children thrive; the pros and cons of living in New York versus LA; and how to turn a call-back into an offer for the role.There is no formula for fame or stardom, but there are plenty of do's and don'ts, sure-fire tricks, and essential information that an actor should never walk into an audition room without. Filled with checklists, practical instruction and easy-to-follow game plans, and advice from real actors, agents, and casting directors, Confessions of a Casting Director will help actors feel confident taking on the unpredictable and always-evolving world of show business.

Her Wicked Heart Boxed Set


Ember Casey - 2014
    Now it's time to meet the other side of the family... This bundle contains: HER WICKED HEART (Book 3)Lou just needs someone to take her away. It doesn't matter if she knows his name. Or if he knows hers.Actually, it's better if he doesn't know hers.At least that's what she tells herself when she's sticking her tongue down the throat of the sexy handyman she just met at her new job.Her father's dead. Her family's fortune is gone. And, oh yeah--she's assumed a false identity so she could get a position at Huntington Manor, the luxury tourist attraction that was once her family's estate. Nobody here knows that she's Louisa Cunningham, former heiress and current complicated head case. To them, she's just Addison Thomas, assistant to the hotel's General Manager.Well, except to handyman Ward Brannon--to him, she's the strange but intoxicating new girl who tried to have sex with him without even knowing his name.TAKE YOU AWAY (Book 3.5)Two couples. Two struggles. Two wicked stories.PART ONE:Ward Brannon would do anything to protect Louisa Cunningham. No one's ever gotten under his skin the way she has--or inspired such a hunger. But now that he knows the truth about her identity, it's becoming increasingly clear that the two of them are worlds apart. Is their explosive passion enough to hold them together?PART TWO:Lily Frazer's been through her share of ups and downs with the brooding Calder Cunningham--but she doesn't know where to begin when it comes to his guilt over his sister. She hasn't quite mastered the ability to ease his worries with her body, to make his pain disappear with her lips or hands or softly whispered words, but she's determined to try. Even if it takes all night. LOST AND FOUND (Book 4) Love on the run...Louisa Cunningham and Ward Brannon are on a mission: to escape the mess (and the families) they left behind. But life on the road is more difficult than either of them expected. Out here, there might not be any rules, but there are also no longer any secrets... and nowhere to hide from each other.The Cunningham Family Reading Order:His Wicked Games (Book 1)Truth or Dare (Book 2)Sweet Victory (Book 2.5)Her Wicked Heart (Book 3)Take You Away (Book 3.5)Lost and Found (Book 4)Completely (short story)Their Wicked Wedding (Book 5) A Cunningham Christmas (Book 5.5)

Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic


Bertolt Brecht - 1964
    Here, arranged in chronological order, are essays from 1918 to 1956, in which Brecht explores his definition of the Epic Theatre and his theory of alienation-effects in directing, acting, and writing, and discusses, among other works, The Threepenny Opera, Mahagonny, Mother Courage, Puntila, and Galileo. Also included is "A Short Organum for the Theatre," Brecht's most complete exposition of his revolutionary philosophy of drama.Translated and edited by John Willett, Brecht on Theater is essential to an understanding of one of the twentieth century's most influential dramatists.