(Part 3) Best theater books according to redditors
We found 1,606 Reddit comments discussing the best theater books. We ranked the 688 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
Impossible to name one. Books only had significance for me when they addressed a particular lifecycle that the business was in.
EDIT: Lots of requests for more books as they relate to 'business lifecycle'. Also, linked all of these on Amazon. Here ya go:
>I'm going to run an improv group at an adult mental health clinic. But I never did improv.
Not to be a stick in the mud, but are you sure this is a good idea?
If you absolutely have to do this, check out this book for games. But, please, give it some thought. That maybe trying to teach something you're not proficient at, with a group of emotionally vulnerable people, where you're asking those people to do necessarily emotional work, may be a volitile situation you're not totally prepared for.
I've been doing and teaching improv for over a decade and this is the kind of thing I would sit down and have a really long, careful, think about before I did it. What I did would also be HIGHLY dependent on what the patients were in the clinic for.
Fred Stoller. He wrote a book called Maybe We'll Have You Back: The Life of a Perennial TV Guest Star.
https://www.amazon.com/Maybe-Well-Have-You-Back/dp/1620877066
It looks like a fictionalized take on the 2010 book I'm Dying Up Here which is a sorta-biography of the origins of The Comedy Store. It's an amazing read.
Get this book and read all of it
For general formatting guidelines, use this.
For other starting points/ answers to potential questions about jazz arranging in general, Tim Davies’ blog is an incredibly useful resource.
But the only real way to understand any type of jazz is to listen to a lot of it. Make sure to listen to a lot of different composers/ arrangers as well, such as Bob Brookmeyer, Thad Jones, Bob Florence, Bob Mintzer, Peter Herbolzheimer, Vince Mendoza, Sammy Nestico, Chris Walden, Mark Taylor, and many many others.
my favorite songs are (Nice Dream), Bones and Bulletproof...I wish I was.
Cool story: I used to work at the art museum at CSULB and our staff there made a book about stage designing called "Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was: The Lighting & Stage Design of Andi Watson," and it had a forward by Thom Yorke himself!!
If you love Sondheim I highly recommend his Finishing the Hat/Look, I made a Hat. These two books contain lyrics from all his shows, annotated with anecdotes and insightful observations written by Sondheim himself.
Other musicals also have books that trace the whole development process and provide a behind-the-scene look of the show, such as Hamilton: A Revolution, The Great Comet: The Journey of a New Musical to Broadway and Wicked: The Grimmerie
I'll try to respond to each item:
Rehearsal Time: 3, 4, or 5 nights a week is reasonable. As long as you don't have every actor called to every rehearsal. (I'll discuss this more later.)
Schedule: Plan out what you are going to work at every rehearsal. For example, on Monday we are working Act I Scenes 1-2. Call only the actors that are in those scenes. Work those scenes, run those scenes move on. If I have a long enough rehearsal process I like to plan in 30 minutes to 1 hour of rehearsal for every minute of show.
Warm-ups and Exercises: I'm a firm believer that these are activities that actors should take care of before rehearsal begins. Sometimes you'll encounter an activity or an exercise that will help with a scene or a moment in the show, then, by all means, work it into the rehearsal
Off Book: An expectation that I have for my actors is that the third time I run a scene, they are off book. They may not have a scene memorized at the start of rehearsal, but if you're using your rehearsal time well, they will have it memorized by the end. You can also set official off-book dates. With Shakespeare I would do it by Act. Let's say that I'm going to block and work Act I over 1 week. Well, the final rehearsal that week would be the official off-book date for Act I.
Staging: Venue size shouldn't matter too much. If your actors are comfortable in what they are doing, then they'll be able to adjust. If you can secure them a bit of time to work in each venue before hand that would be ideal. Just enough time for them to work their spacing and to move around the space and get comfortable.
Initial Sessions: I like to have a brief discussion with my cast, introduce the designers and stage manager, review the production calendar, and then do a table read. It's ideal if your designers are at the table read, but I know that doesn't happen all the time. Discuss your ideas about the characters, but don't dictate exactly what you want. As for character research, that is part of the actor's job description. Rehearsal is a place for the actor to try out the work they've done on their own. The director is there to shape what the actor brings, not to dictate what is seen.
Minor Roles: Call them when needed. Invite them to come to sit in at any rehearsal, but only call them when you need them. There's nothing worse than feeling like someone is wasting your time.
Individual Work: (See Above)
Technical Work: Preferably before you've even auditioned. You should have production meetings before you ever start working with actors, get everyone on the same page. Invite them to the table read.
Books and Resources: [Stage Management] (http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Management-Edition-Lawrence-Stern/dp/0205006132) [Tips: Ideas for Directors] (http://www.amazon.com/Tips-Ideas-Directors-Art-Theater/dp/1575252414/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394337595&sr=1-1&keywords=tips+ideas+for+directors)
Hearts and Minds: Don't waste their time. Be well prepared for every rehearsal. Do your director homework. Study, analyze, and plan. If you don't have an answer to an actor's question, find it as soon as you leave that night. Have an answer for them the next day before you even start rehearsal.
Actor Wishlist: This is strictly my opinion, feel free to ignore it. Don't give a line reading. Nothing more humiliating as an actor than for a director to have to give you a line reading.
That's how I work. I would absolutely kill for a 3 month rehearsal process.
I’ve been wanting to check that out! He also wrote this book that sounds interesting as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Maybe-Well-Have-You-Back/dp/1620877066
Two books:
A Sense of Direction by William Ball
Tips: Ideas for Directors by Jon Jory
Everything else you will learn from practice.
You might want to check out Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, which is a play that weaves in a lot of discussion about determinism and chaos theory. Even without the link to mathematics, it's a damn good play that's worth reading on its own merits.
I've done it in the past just to assess the course. As a teacher and music theorist in training, as well as a practicing musician, I had a number of complaints about the methodology and ideas presented in the course. Like many non-peer reviewed publications, it goes off the rails as soon as they bring up modes. What could have been a fruitful and focused study of music geared toward the beginner and intermediate musician alike becomes mired by the inclusion of a controversial topic that is never given adequate explanation. This was a couple of years ago, so it may have changed since then.
Aside from private lessons (with someone who actually knows what they're doing; a more difficult proposition than you might think), I'd recommend going through the materials on http://www.musictheory.net, Hal Leonard's Pocket Music Theory, or if you really have stamina and the discipline for self-teaching, Miguel Roig-Francoli's Harmony in Context.
Bulletproof: The Lighting & Stage Design of Andi Watson
I'm Dying Up Here is a great book about the start of the stand up club industry, specifically the LA scene.
Method acting was supposedly invented by Constantin Stanislavski. He has a trilogy of books on the subject, starting with An Actor Prepares (which really hammers in the core concept enough).
https://www.amazon.com/Actor-Prepares-Constantin-Stanislavski/dp/0878309837
People have misconstrued his message for ages since. To get in the mindset of a Black man (a Moor) for Othello, he put chocolate frosting on his face. Yes, his pivotal example was blackface. But he described acting savage and trying to get insider the head of the character. He IMAGINED he was that person to get in their head.
He didn't say he truly had to live his life and do everything that character said.
This notion that you can only portray being a taxi driver unless you drive a taxi is absurd. That is saying you can't play a killer unless you go kill people.
A method actor only needs to spend time analyzing the character and their motivations. If you keep asking "why" the character says and does what is in the script, you are better prepared to perform the role.
As obvious as that sounds, before Stanislavski, directors and actors apparently didn't discuss motive. At least there is no recorded history of them doing so.
Read, read, read. Anything. Visualize what you read as though you're putting up a scene. Read some plays to see how playwrights tell stories. Watch your favorite sketch many times to understand the beats. What makes you laugh? Why is it funny? I "practice" by visualizing myself in movie or tv show scenes and how I would react or behave in it. There's a book by Viola Spolin that you might want to try reading: Theater Games for the Lone Actor
Get him the Grimmerie. I love Wicked, and when I got this for my birthday 7 years ago, i practically peed myself. It's only $27 on amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Grimmerie-Behind---Scenes-Broadway/dp/1401308201/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418601378&sr=8-1&keywords=wicked+the+grimmerie&pebp=1418601381703
This book is a great resource for learning how to harmonise sections in big band charts - it's what I used all throughout my undergraduate study.
Keep in mind also that Basie charts are generally simpler in terms of harmonisation than the Ellington repertoire, especially early Basie. Ellington was known to take more risks when writing harmonically for his band - Basie and his arrangers usually used a tried and true formula for harmonisation, much of which can be learned from the book linked above.
I'm afraid that you're probably not really going to get a fully detailed response on here regarding where to start as a playwright as most writer's processes are different, especially on the format of scripts as that subject seems to be up for debate recently depending on the theatre. Also, I believe I can safely make the inference that most successful playwrights aren't redditors (or if they are, they're probably not subscribed to r/playwriting, else this subreddit would be a little more active). However, what I can do is point you toward some great resources that are utilized by most every aspiring/professional playwright that I know.
Backwords & Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays by David Ball is a fantastic book for anyone interested in dramatic literature. This is a book that will guide you in analyzing plays (and any story really) with a concentration on the actions of characters, the consequences of those actions, and how they fit into the arc of the story. It does this by taking you through Shakespeare's Hamlet from the end of the play to the beginning, as opposed to Act I to Act V. This is an invaluable resource that is used by playwrights, dramaturgs, actors, directors, and most everybody working in the field of theatre. It is also a resource that is a staple in most theatre graduate schools.
Another resource that is generally agreed upon as a proper manual for the art of playwriting alone is Naked Playwriting: The Art, The Craft, And The Life Laid Bare by William Missiouri Downs. Downs takes you through the basics of crafting a play and exposes you to the various philosophies regarding processes with little personal bias. It's not a dry read at all and will guide you through the use of examples. It will teach you not only the standard formatting for dramatic writing, but also the pros and limitations of writing for the stage. This book has helped me significantly as a playwright.
A good supplementary text would be Audition by Michael Shurtleff. Michael Shurtleff was a very important Hollywood/Broadway casting director who discovered the likes of Barbara Steissand, Robert DeNiro, and Dustin Hoffman, as well as many others. This book is generally held up as the Bible for actors. Why an acting book, you ask? Most of the good playwrights that I know are also good actors, which points to the fact that the more you know about acting, the better playwright you will be. Not only will it familiarize you with the craft, but it will also allow you to provide opportunities for great acting within your work as a writer.
Unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with any good resources about writing for musical theatre, however the main principles of writing straight plays holds true for all musicals. I'm sorry that I couldn't provide you with anything more extensive or personal, but if you are serious about writing for the stage, these are the best resources I can give you. But if you want to definitely get better, there is nothing more important than reading as many plays and seeing as much live theatre that you can get your hands on.
Hope this helps! And good luck.
I strongly suggest you go outside of the realm of magic to learn these skills. My first recomendation is The Art of Acting by Stella Adler. It's a fantastic book and goes so far beyond what the usual acting for magicians books go into. I find it really interesting that the insights of the greats of magic (Slydini, Vernon, Wonder, etc) have been known to actors for centuries (with regards to acting). Adler talks a lot about motivation and the duality of thought necessary to believe your character and act how your character would act in a situation instead of acting like an actor following a script. It completely changed the way I think about approaching misdirection.
The books that I get the most out of are books that focus on physical movement in theater. The book I'm currently reading is The Expressive Body which discusses non-verbal communication on the stage which is so unbelievably important for magicians, especially with regards to misdirection. I've come to realize that the majority of my struggles with misdirection is that I was subconsciously communicating to my audience through my body language the opposite of what I wanted to communicate (and I constantly try to help magicians realize they are doing the same thing - Think when you see magicians palm a card. Their body language is pointing out where the card is by awkwardly holding the hand floating in the air and perfectly still. It is so much easier to palm a card if your entire body is being used to direct attention to where you want it)
My suggestion is to go to a local library and look for the acting section. There's so much wonderful information there for free. If you're in college, your school library will have a wealth of information, or if you're near a biggish city check out the city library. I know here in the Bay the SF public library has an incredible amount of books (and some really good magic books too). These are resources that are available to you. Use them.
Someone else suggested improv, and I strongly second that suggestion. Improv has helped me so much in learning how to stand on stage, how to interact with people, how to deal with mistakes, how to build tension, how to make people laugh, how to quiet a room, how to incorporate other people, how to handle spectators. It is such a useful skill to have (and it's incredibly fun and builds confidence on stage).
I'm not sure if acting classes are the way to go (maybe they are, idk) but I feel like with an acting class you are limited by the strength of the teacher. If you can find a really good one, then by all means, but a bad teacher can do more harm than good. If you're willing to put in the effort, learn from the greats through their books.
In and near the acting section there'll also be books on mime, speech, storytelling, stage management, improv, writing, lighting, scenery, costuming, etc. These will all help you more than magic books in my opinion.
Good luck!
That is a very lofty goal. Do your research! Non-profit doesn't mean you're not looking to turn a profit, it means any revenue gets turned back towards the mission (usually social outreach) which also means you still need a profit. Learn from others. Do not do this alone; get help. There is a lot of hard work in between here and there.
Here is an amazing book for you. I've considered myself quite the clotheshorse for years and I still learned a whole bunch of things. Highly recommended.
Topstick toupee tape for a quick, on the fly hem!!
My husband bought suit pants the day before a funeral off the rack, and he, obviously, didn't have time to take them to a tailor. Used the Topstick and the temp. hem was perfect.
I also found the book 'How to Get Dressed' to be helpful for me.
https://www.amazon.com/How-Start-Your-Theater-Company/dp/1556528132
Here's one from the book Interstellar: Beyond Time and Space.
http://imgur.com/TWVYkPl
Get these books by David Mamet:
Three Uses of The Knife, and True and False: heresay and common sense for the actor
http://www.amazon.ca/Stage-Lighting-Handbook-Francis-Reid/dp/087830147X
Or pretty much this page:
http://www.onstagelighting.co.uk/#article/14
Sorry for formatting, on my cell.
I would highly suggest either Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual or any of the other books listed in the sidebar of /r/improv Or Improvisation For The Theater
The UCB manual is mostly concerned with Long-Form Improvisational Comedy, but it'll have good insight for any other kind of work.
Depending on who you ask, you can get different "tenets" of Improv. But the most basic things two I'd say are:
1.) Yes And - It is not just about literally saying yes, but about agreeing and adding information.
2.) Don't Deny - Again, this isn't about saying no, but about not denying the reality which has been created. As in, if you're in a scene where it is established that you're on normal Earth, don't just start going "Hey, I'm flying!"
Fred Stoller is a good example of this phenomenon. He even draws attention to it.
A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting-http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415812003/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Stage Lighting Handbok-
http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Lighting-Handbook-Francis-Reid/dp/087830147X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407560871&sr=1-2&keywords=stage+lighting
The Backstage Handbook (has the basics on instruments, cable, etc.)-
http://www.amazon.com/Backstage-Handbook-Illustrated-Technical-Information/dp/0911747397/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407560935&sr=1-5&keywords=stage+lighting
Tips: Ideas for Directors https://www.amazon.com/dp/1575252414/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XCZxDbXY0NFG0
Harold Clurman: On Directing
Bill Ball: A Sense of Direction
Anne Bogart: A Director Prepares
In that case, I suggest you read up on Constantin Stanislavski and his best known work An Actor Prepares. Stanislavski invented a technique called Method Acting, and is considered the most famous acting coach of all time to my knowledge.
Well, I started playing the trumpet when I was 12, in the 6th grade, and I sat down at a piano one day and realized that playing from white note to white note was a C scale. I started piano the summer after my 6th grade year. I didn't care much for theory until the Christmas after I started taking lessons. My teacher gave me a few leadsheets from a Christmas fake book. We talked about building chords, but he didn't show me the more complicated ones. I bought a book that showed how to build all the chords in each key, but once I started realizing the patterns, I laid it down. I bought The Ultimate Fake Book and started playing songs.
Gradually over time you learn patterns and how chords sound. You can listen to these songs in the Fake Book, and though they might not be 100% completely transcribed, you can get an idea of how certain chord progressions sound. I quit taking lessons after a year and taught myself how to play Boogie-Woogie (I think I might still have a video on youtube called, "How to Play Boogie-Woogie Piano"). This helped with finger independence and learning the blues. Once I learned the blues, I started becoming interested in arranging. This was in I guess 8th grade.
I bought a book called Arranging for Large Jazz Ensemble. It was helpful in learning how to orchestrate for a 20 piece band. I made dozens of arrangements just for fun. Learning how to arrange helped me learn how to harmonize.
A lot of other knowledge comes from reading Wikipedia articles on theory, reading random other books, and analyzing scores. Lush Life Music is an arranging company out of England. They let you view three or so pages of every score. I used to print out the samples and analyze. Also, get your hands on a hymnal, any hymnal. Hmynals are choir books, so they're scored in 4 part harmony. Figure out the chords on your own and notate them. That helped a lot.
Also, listen to lots of music, especially live. The best place to hear live music is at church, honestly, every Sunday. You don't even have to be religious, just find a seat near the pianist or organist.
I'm definitely not an academic. My figured bass is weak, and I don't know many classical composing principals, but I read a lot, experience a lot, and generally always love learning. Never let that fact that something is over your head stop you from learning about it. Just listen to lectures or lessons on Youtube, and it will all slowly congeal.
This website is really interesting. as well as Hooktheory.com.
I would suggest that to start learning quickly, get a fake book of some kind, and start trying to recreate the original recordings of songs in them. For instance, you know Bat Out of Hell?. The whole album is filled with great rock piano licks, but the title track's intro is great. Now, all sheet music editions of it begin at the piano arpeggios right before the vocals, ignoring the entire introduction, so I figured out the intro and made a jazz band arrangement of it with the saxes taking the piano riff. I learned a lot doing that, but sadly the arrangement has been lost.
Also, I almost forgot, if you have some spare money, Music Notes sells sheet music for around $5 a song, regardless of the length. Leadsheets are around $1-$2. They also allow you to print off free one page samples. If you struggle with a song, it doesn't hurt to buy a pre-made arrangement or even just print off the sample to learn the introduction. You can even find free sheet music on pages, like Scribd or even just a google search for free piano sheet music.
The Improv Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Improvising in Comedy, Theatre, and Beyond by Tom Salinsky and Deborah Frances-White
The pattern is from this book, which also had toys for the kitty and a cute story
I searched for a while too and kept finding myself at the original Japanese webpage for this pattern, or at the English-translation-still-with-confusing-pictures page on the same site. The pattern I linked to here was the one that I found easiest to follow. Make sure to share a picture when you finish - they're so darn cute and each one I see pictures of looks like it has its own personality!
I had been eyeing off the Amineko book (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1589235711/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/188-5009491-1725431) for a while and finally ordered it today...
Fred Stoller maybe? I guess he kinda looks like John Tuturro, but he's certainly guest starred on practically everything. (He even has a book called Maybe We'll Have You Back: The Life of a Perennial TV Guest Star)
My advice: buy The Improv Handbook. It's a good book in general, but it lays out a really nice syllabus and puts an emphasis on teaching.
Hal Leonards Pocket Music Theory & Pocket Music Dictionary both live in my teaching bag for when something slips my mind. Great little texts and theyre cheap as chips.
And referenced adeptly in Stoppard's masterwork 'Arcadia'.
In no particular order, here are some things that come to mind:
Modes of Rhythm
Anthony Wellington teaches slap bass and rhythm using the "Modes of Rhythm" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asYfvMzjk7M
This is an interesting approach to working with rhythm.
Arranging for Large Jazz Ensemble by Dick Lowell
https://www.amazon.com/Arranging-Large-Jazz-Ensemble-Pullig/dp/0634036564/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=dick+lowell&qid=1554352576&s=gateway&sr=8-4
Good resource for jazz arranging
The Study of Orchestration by Samuel Adler
https://www.amazon.com/Study-Orchestration-Third-Samuel-Adler/dp/039397572X/ref=sr_1_2?crid=270ZIQBMLZL3O&keywords=study+of+orchestration&qid=1554354116&s=gateway&sprefix=study+of+orc%2Caps%2C203&sr=8-2
I have the 3rd edition. Get it used rather than new. This is a popular choice when studying instrumentation and orchestration for orchestral/chamber music.
Other good orchestration online resources:
http://resources.music.indiana.edu/isfee/
https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Academy/Instrumentology/
The Secrets of Dance Music Production
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Dance-Music-Production/dp/0956446035/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=attack+magazine&qid=1554356008&s=gateway&sr=8-1
I haven't checked this one out completely, but it's an interesting resource for electronic music with great visual analysis
And if you're looking for things to improve your composing skills, definitely study counterpoint. Start with Species counterpoint then move to other styles/eras. Learning this completely changed my perspective of theory and why we learn it.
Hope that helps.
The Stage Lighting Handbook
It may sound bizarre, but a good actor doesn't act. He just goes about his life infusing his own mechanics and behavioral traits to his character. While I can't attest to theatre, for film/tv as soon as an actor steps into the casting office they go into "actor mode" where nothing they do is natural but instead cued up and ready to regurgitate whatever they need to do whether lines or movements. Best book I ever read that discusses this is AN ACTOR PREPARES.
Awesome, good for you. That is what I did in college, after two years, completely switched majors and went the theater route and am so glad I did. Don't let it overwhelm you. Get to know the people in the department, some of the best advice I got was from friends I made in the department. Also, get to know your profs. really well. Take them out for drinks or dinner or whatever and pick their brains. the best way to learn about acting is to watch as much as you can and do it. Work scenes with your friends even when you don't have a scene due for class. Study and perform monologues for your friends just for the fun of it. Just enjoy it and it won't freak you out. One of the best books I have ever read about starting out is called [ Audition] (http://www.amazon.com/Audition-Michael-Shurtleff/dp/0553272950) by Michael Shurtleff. It approaches acting in a very unique way and really teaches you how to introduce yourself to the character. Best of luck and most important thing - Have fun, don't give up and don't take it too serious.
I could not find any improv near you :-(
You might have to resort to http://www.amazon.com/The-Improv-Handbook-Ultimate-Improvising/dp/0826428584/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342298356&sr=8-1&keywords=improv
AND http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=improv&page=&utm_source=opensearch
John Berger's Ways of Seeing (absolutely brilliant)
Ron Carlson Writes a Story
Critical Theory Today
Wilhelm Reich-The Mass Psychology of Fascism
Amy Bloom-Normal
Tom Stoppard-Arcadia
Sara Marcus-Girls to the Front
Agree. Like the fear of heights, it doesn't go away. One just learns to trust their skills as one gains experience. Here is a great book for actors that applies to any kind of performer or presenter: [True and False by David Mamet] (http://www.amazon.com/True-False-Heresy-Common-Sense/dp/0679772642)
https://www.google.com/search?q=andi+watson+lighting&hl=en&prmd=imvnso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=kuROUOrvJIqBrAGMj4CQAQ&ved=0CCYQsAQ&biw=1063&bih=845
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811874583/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Upvotes always for people willing to paint their faces and bodies for cosplay! Looks great.
Fun tidbit, the makeup designer for Wicked wanted Elphaba's makeup to be 'beautiful', but also green. THere was a conscious effort to not make her 'wicked' in appearance.
If you're a fan of the stage show and/or books, check out the Wicked: The Grimmerie. It's really great.
Available for pre-order here, releasing on 2014-11-07.
The ship probably went through several design iterations, because trailer-Endurance doesn't look like early-script-Endurance at all.
> INT. CAPSULE
> Cooper looks through the tiny porthole into inky blackness. As they get closer, he makes out a looming matte black structure that passes light from the stars directly through. In the center of the structure, Cooper can see a globe-like ship covered in the same refractive material: the ENDURANCE.
> ...
> INT. ENDURANCE, SPACE STATION
> Cooper and the others haul themselves into the ship. To Cooper's surprise, it's quite compact, and divided into two chambers, like nestled spheres.
Trunk Club! I’ve been using Trunk Club for the last couple years and it has really helped me figure out my style. You get a stylist (the link will give you mine, who is amazing) and they’ll talk to you about what kind of clothes and styles you like, get your measurements and budget, and send you a box with a bunch of options that you can either keep or send back. It’s super convenient and my stylist sends me things that she knows will go with other pieces I own. I hate shopping and always end up buying something that’s just ok because I’ve already put so much effort into going to a store and trying things on. With this its easy to just keep the things that I love because I’ve put no effort into picking anything out.
Also, the book How to get Dressed has very valuable information on how clothes should fit, how to take care of them, what items are with tailoring, and so much more. I learned a LOT from that book.
It's wonderful to hear that you have an interest in his works! If you want a great place to start, I'd recommend going right to the source: An Actor Prepares. That is his famous work, it's the book that did it all. It's actually a surprisingly easy and very fun read, if at times somewhat confusing. You can see the basis for his ideas very clearly. I will say this though: it reads more like a work of philosophy than anything else. Notes on the translation: there are two major versions out: the one I linked you to, which is similar to how it was originally published, and a new one, more reflective of how Stanislavski wished the book published. The Benedetti translation is harder to read (as it includes sections that were taken out specifically for readability), but more academically interesting.
Other good reads are his autobiography, which is very open and contextualizes his later work beautifully, and Benedetti's work, focusing on the writing of An Actor's Work.
For a complete picture of 20th century acting theory, I would also look into Strasberg and Meisner.
Books
If you haven't already done so as a Stage Manager before, you should get and read through a stage management book. I like "A Backstage Guide to Stage Management" and "A Stage Manager's Handbook". Hopefully your stage manager will understand and take responsibility for all of their own duties, but you work in concert with your stage manager more than anyone else and understanding what their role is and how you can best work with them is a very important and often under looked part of the director's process. I'm sure you know something about this having stage managed for these events twice before.
My favorite books on directing are Notes on Directing and Tips: Ideas for Directors. Both books are laid out in a similar manner: as very small snippets of advice, no longer than two or three paragraphs, giving a very specific suggestion about preparing for rehearsals, your role in the rehearsal room, and how to give meaningful/helpful notes. I recommend these books to newer directors because I don't think that directing theory is very immediately valuable or accessible, and the tip format of these books is incredibly accessible to any theatre artist, regardless of experience, and is also wildly helpful.
My General Tips
There is a great book called "I'm Dying Up Here' that talks about Steve a lot. He made a movie called "Dante Shocko" that was never released that I would love to see.
This is really awesome Sammy. Thank you for putting it together!
One more to add: Theatre Games for the Lone Actor by Viola Spolin.
It all depends on what kind of design you want to get into? Concert/music design is totally different than theatrical, even within theatre musicals and plays often have different design principals.
I'd check out Steve Shelly's book https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Stage-Lighting-Third/dp/0415812003/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0415812003&pd_rd_r=QMEV3MMX5JMSDAZPBNNT&pd_rd_w=uh8vJ&pd_rd_wg=jKgB8&psc=1&refRID=QMEV3MMX5JMSDAZPBNNT
as well as this one. https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Lighting-Handbook-Francis-Reid/dp/087830147X/ref=pd_sim_14_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=087830147X&pd_rd_r=YG5RCJMEPDWJ7E98CBCZ&pd_rd_w=QJmxz&pd_rd_wg=ZQ1Dr&psc=1&refRID=YG5RCJMEPDWJ7E98CBCZ
My biggest suggestion for someone who's just getting started is to not buy any equipment. Equipment is mostly cheap to rent, a PAR can is $3 or $4 a unit, and it's someone else's problem to fix it and buy lamps for it. You're not going to be able to afford quality gear, so you'll end up with cheap Chinese crap that's just going to disappoint you. The other thing to remember is that intelligent lighting is relatively new to lighting, lots of fantastic shows were lit without anything fancy. It's far better to master your color and angle work then get in to using movers than it is to just start throwing strobes everywhere and pray that it works. Learning to make choices and which choices are stronger than others will get you a lot further in life than being able to spit out flash and trash like everyone else can.
Hey, I just wanted to tell you that I bought that book you recommended and I loved it. Thank you. This is off in a little different of a direction, but you might enjoy this one:
Arcadia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia_(play)
http://www.amazon.com/Arcadia-A-Play-Tom-Stoppard/dp/0571169341
There's a little misinterpretation of the past by modern archeologists in it, and it leads to some great comic lines.
It's not that you shouldn't do that, but you want to replace it with an action. This doesn't necessarily mean doing something physically, but if I assume correctly that the narration in the video is your inner monologue, there needs to be some kind of response to that. You are listening to the voice, so you are engaged by it. Having your blocking be as simple as sitting and listening is fine, but there needs to be a connection between your thoughts and your blocking, which is sitting in the shower/tub.
To fix this, you need to realize that in this scene you have two characters. There is the character of your Inner Monologue and the character of Your Character (physical you). Your Inner Monologue wants one thing, and You want another (again, an assumption, but I assume this because all scenes are built on conflict - if you both wanted suicide, that would happen and there would be no scene to speak of). What do you want the voice to do? Do you want it to stop? How will you make it stop? This page has a breakdown of what objectives are and how you play them.
If you still continue to sit and listen, that's totally okay! But there shouldn't be a disconnect between the two characters in the scene. There should be a give and take, an action and a reaction, a response. Then the other character plays from this response.
I strongly suggest the acting book The Anatomy of a Choice by Maura Vaughn. This has helped me in many situations as an actor. Also, read lots of David Mamet. Read his plays, read his essays on acting. Another book I find helpful is A Practical Handbook for the Actor (written by students of Mamet) and The Art of Acting by Stella Adler. Reading is an actor's greatest tool other than just getting out there and performing.
Understanding objective is the first step toward becoming a fully invested actor. It will change the way you look at the stage and screen.
edit: added a thought
Not yet unfortunately as I barely have time to craft, and I'd imagine shipping to the states would be crazy too! But they are called Amineko and there is a book with patterns for it, they are pretty famous online :) Here if you crochet or know someone who does!!! <3
I'm glad I could help.
I've been reading this book, and it's really helping me learn a lot. There are were one or two parts that I didn't like in the beginning, but I'm finding it to be a great resource, especially for the price.
I learned a lot from the old 'Dress for Success' books for women. The one my mom had was published in the '80s, but the information is still good.
There was a new one published in 2014.
Information about what's class vs. trendy, how to decide how many shoes you need for a work wardrobe (if you can't afford many, buy one quality pair in a neutral color, other than black, neutral & navy in cheaper shoes), different jewelry for work & socializing, etc.
I'd start with that one.
This is the best seller in that category on Amazon right now, and looks interesting:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Get-Dressed-Costume-Designers/dp/1607747065/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1474592678&amp;sr=1-4&amp;keywords=dress+for+success
I found 'What NOT to Wear' useless, but the books by Stacy London (with or without Clinton Kelly) are pretty good.
Knowing your colors is important too. If you have the money, I'd pay to get that done - it's called a Seasonal Color Analysis. My mom & I had it done when I was a teen. Every time I fell in love with a shirt or dress that wasn't on my color chart, I would always gets comments such as 'you look tired', 'are you feeling ok?' or even, 'what's wrong?'
If you don't have the money, try this online one:
http://www.thechicfashionista.com/seasonal-color-analysis-2.html
A third way to figure it out is look at your wardrobe. Which outfits garner you the most compliments? If you group them together, you'll find they usually are a certain range of colors/tones. Which outfits get you comments like the ones I listed above? They will have commonalities as well.
If you don't remember, just get a good mirror and some sunlight. Hold some of the fabric up just below your face. Hide the buttons, trim, sequins or anything else that distracts.
Some of them will be obvious. I remember at the class there was a demo. The teacher put a pretty yellow fabric up against her face. It drastically accentuated the bags under her eyes, and added a good 10 years to her appearance. After finding a few of those, you'll start to notice which ones do that to you.
Forget fashion shows - I used to try to learn from those, until I had a friend explain the difference. Fashion shows are about artistic concepts and showing off the designer's talents. The models are too thin and extremely tall - so nothing will look like it's on a real person anyway.
Fashion magazines have some of those same flaws. For me, the most realistic images are from clothing catalogs. If you are big (like me) or short (also, like me) look at the specialty catalogs. Even though the models are still too perfect, airbrushed, etc. they are the closest to real humans.
There are some subreddits just for fashion, and you can browse their FAQs and even submit pics of you in a certain outfit for feedback.
Good luck! And keep in mind, just because you learn the rules doesn't mean you have to follow them. Sometimes I want to look hideous/sickly - want to get a Friday off work, but not suspected of playing hooky? Wear a terribly colored outfit, no make-up and call in sick the next day. No one will question it (unless you put idiotic stuff on facebook).
Want to go out drinking with the girls and not be pestered by men? Everyone pick ugly colors. They may be defeated by beer goggles eventually, but then you can break out the fake moles from the Halloween store.
I love a sunshiney, buttery yellow. It's my favorite color. Sadly, it makes me look like I have jaundice. I just use it in my house instead - accent pillows, a brightly colored throw, even one wall in a room.
So, hope this helps you.
Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1WiCGq-PcY
And then read this book (you would likely find this book on pretty much every acting conservatory's reading list): https://www.amazon.ca/Audition-Michael-Shurtleff/dp/0553272950
You'll make your lives a lot easier if you get a coach ASAP (even if it's just a temporary guest coach).
Player's attempting to direct each other (even for very experienced troupes) can lead to all sorts of drama down the line. I've been a part of teams where each week (or month) we rotated who was leading rehearsals. Some worked out great (the two where we all had at least a decade of performing/teaching experience and went into it with that plan) and others quickly became a dumpster fire.
My best advice while you're waiting for a coach is probably to pick up a book on improv theory or a book on on acting:
Mick Napier's - Improvise: Scene from the inside out, Bill Arnett's - The Complete Improviser, Viola Spolin's - Improvisation for the Theater, or something like Marina Caldarone's - Action: The Actor's Thesaurus are good places to start.
Then read it together outside of rehearsal and discuss the ideas in various chapters when you meet up - maybe try out a few exercises, but be wary of trying to direct each other: that's not your job, your job is to support each other on stage.
Heck, just reading a few acting books and really discussing them will put you guys leaps and bounds ahead of most improvisers.
Here is the desktop version of your link
No clue on the show but there's a book about it. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Interstellar-Beyond-Mark-Cotta-Vaz/dp/0762456833/ref=cm_cr_dp_asin_lnk
These books have helped me a lot over the years.
Keith Johnstone - Impro
Sanford Meisner - On Acting
Laurence Olivier - On Acting
David Mamet - True and False
Whether or not you find a replacement umbrella, get your mum a copy of Wicked: The Grimmerie. Write something wonderful and heartfelt inside the cover. She'll adore it.
Regardless, I can guarantee you that your mum will not spend these precious days with you angry over a lost umbrella, or even giving it one precious moment's thought.
Is this the book (Interstella) you are referring to?
http://www.amazon.ca/Interstellar-Beyond-Mark-Cotta-Vaz/dp/0762456833/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1415599785&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=interstellar
I've been in a similar boat for years, just now breaking free from it. Stuff that's helped me the most:
The first thing that comes to mind is "Audition" by Michael Shurtleff. A good chunk in there is how to break down a monologue in moments and beats although he's specifically talking about this in relation to the audition process.
If you've already gotten the part and are looking for another great book about the different parts of a script, or how to break down a monologue (from an Actor's view, but I think it translates to the writing process) I would read "Respect for Acting" by Uta Hagen.
Audition can be found here
and
Respect for Acting
For finer points beyond our advice, I would strongly recommend reading Reginald Nelson's How To Start A Theater Company. There will be nuanced differences in following his advice since he's speaking from a US POV, and you're Canadian, but the overall step by step approach applies.
Theater Games for the Lone Actor might help you do stuff on your own.
But finding/forming a practice group would be the best thing.
What level are you in?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1586488961?ie=UTF8&amp;at=&amp;force-full-site=1&amp;ref_=aw_bottom_links
http://www.amazon.com/Gasping-Airtime-Years-Trenches-Saturday-ebook/dp/B000FC1RF0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1415255002&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=Jay+mohr
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&amp;field-keywords=Sctv
This is a little unconventional, but bear with me: True and False, by David Mamet. Mamet is a playwright turned screen writer and True and False is essentially his treatise on the relationship between the actor and the script. He is writing primarily as a playwright to a stage actor audience, but if you take it with a grain of salt, and read a few of Mamet's plays as well, you'll get a sense for how important it is to write natural dialogue.