Showing titles in Acting & Auditioning

There is no general consensus about how Shakespeare "should" be played. There are no rules. But, while the Bard created superhuman characters and placed them in situations that stretches the imagination to its limits, he also provided his actors with the keys to playing them.

The world’s chaos. Too many demands on your time. Your mind’s a whirlpool. You’re fighting low-level exhaustion, possible burnout, and a mounting sense of panic. You’re trying to remember what you need to do next. You’re wondering if you can trust yourself if things don’t go how you want them to—can you cope?

Noël Coward on theatre was as dazzling and entertaining as his masterful plays and lyrics. Here his ideas and opinions on the subject are brilliantly brought together in an extraordinary collection of commentary, lyrics, essays, and asides on everything having to do with the theatre and Coward's dazzling life in it.

Philip Carlson was the first agent to sign Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Billy Crudup, Liev Schreiber, Claire Danes, Idris Elba, Kyra Sedgwick, Adrien Grenier, and Paul Giamatti. He has represented Viola Davis, Kathy Bates, Brian Dennehy, and W.H. Macy among many and gifted others. He shares his practical trade secrets in this extraordinarily comprehensive guide on how to get into show business.

Mr. Caine gives you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rob him blind! The man who's hypnotized the camera lenses for a quarter of a century reveals the most closely guarded secrets on script preparation, working with the director, forming a character, voice, sound, and movement.

Voice Over Secrets 2 is the ultimate guide for anyone looking to succeed in the competitive world of voice-over acting. Whether you're a voice-over artist, an actor, or simply someone looking to improve your communication skills, this book is a must-listen.

Jeff Corey (1914-2002) made a name for himself in the 1940s as a character actor in films like The Killers (1946). Everything changed in 1951, when he was summoned before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Corey refused to name names and was promptly blacklisted, which forced him to walk away from a vibrant livelihood as an actor and embark on a career as one of the industry's most revered acting instructors. In Improvising Out Loud: My Life Teaching Hollywood How to Act, Corey recounts his extraordinary story.

Never walk into an audition like an amateur again! This book will help you prepare yourself and your acting materials like the pros do without paying hundreds of dollars to have someone do it for you. Learn what directors really want to see in the audition room and how to get on their good side right from the start. Stop making those rookie mistakes!

In this step-by-step guide, an actor and improvisational teacher brings his tested methods to the page to show how actors can take risks and gain spontaneity in all genres of scripted theater. Through 28 lessons - each of which includes warm-ups, points of concentration, and improvisation exercises - Improv for Actors provides insights into thinking and reacting with fluidity, exploring a character’s social status, using the voice and body as effective tools of storytelling, and more.

Chicago theater veteran Kevin Theis, co-author of the cult classic Confessions of a Transylvanian: a Story of Sex, Drugs and Rocky Horror presents: Invading Nirvana: a Chicagoan in the City of Angels the story of one actor's quixotic odyssey into the heart of the entertainment industry: Hollywood, California. From the early preparations for his trip to La La Land to his search for representation, his encounters with the famous (and soon-to-be famous) as well as his deep-dive exploration of this unique and fascinating city.

You look so familiar, where have I seen you? Mira Tzur repeatedly hears this statement when she enters a room. The answer to this question is what inspired Anonymously Famous. Mira Tzur is best known for her multifaceted talents and familiar, warm presence. She is an Israeli American Founder & President of One Circle Productions & Consulting Group, actress, theater and film producer, social philanthropist, French Countess, former counterintelligence IDF officer, and Senior Vice President of a next gen fintech company.

This is an autobiographical account read by the actor himself about all that goes into playing one of Shakespeare's greatest and most taxing roles. It is amusing, instructive, empowering, and a great listen that's full of theatrical anecdotes. We are taken on a fascinating journey through the emotional, physical, and intellectual challenges involved in creating one of Shakespeare's darkest and most captivatingly tragic characters.

Based on the popular workshop of the same name, Audition Psych 101 takes a detailed, unvarnished look at the mental gremlins that can make auditioning stressful. With frankness, humor, and a pro-actor sensibility, professional working actor Michael Kostroff (The Wire, The Deuce, Luke Cage, The Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, etc.) explodes commonly accepted mythologies and offers a fresh, more logical, and more effective approach to the whole process.

Embark on a journey to master the distinct New England American accent with our specialized audio course, tailored for actors seeking authenticity in their performances. This course offers an in-depth exploration of the unique phonetic characteristics, intonation patterns, and other nuances that define this iconic American dialect.

In Rise Above the Script, psychologist and talent agent Dr. Albert Bramante unravels the hidden drivers behind self-defeat. By strengthening self-belief, managing motivation, optimizing natural talents, and confronting deep-seated fears like failure and success that distort our path, we clear the way for actualizing dormant gifts. Dr. Bramante integrates scientific research on peak performance with insights gained through guiding actors’ careers. Practical strategies help construct unshakable confidence and self-efficacy.

With his ongoing exploration into actor behavior and an ever-innovative body of work, Richard Maxwell has written a study guide to the art of making theater. This illuminating volume provides a deeper understanding of his work, aesthetic philosophy, and process for creating theater.

Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of acting with "No Acting School: A Beginner's Journey Into the Art of Acting." This comprehensive guide is tailored for aspiring actors who dare to step onto the stage or in front of the camera without formal training. With insights that unravel the mysteries of the acting craft, this book is your trusted companion on the path to becoming a versatile and confident performer.

Emmy-winning editor Jordan Goldman, ACE, takes you inside the cutting room and pulls back the curtain on how and why directors, showrunners, and editors decide whether your performance makes it to the screen. He explains the key things actors should do—and shouldn't do—to avoid getting cut out. Topics include what an editor does, how editors evaluate your work, why actors get cut, what you can control, and what you can't control.

In studying the acting process, what I have found is that acting styles change, just like cinema. What were considered compelling, powerful acting choices in the 1950s and 60s, might be considered “over the top” film acting today. Since the art of film is connected to culture, it shifts and changes with societal tastes. Now, let’s focus on your desire to be an actor in an industry that’s always changing. So, you want to be an actor. That’s great! You want to be on television or in film – awesome!

How to Develop a Powerful, Clear, and Resonant Speaking Voice is a straight-to-the-point, no-nonsense guide to simple techniques you can employ immediately to improve the quality of your voice. This audiobook, made for men and women, shows how to develop resonance, speak in the proper pitch, and use what’s called diaphragmatic breathing to magnify the power and expressiveness of your voice.