Applause Acting Series – serie

A master actor who's appeared in an enormous number of films, starring with everyone from Nicholson to Kermit the Frog, Michael Caine is uniquely qualified to provide his view of making movies. This new revised and expanded edition features great photos throughout, with chapters on: Preparation, In Front of the Camera – Before You Shoot, The Take, Characters, Directors, On Being a Star, and much more.“Remarkable material ... A treasure ... I'm not going to be looking at performances quite the same way ... FASCINATING!”– Gene Siskel

It is virtually impossible to discuss modern acting or actor training without first mentioning the Russian thoerist and director Konstantin Stanislavsky. Complete in one volume, Mel Gordon explores the actor training systems of Stanislavsky and his two most important disciples, Evgeni Vakhtangov and Michael Chekhov, tracing the major teachings and refinements over the first 50 years of use by actors. Gordon reconstructs the actual exercises taught at the Moscow Art Theatre and various Russian acting studios, and he clears away the myths and confusion about the practical use of Stanislavsky's System. This volume contains: The Stanislavsky System – First Studio Exercises 1912-1916; Vakhtangov as Rebel and Theoretician – Exercises 1919-1921; Michael Chekhov – Exercises 1919-1952; and Stanislavsky's Fourth Period – Theory of Physical Actions, 1934-1938.

While contemporary American culture may be fixated on youthful sex appeal, the truth is that the most complex and interesting characters in dramatic literature have been (and still are) those over 40 years old. Whether it's Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or Halie in Buried Child or Eve in The Good Body, the richest characters are those over 40, whose wealth of experience often helps little when it comes to making the difficult decisions. This volume will mine the deep and fertile vein of world drama (with an emphasis on lesser-known contemporary work) as it relates to monologues for mature actors. The result is certain to be a surprising and enriching one for both the dedicated professional and the inquisitive amateur.

While contemporary American culture may be fixated on youthful sex appeal, the truth is that the most complex and interesting characters in dramatic literature have been (and still are) those over 40 years old. Whether it's James and Mary Tyrone in Long Day's Journey into Night or Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman or Polly Wyeth and her sister Silda in Other Desert Cities, the richest characters are those over 40, whose wealth of experience often helps little when it comes to making the difficult decisions. This volume will mine the deep and fertile vein of world drama (with an emphasis on lesser-known contemporary work) as it relates to scenes for mature actors. The result is certain to be a surprising and enriching one for both the dedicated professional and the inquisitive amateur.

Lawrence Harbison has selected 100 terrific monologues for men – from contemporary plays, all by characters between the ages of 18 and 35 – perfect for auditions or class. There are comic monologues (laughs) and dramatic monologues (no laughs). Most have a compelling present-tense action for actors to perform. A few are story monologues – and they're great stories. Actors will find pieces by star playwrights such as Don Nigro, Itamar Moses, Stephen Adly Guirgis, and Terence McNally; by exciting up-and-comers such as Nicole Pandolfo, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, Crystal Skillman, Greg Kalleres, Reina Hardy, and J. Thalia Cunningham; and information on getting the complete text of each play. This is a must-have resource in the arsenal of every aspiring actor hoping to knock 'em dead with his contemporary piece after bowling over teachers and casting directors alike with a classical excerpt.

Lawrence Harbison has selected 100 terrific monologues for women – from contemporary plays, all by characters between the ages of 18 and 35 – perfect for auditions or class. There are comic monologues (laughs) and dramatic monologues (no laughs). Most have a compelling present-tense action for actors to perform. A few are story monologues – and they're great stories. Actors will find pieces by star playwrights such as Don Nigro, Itamar Moses, Adam Bock, and Jane Martin; by exciting up-and-comers such as Nicole Pandolfo, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, Crystal Skillman, Greg Kalleres, and Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig; and information on getting the complete text of each play. This is a must-have resource in the arsenal of every aspiring actor hoping to knock 'em dead with her contemporary piece after bowling over teachers and casting directors alike with a classical excerpt.

In this thoughtfully curated collection, teen actors preparing for an audition or searching for quality scenes to hone their chops will find a wealth of contemporary material from American and British plays. Almost all of the works are from the year 2000 to the recent 2014 Broadway production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time, chosen from the point of view of a professional acting teacher, director, and casting director.Along with covering the basics of how to match the best monologue to the actor and how to approach the rehearsal and performance of the piece, the book provides a synopsis of each play, a character description, and a list of questions specific to each monologue that will direct the actor toward shaping a complex, honest, and thoughtful performance that has a strong emotional connection, a clear arc, and playable actions. There is also a brief lesson on appropriate rehearsal behavior and preparation.

You wanna be funny for your audition? This book of monologues, written by people who are actually funny for a living, has your back.This incredibly hysterical, cutting-edge monologue book will give the teen actor the extra bang he needs to land the perfect comedic role! Teen Boys' Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny features monologues by writers and comics who have written for and/or performed on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, Last Comic Standing, E! Entertainment, Comedy Central Stage, and many, many more.This book is the answer to the comedic monologue needs of teen actors everywhere!

Never before has a monologue book been written completely by people who are actually funny for a living!This incredibly hysterical, cutting-edge collection of monologues will give an actor the extra bang he needs to land the perfect comedic role. Men's Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny features monologues by writers and comics who have written for and/or performed on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, Last Comic Standing, E! Entertainment, Comedy Central Stage, and many, many more.This book is the answer to the comedic monologue needs of male actors everywhere!

The Best New Ten-Minute Plays, 2019 presents approximately thirty of the most original and fresh ten-minute plays, selected by renowned editor Lawrence Harbison. This volume is ideal for theater enthusiasts looking for new and compelling short pieces from some of the finest playwrights of our time. Selections include:Wild Birds by Nicole PandolfoThe Pole at the Center by C. S. HansonPersephone by Jennifer O’GradyHercules Didn’t Wade in the Water by Michael A. JonesAvalanche by Rita AndersonBrickwork by K. L. SnodgrassDeath Defying by Stephen KaplanMoths by Don Nigro

Starting with an understanding that all actors are by nature unconventional, Monologues from the Edge presents performers with a wide range of monologues featuring characters who stand outside social norms and ideas of acceptability. Compiled by dramaturg Steve Marsh, this collection includes many contemporary monologues from plays he had the opportunity to review during his time on the nominating committee of the Drama Desk Awards in NYC. Marsh's sincere theatrical bliss comes from understanding and working with playwrights and their dramatic structures, and his definition of the "edge"and his choice of dramatic works is sure to inspire all actors who endeavor to understand all of the characters and their motivations completely.

Renowned editor Larwrence Harbison brings together approximately one hundred never-before-published men’s monologues for actors to use for auditions and in class, all from recently produced plays. The selections include monologues from plays by both well-known playwrights and future stars, including Jonathan Yukitch, Don Nigro, Lloyd Su, Daniel Damiano, Molly Goforth, Carlyle Brown, Seth Svi Rosenfeld, Brian Dykstra, Steven Hayet, David MacGregor, and Nat Cassidy.There are terrific comic pieces (laughs) and terrific dramatic pieces (no laughs), and all represent the best of contemporary playwriting. This collection is an invaluable resource for aspiring actors hoping to ace their auditions and impress directors and teachers with contemporary pieces.

Renowned editor Lawrence Harbison brings together approximately one hundred never-before-published women’s monologues for actors to use for auditions and in class, all from recently produced plays. The selections include monologues from plays by both well-known playwrights and future stars, including Michael Ross Albert, Don Nigro, Daniel Damiano, Molly Goforth, Seth Svi Rosenfeld, Brian Dykstra, Michael A. Jones, Sam Graber, Penny Jackson, Christi Stewart-Brown, George Sapio, Sarah M. Chichester, Constance Congdon, Steven Hayet, and Ashlin Halfnight.There are terrific comic pieces (laughs) and terrific dramatic pieces (no laughs), and all represent the best of contemporary playwriting. This collection is an invaluable resource for aspiring actors hoping to ace their auditions and impress directors and teachers with contemporary pieces.

She Persisted: Thirty Ten-Minute Plays by Women over Forty is a collection of plays by members of Honor Roll!, an advocacy group of women over forty. About Honor Roll!:"Honor Roll! is an advocacy and action group of women+ playwrights over forty—and our allies—whose goal is our inclusion in theater. The term "women+" refers to a spectrum of gender identification that includes women, non-binary identifiers, and trans. We are the generation excluded at the outset of our careers because of sexism, now overlooked because of ageism. We celebrate diversity in theater, and work to call attention to the negative impact of age discrimination alongside gender, race, ethnicity, faith, socioeconomic status, disability, and sexual orientation in the American Theatre and beyond.""These women are in their forties and fifties and sixties, and they have been writing a long time, and they are at the height of their craft. These are tight, complex, nuanced pieces of writing, which no one has seen because for too long they weren't looking. These are important writers, and important plays." —Theresa Rebeck, from the introduction

She Persisted: One Hundred Monologues from Plays by Women over Forty is a collection of monologues from plays by members of Honor Roll!, an advocacy group of women over forty. About Honor Roll!:"Honor Roll! is an advocacy and action group of women+ playwrights over forty—and our allies—whose goal is our inclusion in theater. The term "women+" refers to a spectrum of gender identification that includes women, non-binary identifiers, and trans. We are the generation excluded at the outset of our careers because of sexism, now overlooked because of ageism. We celebrate diversity in theater, and work to call attention to the negative impact of age discrimination alongside gender, race, ethnicity, faith, socioeconomic status, disability, and sexual orientation in the American Theatre and beyond.""These women are in their forties and fifties and sixties, and they have been writing a long time, and they are at the height of their craft. These are tight, complex, nuanced pieces of writing, which no one has seen because for too long they weren't looking. These are important writers, and important plays." —Theresa Rebeck, from the introduction

LineStorm Playwrights contributed to and curated this anthology of twenty-five short plays designed to be performed outdoors, written by some of the most well-known playwrights creating ten-minute plays today. These compelling pieces can be performed inside, on a traditional stage, but they can also be site-specific works, set in a backyard, on a front porch, in a park, by a street, in a fountain, on a field, by a pool, or under the stars. The collection contains varied scenes and monologues—selections of comedy, farce, satire, musical theater, and drama—perfect for classroom study and for performance by a wide range of actors.

This book is the answer to the comedic monologue needs of kid actors – and their parents – everywhere. Kids' Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny is specifically geared for children ages 5-12. Divided into boy, girl, and gender neutral categories, every piece is guaranteed to be clean, hilariously funny, easy to memorize, and a joy for young actors to perform.It features monologues by writers and comics who have written for or performed on Ellen, Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Stage, and many more.

Inside these pages, aspiring young performers will find 75 challenging monologues just right for kids. All of the pieces are about subjects appropriate for production in schools – much of it “serious and challenging” – which will interest child performers without offending administrators, teachers, or parents. Some are comical, some are dramatic, and some are seriocomic (a little bit of both). Most of the monologues are from plays, and some are original pieces written especially for this book. Despite the listed age of each character, these monologue can all be performed by kids of any age.The collection features wonderful monologues by some of our finest playwrights, such as Don Nigro, Cassandra Lewis, Reina Hardy, Kayla Cagan, Jenny Lyn Bader, Eric Coble, Glenn Alterman, Constance Congdon, and Barbara Dana. It also highlights exciting up-and-comers, such as Sharon Goldner, Gabriel David, Deanna Alisa Ableser, Martha Patterson, David Eliet, Connie Schindewolf, Mark Lambeck, and Phoebe Farmer.

The Best Scenes for Kids Ages 7-15 contains 50 challenging scenes for kids by some of our finest playwrights. All have subject matter appropriate for production in schools, much of it “serious” and “challenging ” which will interest child performers without offending administrators, teachers or parents. Some are comic (laughs), some are dramatic (no laughs), some are seriocomic (some laughs).There are scenes here by veteran playwrights such as Don Nigro, Jenny Lyn Bader, Eric Coble, Constance Congdon, Arleen Hutton, Jack Neary, Kermit Frazier and Carlos Murillo, and by exciting up-and-comers such as Cassandra Lewis, Reina Hardy, Deanna Alisa Ableser, Martha Patterson, Mark Lambeck and Merridith Allen. Some are from plays, but many are original pieces written for this book. The age of each character is given, but don't let that deter you if you like the scene, as many could be done by kids not that age.

In More 10-Minute Plays for Teens, young thespians will find terrific plays by some of our most prominent playwrights – such as Don Nigro, Sherry Kramer, and Kayla Cagan, and by others less well known but equally terrific such as Wayne Paul Mattingly, Lesley Anne Moreau, Elayne Heilveil, and Barry Ernst. This selection of 10-minute plays provides a variety of teenage characters and situations for young actors to explore. Some of the plays are challenging and touch on tougher topics while others maintain a light-hearted tone. It is an essential addition to a young actor's collection! More 10-Minute Plays for Teens is ideal for theater students, youth groups, and acting classes.

The first and only book of its kind, this cutting-edge and incredibly hysterical monologue book is specifically for actors auditioning for LGBTQ roles. LGBTQ Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny features works by LGBT writers and comics (and their allies) who have written and/or performed for Comedy Central, Backstage magazine, NBC, the Huffington Post, the Onion, Second City, E!, and many more. This collection is the go-to source for the comedic monologue needs of actors seeking LGBT material, as well as a paean to LGBT characters and artists.

In 10-Minute Plays for Kids, young thespians will find terrific plays by some of our most prominent playwrights – such as Sharyn Rothstein, Alex Broun, Jenny Lyn Bader, Claudia I. Haas, and Mark Harvey Levine, and by others less well known but equally terrific such as Sharai Bohannon, Suzanne Bailie, and Shirley King. The characters and situations portrayed are perfect for the kid actor. Some of the plays explore relatable tales of friendship and family, while others allow the actors to take on the personas of nonhuman characters, such as fish and chess pieces! 10-Minute Plays for Kids is ideal for theater students, youth groups, and acting classes.

The theater of the 21st century, in many ways, is expanding to require new muscles of its actors, and so should their monologue choices. Contemporary Monologues for Twentysomethings is a compilation of monologues for actors ages 15 to 30, incorporating characters from a variety of backgrounds with different stories to tell, giving you the chance to explore those who are close to you and those who may come from someplace else. These monologues are compiled in order of length, with the shortest coming in a little under a minute and the longer pieces running closer to four minutes.All from plays written between 2000 and 2016, the monologues in this book are useful both for exploration in a classroom setting as well as for auditions. Jessica Bashline, adjunct professor of acting at New York University, has assembled a comprehensive collection, featuring work written by Neil LaBute, Sarah Ruhl, Zach Braff, Naomi Iizuka, and many more. Every playwright in this book is currently writing. Some of these plays have been produced on Broadway and some in tiny theaters in New York, Minneapolis, San Diego, or other cities around the country. This book offers a chance for emerging actors to explore work by playwrights, both emerging and established, that is truly contemporary.

The theater of the 21st century, in many ways, is expanding to require new muscles of its actors, and so should their scene choices. Today, amid flourishing new play resources, it can be difficult to nail down contemporary scenes for two people. These scenes, all culled from plays written between 2000 and 2016, are useful to actors between the ages of 15 and 30. They range from about two to seven minutes' running time – appropriate for different classroom explorations – and are grouped by scenes for two males, two females, and one male and one female.Contemporary Scenes for Twentysomethings offers the opportunity for emerging actors to explore work by playwrights, both emerging and established, that is truly contemporary. Jessica Bashline, adjunct professor of acting at New York University, has assembled a comprehensive collection, featuring work written by Samuel D. Hunter, Liz Duffy Adams, Timothy Mason, Nina Raine, and many more. Every playwright in this book is currently writing. The characters included in this compilation come from a variety of backgrounds with different stories to tell, giving you the chance to explore those who are close to you and those who may come from someplace else. When perusing this book, look for scenes that instantly draw you. There is more than enough material to find something that speaks to you, and your passion for a piece will strengthen your final performance!

5-Minute Plays for Teens is the latest collection from veteran editor Lawrence Harbison, a man who has...We know - we're already losing your attention. And that's okay! In keeping with the spirit of this book, we'll give it to you in five.1.On any given day, the average teen spends nine hours engaging with digital media. A fair chunk of that time is spent watching viral videos, which run, on average, for about five minutes.2. Needless to say, an average play runs far longer (and costs much more). Accordingly, teens don't have the time (or money) for theater.3. Adolescence is an emotional roller coaster rife with laughs and melodrama, reality and fantasy. Whatever a teen's mood, bite-sized bits of online entertainment keep him/her covered.4. At long last, the world of theater has caught up with the digital realm. Five-minute plays and festivals abound –ÿyou can now plow through a full-fledged performance before your kids loses interest5. Seems your children/students/kids suddenly do have time for theatre.Whether you're a frustrated acting teacher struggling to retain your students' interest, a performing arts counselor looking for an engaging exercise, or a group of theater kids looking to screw around between sets, 5-Minute Plays for Teens shoehorns all the theater you need into the precise attention span you're granted. Why not give it a whirl?

Is theater still relevant in this new century? The almost one hundred monologues in this collection prove that contemporary theater is alive, vibrant, and vital to our culture. The human experiences depicted in the works expose our hopes and fears, our bravado and our masks, as we live life in the first quarter of this new millennium.Divided into monologues for men and women, the selected pieces in Contemporary Monologues for a New Theater draw on the many diverse stories that weave the tapestry of our experience in this exciting new time. Performers and directors will become acquainted with the work of the many new playwrights they discover within these pages. And by performing these monologues, actors will emerge with a better understanding of the diversity and the beauty of life on this planet at this point in human history, gaining greater empathy toward those with different perspectives.The monologues hold a mirror up to society, allowing audiences to see hidden reflections in the shadows and the refracted colors and sounds dancing in plain sight. It is as true today even as it was for the Greeks-theater makes us more fully human.

Ever feel like the only hurdle between you and your dream role are the outmoded audition (and, let's face it, gender) norms that many casting agents presumably adhere to? Tired of stale and lifeless soliloquies that leave your mouth dry and your spirit in tatters? Sick of feeling hamstrung by both your material and your imagined audience? In Break the Rules and Get the Part: Thirty Monologues for Women, Lira Kellerman will help you infiltrate, navigate, and obliterate the arbitrary guidelines that keep you tethered to dull, flaccid monologues and a disembodied stage personality.Characterized by Broadway World as “a complex combo of prude and seductress ” Kellerman knows the ins and outs of both sides of an audition. Onstage she boasts extensive experience as an actress and dancer – experience that, in tandem with her skill as a writer and proud embrace of her inner dork (despite said dork's predilection toward words like “hella” and “dude” in moments of emotional intensity), led to the creation of this palpably empathetic book. Behind the table, her many gigs as an acting coach and casting director have taught her what your most important critics expect – and exactly how you should surprise them.She brings this knowledge to bear on each original (that's right, original!) monologue in Break the Rules and Get the Part. Every one-minute piece is emotionally self-contained, featuring a clear internal narrative arc, sharp turning points, and several beats to choose from, each of which can make the text your own. These comedic, serio-comedic, and dramatic monologues are also followed by what Kellerman terms Helpful Direction: a list of key points that highlight character objectives and intents, several ideas on which emotions you should hit (and how and where to hit them), and multiple comedic and dramatic suggestions that heighten your individuality and personal essence within a piece.Break the Rules and Get the Part is the sort of book a showbiz vet at the top of her artistic game wishes she had when she first entered the field. Don't fret about getting your foot in the door – kick it down, stride in, and make your wildest dreams a reality!

The way some introductory acting books are written, it seems that a literal leg break is your best option. In The Young Actor's Handbook, Jeremy Kruse, an actor, writer, producer, and director who teaches method acting, acting for camera, improvisation, and sketch comedy at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York, mends this mangled genre, distilling invaluable lessons and years of experience down to a lean, mean, intuitive hundred page primer.Rather than bludgeoning the uninitiated with dense paragraphs, vague concepts, and opaque examples, The Young Actor's Handbook ignites the beginning actor's creative soul with inspirational acting exercises, acting theory, writing exercises, and insight into what it means to be an actor. This concise and pragmatic manual will guide and inform the young actor, beginning actor, novice acting teacher, or anyone who wants to understand acting through a broad and diverse survey of essential knowledge. The teachings of Richard Boleslavsky, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, Uta Hagen, Michael Shurtleff, Lee Strasberg, and Constantin Stanislavsky are eloquently and accessible rendered, as are basics of script analysis, camera technique, the audition mindset, agent acquisition, and the actor's life.Whether you're a curious novice, veteran acting teacher, or even an interested observer, The Young Actor's Handbook will enhance your understanding of this vast and rewarding craft.

Over one-hundred and thirty great scenes erupt from page to stage in this addition to the Applause Acting Series. Each scene has been selected as a freestanding dramatic unit offering two actors a wide range of theatrical challenge and opportunity. Each scene is set up with a synopsis of the play, character descriptions and notes on how to propel the scene to full power outside the context of the play. DUO! offers a full spectrum of age, region, genre, character, level of difficulty, and non-traditional casting potential.