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Acting My Face: A Memoir (Hollywood Legends Series)

by Estate of James

Actor Anthony James has played killers, psychopaths, and other twisted characters throughout his Hollywood career. In the summer of 1967, James made his motion picture debut as the murderer in the Academy Award-winning Best Picture, In the Heat of the Night. His role in the 1992 Academy Award-winning Best Picture, Unforgiven, culminated a unique, twenty-eight-year career. Behind his menacing and memorable face, however, is a thoughtful, gentle man, one who muses deeply on the nature of art and creativity and on the family ties that have sustained him. James's Acting My Face renders Hollywood through the eyes and experience of an established character actor. James appeared on screen with such legendary stars as Clint Eastwood, Bette Davis, Gene Hackman, and Sidney Poitier, and in such classic television shows as Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, Starsky and Hutch, Charlie's Angels, and The A-Team. Yet, it is his mother's heroic story that captures his imagination. In an odyssey which in 1940 took her and her newly wedded husband from Greece to a small southern town in America where she bore her only child, James's mother suffered the early death of her husband when James was only eight years old. In the blink of an eye, she went from grand hostess of her husband's lavish parties to hotel maid. But like the lioness she was, she fought with great ferocity and outrageous will in her relentless devotion to James's future. And so it was, that on an August morning in 1960, eighteen-year-old James and his mother took a train from South Carolina three thousand miles to Hollywood, California, to realize his dream of an acting career. They possessed only two hundred dollars, their courage, and an astonishing degree of naiveté. After his retirement in 1994, James and his mother moved to Arlington, Massachusetts, where he concentrated on his painting and poetry. His mother died in 2008 at the age of ninety-four, still a lioness protecting her beloved son. Acting My Face is an unusual memoir, one that explores the true nature of a working life in Hollywood and how aspirations and personal devotion are forged into a career.

Acting Naturally: The Magic in Great Performances

by David Thomson

From the celebrated film critic and author of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, a fascinating look at some of the cinema&’s finest actors and how they approach their craft"Open to any page and you&’ll become enthralled by the...tales of forgotten film lore, childhood memories, sexy gossip.&”—Philip Kaufman, directorMeryl Streep, Marlon Brando, Anthony Hopkins, Carey Mulligan. When we watch these remarkable actors in a performance, we see only Sophie, Stanley Kowalski, Hannibal Lecter, or Cassie from Promising Young Woman. How are they able to transform our world in this way? How and why do they do what they do?In Acting Naturally, David Thomson sheds light on the actors who have shaped the film industry. He shrewdly analyzes these stars—among them, James Dean, Nicole Kidman, Denzel Washington, Louise Brooks, Riz Ahmed, Sir Laurence Olivier, Viola Davis, and Jean Seberg—revealing how a sly smile, an extra-long pause, even a small gesture of the hand can draw in an audience. And he takes us behind the scenes to examine casting and all the other moments leading up to &“Action!&”Through intimate anecdote, humor, and the insight born of a lifetime watching and analyzing film, Thomson explores the real reasons why we go to the movies and looks at how they influence our lives. This book is not only necessary reading for an insider&’s view of the industry but also a surprising investigation of the relationship between acting and living.

Acting One (4th edition)

by Robert Cohen

Used to teach beginning acting on more campuses than any other text, Acting One contains twenty-eight lessons based on experiential exercises. The text covers basic skills such as talking, listening, tactical interplay, physicalizing, building scenes, and making good choices.

Acting Power: The 21st Century Edition

by Robert Cohen

‘Robert Cohen’s book, Acting Power, follows the tradition of his other book, Acting One, and has been the veritable bible for acting teachers for the last quarter century.’ – David Krasner, Emerson College ‘This book, above all else, is an attempt to explore the qualities of acting power.... to suggest to you, the actor, an approach toward not merely good acting but powerful acting. Great actors display the power to frighten – and the power to seduce – and can shift between the one and the other like a violinist can her notes.’ – From the Preface The first edition of Acting Power was a groundbreaking work of acting theory which applied sociological and psychological principles to actor training. The book went on to influence a generation of theatre and performance studies students and academics, and was translated into five languages. This carefully revised 21st Century Edition (re)considers, in the context of today’s field: questions such as ‘should actors act from the inside or the outside?’ and ‘should the actor live the role or present the role?’; contemporary research into communication theory, cybernetics, and cognitive science; brilliantly illuminating and witty exercises for solo study and classroom use, and a through-line of useful references to classic plays; penetrating observations about the actor’s art by more than 75 distinguished professional actors and directors. Cohen’s elegant and rigorous updates emphasise the continuing relevance of his uniquely integrated and life-affirming approach to this field. The new edition draws on his extraordinarily rich career as teacher, scholar, director, translator and dramaturg. It is a recipe for thrilling theatre in any genre.

Acting Queer: Gender Dissidence and the Subversion of Realism

by Conrad Alexandrowicz

This book is situated at the intersection of queer/gender studies and theories of acting pedagogy and performance. It explores the social and cultural matrix in which matters of gender are negotiated, including that of post-secondary theatre and drama education. It identifies the predicament of gender dissident actors who must contend with the widespread enforcement of realist paradigms within the academy, and proposes a re-imagining of the way drama/theatre/performance are practised in order to serve more fairly and effectively the needs of queer actors in training. This is located within a larger project of critique in reference to the art form as a whole. The book stimulates discussion among practitioners and scholars on matters concerning various kinds of diversity: of gender expression, of approaches to the teaching of acting, and to the way the art form may be imagined and executed in the early years of the 21st Century, in particular in the face of the climate crisis. But it is also an aid to practitioners who are seeking new theoretical and practical approaches to dealing with gender diversity in acting pedagogy.

Acting Reframes: Using NLP to Make Better Decisions In and Out of the Theatre

by Robert Barton

Acting Reframes presents theatre and film practitioners with a methodology for using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) as a tool to aid their practice. Author Robert Barton uses the NLP approach to illustrate a range of innovative methods to help actors and directors, including: • reducing performance anxiety • enabling clearer communication • intensifying character analysis • stimulating imaginative rehearsal choices. The author also shows how NLP can used alongside other basic training systems to improve approaches to rehearsal and performance. The book shows the use of NLP to the reader in a playful, creative and easily accessible style that is structured to enable solo study as well as group work. The text offers a range of engaging exercises and extensive analysis of language patterns used in performance. It is a source for enhancing communication between all theatre practitioners in training, productions, and daily life outside the theatre. Acting Reframes gives actors a richly rewarding approach to help them develop all aspects of their craft.

Acting Shakespeare (Routledge Library Editions: Shakespeare in Performance)

by Bertram Leon Joseph

How did the actors for whom Shakespeare wrote his plays make his characters come to life, how did they convey his words? Can modern directors, actors, and even library readers of Shakespeare learn from them? Creating character and making the Elizabethan playwright’s poetry compelling for the audience is a problem which has seldom been resolved in modern times. This book demonstrates the hard course a modern actor must follow to make real and truthful the words he speaks, and the action and emotion underlying them. With examples and simple exercises, this book helps with the preparation for the great task – providing the actor with a combination that unlocks the Bard's English. Starting with how theatrical speech was understood in Renaissance England, it looks at figures of speech, the powers of persuasion, and the passion and rhythm inherent in the language.

Acting Shakespeare is Outrageous!: Playing the Bard for Beginners

by Herb Parker

Performing the work of William Shakespeare can be daunting to new actors. Author Herb Parker posits that his work is played easier if actors think of the plays as happening out of outrageous situations, and remember just how non-realistic and presentational Shakespeare's plays were meant to be performed. The plays are driven by language and the spoken word, and the themes and plots are absolutely out of the ordinary and fantastic - the very definition of outrageous. With exercises, improvisations, and coaching points, Acting Shakespeare is Outrageous! helps actors use the words Shakespeare wrote as a tool to perform him, and to create exciting and moving performances.

Acting Teachers of America: A Vital Tradition

by Ronald Rand

Fifty of America's most influential acting teachers (including directors and actors who also teach) explain their philosophy and techniques. Each teacher interview is immediately followed by another with a former or current student describing his or her impact.

Acting Techniques for Everyday Life: Look and Feel Self-Confident in Difficult, Real-Life Situations

by Jane Marla Robbins

Most people can name at least one situation?a business presentation, a job interview, a cocktail party, or a blind date?in which they felt uncomfortable, nervous, or simply self-conscious. Jane Marla Robbins, a successful stage and film actress and teacher for almost forty years, found that she could use the same acting techniques she employed to look and feel confident on stage and screen to make herself feel more comfortable in ?real-lifeOCO situations. In clear and accessible language, Robbins describes acting techniques that actors having been using for centuries and explains?using real-life examples and easy-to-follow exercises?how each can be used by ordinary people to make difficult everyday situations easier to handle. Acting Techniques for Everyday Life will teach readers how to create a sense of well-being and self-confidence at will, giving them the tools they need to be as confident, strong, witty, authentic, relaxed, and happy as they want to be in any given situation. "

Acting That Matters

by Barry Pineo

An invaluable resource for anyone wanting his or her acting to matter, this groundbreaking guide defies most modern acting methods by rejecting emotion as an acting tool. With the advice in this book, actors will see beyond the prevailing "objective-obstacle" approach and look primarily to the text the playwright provides. Actors learn how to dissect a text for key words and phrases, as well as how to score a script, find proper tempo and rhythm, modulate volume and intensity, use theatrical stillness effectively, find beat actions, listen to their acting partners, and much more. Expert tips are also provided for auditioning, cold reading, and taking direction.

Acting after Grotowski: Theatre’s Carnal Prayer

by Kris Salata

For whom does the actor perform? To answer this foundational question of the actor’s art, Grotowski scholar Kris Salata explores acting as a self-revelatory action, introduces Grotowski’s concept of "carnal prayer," and develops an interdisciplinary theory of acting and spectating. Acting after Grotowski: Theatre’s Carnal Prayer attempts to overcome the religious/secular binary by treating "prayer" as a pre-religious, originary deed, and ultimately situates theatre along with ritual in their shared territory of play. Grounded in theatre practice, Salata’s narrative moves through postmodern philosophy, critical theory, theatre, performance, ritual, and religious studies, concluding that the fundamental structure of prayer, which underpins the actor’s deed, can be found in any self-revelatory creative act.

Acting and Being: Explorations in Embodied Performance

by Elizabeth Hess

In this book, educator-actor-playwright-director Elizabeth Hess offers systematic and original explorations in performance technique. This hybrid approach is a fusion of physical theater modalities culled from Western practices (Psycho-physical actions, Viewpoints) Eastern practices (Butoh, Kundalini yoga) and related performance disciplines (Mask, Puppetry). Behavioral, physiological and psychological 'states of being' are engaged to unlock impulses, access experience and enlarge the imagination. Through individual, partnered and collective explorations, actors uncover a character's essence and level of consciousness, their energy center and body language, and their archetype and relationship to universal themes. Magic (to pretend, as if), Metaphor (to compare, as like) and Myth (to pattern after, as in) provide the foundation for generating transformative, empathetic and expansive artistic expression. Explorations can be adapted to character work, scene study and production, including original/devised work and established text, to illuminate singular and surprising work through collaborative creativity that is inventive, inclusive and alive.

Acting and Directing Shakespeare's Comedies: Key Lessons

by Kevin Otos

Acting and Directing Shakespeare’s Comedies: Key Lessons outlines a clear, effective process for acting Shakespeare’s comedies. This book lays out core principles and useful exercises that help the reader better understand, expereince, and implement Shakespeare's comedic design. Building off of modern acting methods as well as contemporary Clown, classical Commedia, and verse-speaking techniques, the author guides the reader toward interpretive and performance choices that are original, justified, and entertaining. Included are clear examples and detailed case studies that illuminate and reenforce these key lessons. This accessible book is for actors, directors, students of Shakespeare, and those who want a fuller, richer awareness of the possibilities within Shakespeare’s comedies and a clear, pragmatic process for creating those performances.

Acting and Living in Discovery: A Workbook for the Actor

by Carol Rosenfeld

Acting and Living in Discovery, A Workbook for the Actor lays out essential fundamentals of the actor’s process. Based on the author’s experiences at the legendary HB Studio in New York City, Acting and Living in Discovery provides practical guidance for developing, honing, or revitalizing the actor’s craft for the actor. A teacher can use the workbook to support a studio class, a special workshop, part of a university acting course, or private coaching. The chapters delve into basic facets of the acting process that lead the actor into discovering the corporal world of a script. Exercises at the end of each chapter invite the actor to discover the treasure trove of his unique self, and spell out the work an actor can do to wear the shoes of any character. The actor is at once the instrument and the player. The workbook can be read straight through or used as a reference for addressing a particular problem or topic.

Acting as a Business

by Brian O'Neil

An essential handbook for actors–a modern classic–in a newly updated edition.Since its original publication, Acting as a Business has earned a reputation as an indispensable tool for working and aspiring actors. Avoiding the usual advice about persistence and luck, Brian O’Neil provides clear-cut guidelines that will give actors a solid knowledge of the business behind their art. It’s packed with practical information–on everything from what to say in a cover letter to where to stand when performing in agent’s office–including:•How to craft a winning theatrical résumé•The most effective ways to join the performer’s unions•Tactics for getting an agent•Strategies for finding work in the theater, on daytime television, and in independent films•Navigating the different customs and cultures of New York and Los AngelesO’Neil has updated Acting as a Business to keep up with the latest show-business trends, including how best to use the Internet, making this new edition no actor should be without.

Acting for Animators

by Ed Hooks

Ed Hooks' indispensable acting guidebook for animators has been fully updated and improved! Hooks uses basic acting theory to explain everything from character movement and facial expressions to interaction and scene construction. Just as acting on film and on stage are very different disciplines, so is the use of acting theory in creating an animated character, scene or story. Acting for Animators is full of essential craft tips from an acting master. New to this Routledge edition: - scene-by-scene analyses of six films, including Up, Coraline and Kung Fu Panda - an expanded chapter on video game animation - all-new illustrations - a 500 word history of acting

Acting for Animators

by Ed Hooks

Ed Hooks' essential acting guidebook for animators has been fully revised and updated in this fifth edition, capturing some of the vast changes that have affected the animation industry in recent years. Written specifically for animation professionals instead of stage and movie actors, this book provides an essential primer for creating empathetic and dynamic character performance and, in the process, shows how the strongest storytelling structure works. Hooks applies classical acting theory – from Aristotle to Stanislavsky and beyond – to animation, as well as explaining scene structure, character development and the connections between thinking, emotion and physical action. Theory presented here applies to any and all character animation regardless of style or animation technique. Whether your project is stop-motion, 2D, 3D or a blend of techniques, audiences are audiences are audiences, and they have shown up at the theater or cinema so they can experience and enjoy your story. New to this fifth edition: Four new scene-by-scene acting analyses of animated feature films: Flee, Soul, Porco Rosso and The Triplets of Belleville. A comprehensive and updated section titled "Classroom Notes" which includes a segment on experimental animation, a brief history of acting training for actors and guidance on Motion and Performance Capture technology. Updated online database of Hooks' previous film analyses, all in one place. Acting for Animators is essential reading for all students and teachers of animation courses.

Acting for Animators: 4th Edition

by Ed Hooks

Ed Hooks' essential acting guidebook for animators has been fully revised and updated in this 4th edition. Hooks uses classical acting theory – from Aristotle to Stanislavsky and beyond – to explain everything from character analysis and physical movement to facial expression and scene structure. He speaks directly to animators, instead of stage or screen actors. Acting for Animators is an invaluable primer for beginner animators and a useful reference for experienced pros. New to this fourth edition: - 6 new scene-by-scene acting analyses of animated feature films, including Zootopia and The Little Prince - an annotated analysis of Walt Disney’s famous 1935 memo to Don Graham, regarding how best to train animators - advice to the animator about how best to perform visual references - a chapter on Virtual Reality - an online database of Ed’s previous film analyses, all in one place.

Acting for Film

by Cathy Haase

Aspiring film and television actors will discover exercises for relaxing the face to achieve maximum expressiveness; maintaining proper eye focus in front of the camera and conveying the "beats" of a scene, even in the shortest takes. They'll also learn tested techniques for adapting to the styles of different directors; modulating voice and breath for maximum effect; preparing for the first day on the set; enduring multiple takes and on-the-set waiting; and much, much more. For any performer who intends to make a living in front of the camera, Acting for Film is the most authoritative resource!

Acting for Film (Second Edition)

by Cathy Haase Ian McKellen

"It will not disappoint . . ." —Ian McKellen, from the ForewordAn Authoritative Training Manual for Film Actors and Teachers “In today's entertainment industry of buff bodies and beautiful faces, it's easy to think that a couple of sit-ups and high cheek bones can create a movie legend,” writes film veteran Cathy Haase. However, she adds, what the actor really must have are “technique, craft, and a depth of self-knowledge.” In Acting for Film, Second Edition, Haase shows actors how to develop all of these, sharing her secrets (developed through years of on-camera work) for creating characters who come alive and who touch the souls of the audience. Readers will learn how to apply theatrical training to film acting and hone a personal approach to rendering a character. Acting for Film, Second Edition, is an essential guide for aspiring performers, acting teachers, and anyone interested in gaining a greater understanding of the craft. This new edition includes: Advice on dealing with new technology including CGI and motion capture Concentration and relaxation exercises that will enhance facial expressiveness Exploration of sense memory techniques for on-camera work Animal exercises and their usages Tips for maintaining proper eye focus in front of the camera and conveying the “beats” of a scene, even in the shortest takes For any performer who intends to make a living in front of the camera, Acting for Film, Second Edition, is the most authoritative resource! With Haase’s experience and advice in their pocket, readers will be prepared to land the film role they’ve been dreaming of.

Acting for the Camera: Back To One

by Peter Allen Stone

Acting for the Camera: Back to One is a "how to" book with practical steps to achieve a professional performance on camera. The book focuses on four distinct areas: how to prepare the character, how to execute the technical responsibilities that will assist the editor in creating the on-camera performance in post-production, tips from industry professionals, and how to create effective self-tape auditions. Part One: The Character’s World is packed with tools to analyze the script and fully prepare the character before arriving on set. Part Two: The Actor’s World focuses on developing technical acting skills for the camera that assist the pre- and post-production teams to create a dynamic on-screen performance. In Part Three: The Professional World, industry professionals provide tips from inside the film/TV audition room and how to navigate a career in the acting business. The final section, Part Four: Self-Tape Like a Pro, outlines how to build a self-tape studio in the privacy of your own home and submit high-quality self-tape auditions that will help you stand out from the competition. Written for students enrolled in Acting for the Camera courses, Acting for the Camera: Back to One explores techniques that can be practiced and mastered by actors of all levels, from the moment they audition for the part through to when they hear that director call "cut!"

Acting for the Camera: Revised Edition

by Tony Barr

Learn how to adapt the craft of acting to the needs of the camera and how to make it in TV & film with this guide full of insights from pros in the field.Culled from Tony Barr’s forty years of experience as a performer, director, and acting teacher in Hollywood, this highly praised handbook provides readers with the practical knowledge they need when performing in front of the camera. This updated edition includes plenty of new exercises for honing on-camera skills; additional chapters on imagination and movement; and fresh material on character development, monologues, visual focus, playing comedy, and working with directors. Inside tips on the studio system and acting guilds make it particularly helpful for people new to the business, and numerous anecdotes from actors such as Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins and examples from current movies illustrate its many lessons. It is perfect for acting classes, workshops, all actors who work in front of the camera—and all those who want to.

Acting for the Screen (PERFORM)

by Mary Lou Belli

Acting for the Screen is a collection of essays written by and interviews with working actors, producers, directors, casting directors, and acting professors, exploring the business side of screen acting. In this book, over thirty show business professionals dispel myths about the industry and provide practical advice on topics such as how to break into the field, how to develop, nurture, and navigate business relationships, and how to do creative work under pressure. Readers will also learn about the entrepreneurial expectations in relation to the internet and social media, strategies for contending with the emotional highs and lows of acting, and money management while pursuing acting as a profession. Written for undergraduates and graduates studying Acting for Screen, aspiring professional actors, and working actors looking to reinvent themselves, Acting for the Screen provides readers with a wealth of first-hand information that will help them create their own opportunities and pursue a career in show business.

Acting for the Stage (PERFORM)

by Anna Weinstein Chris Qualls

Acting for the Stage is a highly accessible guide to the business of theater acting, written for those interested in pursuing acting as a profession. This book is a collection of essays by and interviews with talented artists and businesspeople who have built successful careers in the theater; it’s a goldmine of career advice that might take years to find on your own. Herein, the myths around professional acting are dispelled, and the mysteries revealed. Acting for the Stage illuminates practical strategies to help you build a life as a theater professional and find financial rewards and creative fulfillment in the process. Contains essays by and interviews with working stage actors, acting coaches, directors, writers, and agents. Features discussions on selecting a graduate school program, choosing acting classes and workshops, making the most out of your showcase, landing an agent, networking and promoting yourself, and the business of casting. Covers issues of money management, balancing the highs and lows of the profession, finding work to nourish your acting career, and building your creative team and support network.

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Showing 676 through 700 of 21,273 results