The Best Acting Books For You
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I wanted to include on the Alchemist a reading list of sorts. Just like when you were in school, these should serve as your list of text books. This list is full, in my opinion, of only the best books written on the art of acting and the theatre in general. You can learn a lot from any of these books and it doesn’t matter where you begin. Just pick one book of this list and dive into it. They say the best way to learn acting is through experience, but it never hurts to take lessons from the people who really know. So go pick out a few of these books from your local library and give them a read, because these are written by the teachers who know more about this process than you or I could hope to know.
Without further ado:
- The Art of Acting
by Stella Adler - One of the finest acting books I’ve read, Stella Adler and I share a great many views.
- On Acting
by Sanford Meisner - A contemporary and costar of Stella Adler, Meisner takes a very honest and truthful approach to acting.
- Respect for Acting
by Uta Hagen - One of the original books on acting. This is a must for every actor.
- An Actor Prepares
- Anything by Constantine Stanislavski is something you should read. You may disagree with his “method” but first you have to learn it.
- Tips Ideas for Actors
by Jon Jory - Quite a few little nuggets on the craft. Best for new actors, but still some interesting gems even for the experienced.
- Audition
by Michael Shurtleff - Own, read it, love it. This is a book every actor must read many, many times.
- Strasberg at The Actors Studio
Ed.by Robert H. Hethmon - Lee Strasberg created the famous Actors Studio, and while he and Meisner disagree on many things, you cannot go without learning from Strasberg.
- Living Theatre
by Wilson & Goldfarb - Learn as much theatre history as you can. You must know where you come from to understand your art.
- Stage Managing and Theatre Ettiquette
by Linda Apperson - Even if you never want to work tech, you should read this book to learn everything they do for you. Appreciation is everything.
- Movement for Actors
Ed. by Nicole Potter - Fabulous essays on how to use your instrument as an actor.
So there you have it. I’ll add more books as I discover them for myself, but this is a good start. For now, go discover for yourselves what the great masters had to say. Learn from their lifetimes of experience, nothing will help you more.
Until next time, Sin Boldly!
The Actor Who Succeeded By Failure
Filed Under Articles, No-No's, Auditions, Career | Leave a Comment
“The journey is the reward.”
–Chinese Proverbs
Today I’m going to tell you a tale of an actor whose hubris got in his way and kept him from the role that he truly wanted, only to discover the role he needed. This actor had begun to doubt himself, though he had no real reason to. You see he had been an actor for years and all but one time, he had achieved his goals and played the roles he dreamed of. He had no reason for these feelings of doubt, but he felt them just the same.
Hearing one day of a new audition, he set out for the role he felt was perfect for him. It was a role that called out to him and he felt a burning desire to play it, not because it was something he felt passionate about, but because it was a leading role. Certainly he’d played many leads in his time, but this time he wanted a part simply because it was the leading man, not for what he could bring to it, or what new experiences he could glean from it.
So burning with a passion to prove his talent by landing the part of the leading man, our hero set out to his audition, having spent days preparing. He had studied the role, agonized over monologues and scenes until he was certain he was ready for anything that could be thrown his way. All through his audition one thought prevailed. “I must get this part, I must get this part.” It was all he could think of and it drove him mad. He waited anxiously only to discover, much to his chagrin, that he had lost the lead and was instead cast in the role he should’ve originally auditioned for in the first place.
Dejected and confused, he sat down to figure out what was wrong with him. Once found, he wrote it down to share with you.
The hero of our story is, of course, me. Everything I just related to you recently happened to me. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I’ve vowed never to pull any punches on this site, including those that hit me. I tell you this story to share with you my moment of temporary insanity, so hopefully you can avoid it in your own career.
You see, when I sat down and thought about loosing that role it occurred to me that my failure was a learning experience. I lost that role because I wanted only to serve my own ego. I had lost sight of what role resonated with me as an actor and went straight for the role that was more glamorous to me. That was hubris and I saw that I had gotten what I deserved. In the end, I was given the part I needed, the part with resonance, and it truly was the best role for me.
What’s the moral of my story? It is two fold: 1.) The purpose of an audition is the audition, not the part you want and 2.) Finding the right role for you is more important than how many lines you have. When you go into an audition, your mind shouldn’t be focusing on getting the part you really want. An audition is not a means to an end; an audition is an end in and of itself. Thinking I must get this part will only serve to distract you from your ultimate goal, which is to wow your auditors with your talent and show what you can bring to the stage.
Auditions are meant to showcase your abilities, but if you become distracted with thoughts of ego and pride, you can sabotage yourself in the end. I can’t say that this distraction is the reason I didn’t get the role I auditioned for, there are too many factors to say that, but I can say that it certainly affected my audition performance and all my preparation was wasted by it. When all is said and done, I am truly thankful for the experience. Not only did it help me to learn these lessons again, but it allowed me the chance to share my mistakes with you. If you can learn from my mistake and avoid pitfall of pride then I will consider The Alchemist a successful endeavor.
So from time to time, ask yourself if you are focusing on the correct things in your career. If you are looking only at those things which serve your ego, you are not on the right track. Theatre is about life and the decoding of the human experience through the experience at its purest form. It is an art form that has survived the centuries and the rise and fall of empires. Every second we are in its presence, we must bow to that fact. Every second onstage we must remember that we are there to experience its magic and not the other way around, for theatre will survive with or without us. It does not need you or me to thrive, you and I need it.
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