Reviews (3)

My bible!
As a teacher of drama to many low-income, urban, and "difficult" adolescents, this is the book that I find most useful, alive, and inspiring! Simply wonderful for anyone trying to bring the best out of young actors!

Safe Buy
Spolin is a well-recognized authority on matters of this sort -- improvisation and classroom games. One of my theater professors uses this as the textbook for her class on using theater in the classroom. It's popular enough to be one of the safer buys if you're looking for this sort of thing.

Wonderful Learning Tool!
This book is great to use in the classroom. It is full of ideas and the students will love it. They get to play and act out things while learning, it's a great change of pace. Spolin's ideas and thoughts are very helpful. Get this book, your students will thank you! ... Read more

Book Description

PERSUASION: RECEPTION AND RESPONSIBILITY presents persuasion through the examination of various aspects of popular culture--politics, mass media, advertising, and the information superhighway--as they exemplify and teach critical theories of persuasion. The text's multi-chapter focus on language and critical thinking is combined with readability, a conversational engagement with the reader, and current verbal and visual examples of persuasion in action. Persuasion theory, research, and ethics are all woven throughout the text to consistently underscore the book's central purpose--the development of critical consumers of all forms of persuasion. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For many years, Lajos Egri's highly opinionated but very enjoyable The Art of Dramatic Writing has been a well-guarded secret of playwrights, scriptwriters, and writers for television. Unlike many other books on playwrighting (several of which Egri criticizes during the course of this one), the author's systematic breakdown of the essentials for creating successful realistic plays and screenplays effectively demystifies the process of creative writing. Egri, who formulated his thoughts about "a well-made play" during its heyday (the 1940s and '50s), places a premium on an exhaustive analysis of characters and discussion of their psychological motivations. The writer is exhorted to find a premise to explore and to discover which characters will most effectively demonstrate this thesis, then is shown how most effectively to place them into conflict with each other. Conflict itself is also discussed, particularly how to create scenarios in which the crisis develops at a pace that feels unforced and natural. While Egri's view of the well-made play has little space for either the spare musings of Beckett and Pinter or the conscious excesses of non-narrative and other experimental writing, it nonetheless remains an essential text for writers drawn to realistic drama, and to any writer interested in the fundamental motivations of human behavior. --John Longenbaugh ... Read more

Reviews (23)

I wish I had read this one first
Well, I read this book recently after reading god knows how many screenwriting books. Some of them are quite repetitive aren't they?! The thing that I've found is that there are a lot of books out there that explain the three-act structure by saying you have a set-up, then you have your turning points, your climax, your resolution blah blah blah. Thing is we all instinctively know we need this stuff in our plays and screenplays but what's hard as a writer is actually figuring out what these should be. What makes a good turning point, what makes a good resolution etc? If you want to find out, I strongly suggest you read this book.

I found this book (along with Robert McKee's 'Story') the most useful out of the many (screenwriting) books I've read because he gets into the nitty gritty hard stuff. He makes you think about how important the premise is. I disagree with some of the reviews of this book on this site that say that Egri says you have to know your premise from the outset, he doesn't say that, what he does say is that you have to know it clearly at some stage in writing your script and this is true because we go to films to find something out and all the pieces have to fit together or you'll say something like 'The second half of the movie dragged', 'Why did she do that? That wasn't in character' or 'The movie tried to prove too many points all at once' and so on.

The more I write scripts, the more I realise that it's all about planning and architecture because pacing is everything unlike novels etc.

In particular, the most useful takeout from this book is that your premise has to match your character and story. He goes into detail using 'A Doll's House' as an example. If Nora had been a different character, the resolution wouldn't have worked as well as it did and if the story happenings weren't chosen carefully based on her character, then the story wouldn't have rung true nor would we have understood what the premise is.

The other thing that I think you'll really like is the stuff on conflict, the different types of conflict and when to use a particular kind of conflict for the story you wish to tell.

I'm writing a script right now and this book encouraged me to be a bit more lateral and let go of the ideas I already had because they may not be the right situation for my main character or the story as is might not be the best vehicle for arguing the premise I want to argue.

Brilliant stuff! Written so long ago yet still so relevant.

Egri has his ups and his downs.
Lajos Egri's book is kind of a classic, always controversial, but not always right. People who write books on making plays are always something of an odd sort; a book like Egri's also gets recommended for those who are into screenwriting, because those of us on the playwriting end are considerably sparser.

In any case, Egri starts off by telling you about Premise. He's right that everything has a point. Where he starts to miss the mark is on saying that you should know exactly what the theme of your play will be, and write from there. To start a work with a Premise in mind is, frankly, to put the cart before the horse. No matter what play or screenplay you write, it will have a Premise, and Egri acknowledges this. But Egri is engaged in the worst kind of prescriptivism - start with a Premise is a formula that is theoretically designed to make you write a good play, but it's not how the plays Egri analyzes were written.

He gets something else tragically close to partly right. Egri prescribes writing dialectical biographies of your characters to make them three-dimensional. He's right in that characters are primary over plot (though they're inextricable; could you really imagine a key character in a great drama outside of the play?), but writing biographies isn't how to get at them. Your audience will never see the biographies. For them, each and every character is nothing more nor less than the sum total of his or her actions on stage or film. Worry about developing them THERE. The rest is only useful if it yields some detail that can flesh them out more over time.

Where Egri is good is in his analysis of movement and conflict. He's got a very good sense of everything being gradual, and really lays it out well. Don't take everything as gospel, but that is where you'll get the bang out of this book. If you need help there, it's worthwhile; if not, you don't really need to bother.

No playwriting book is ever going to really get you there. It's an imprecise science, and authors are very often too prescriptivist for their own good. But there is good to be gleaned from them if you learn what you need and what works for you. Egri's book is no exception.

great book
There's so much more here than just the talk about premise, which for some people is what makes Egri so problematic. The sections on "Pivotal Characters" and "Unity of Opposites" and "Orchestration" are simply invaluable. Nowhere else will you find these key aspects of screenwriting addressed in such a direct, lucid and practical manner -- you can apply this stuff IMMEDIATELY to whatever story you are working on and your story will become stronger and better.

Lajos Egri knows the art of storytelling
He does a wonderful job of helping the reader to understand what drama is all about. This is one of the best book on storytelling you can buy. Buy it, you won't regret the purchase.

Screenwriting evolves - Egri is full of himself.
This is probably one of the most recommended works on the subject - which doesn't make it the best. Egri is often quoted for his "...leads to ..." premise.

But like Freud, whose work was very self-indulgent, though evolutionary in its time, Egri gets caught up in himself and
his dictates as though carved from stone. For this reason, his material is static and closed-minded in a very dynamic field. People recommend him based on tradition or loyalty. "It's a classic, so..."

A better, more in touch read is Alex Epstein's Crafty Screenwriting. He is ego-free and bottom line. He writes in a humorous, conversational style that doesn't lecture or preach.
AND...He's a PROCUCED writer, so he knows how to get it done. ... Read more

Book Description

Each edition includes:

Book Description

This brief version of Cohen’s best-selling text uses equal measures of appreciation of theatrical arts and descriptions of the collaborative theatrical crafts to introduce students to the performance of drama. The author’s enthusiasm for and knowledge of the current theatre, highlighted by contemporary production shots from around the world, put the students in the front row. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good introductory book.
This book, by Cohen, offers a good reference guide for begining students. It is comprehensive and well-laid out as it gives abasic overview of mostaspects of the theatrical arts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a good idea
I am confused...I look at the star ratings and read the reviews...but they don't even come close to my thoughts. This book was an interesting read. They do show a huge variety of techniques that are used for the stage... but they only give you a small taste of the process...Vacuum forming for example, a wonderful process, but zippo info on whereto/howto/whoto contact to buy or to make one. Read this book to get an overview of some ideas...but know that the technology shown is old and past its prime. I know stagework is seen at a distance..but you will not be impressed with the craftsmanship of the projects. Heads up on some safety issues..they skip right over that. oh my.

Comprehensive and user friendly!
This is a great book about making masks. It covers the making of molds, including using alginate for a life-casting. He talks about making masks of different materials -- from hex-a-cel to paper mache to neoprene to leather! There's a really *nice* section on leather masks, and he also talks a little bit about the history of the leather masks and how they were used in Renaissance Italy by the Commedia. This book is filled with plenty of black and white photos illustrating the various steps in each mask-making or mold-making process, and the instructions are very clear. Highly recommended for those with an interest in making their own masks. ... Read more

Book Description

This text provides a concise and in-depth look at the elements that comprise all basic forms of human communication.With an emphasis on Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, and Small Group Communication, the text also explores key issues and topics in interviewing, organizational communication, and the mass media.Cultural and gender issues are covered in depth. The text also focuses on learning through technology, and the nature and effects of new technologies on human communication. Public speaking is covered in depth (5 full units are devoted to public speaking) to provide readers with the skills for informative and persuasive speaking. Four additional units Emotional Communication, The Special Occasion Speech, Criticism in the Classroom, and Mass Media enable instructors to cover topics that are not always offered in other texts. For anyone interested in improving and understanding key issues of human communication. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

comunication in our world
althought this book gives off important info, it leaves us w/ a desire to want and know more. our minds are expanded and challenged we discover a new way of thinking and comunicating with others. ... Read more

Book Description

Impro ought to be required reading not only for theatre people generally but also for teachers, educators, and students of all kinds and persuasions. Readers of this book are not going to agree with everything in it; but if they are not challenged by it, if they do not ultimately succumb to its wisdom and whimsicality, they are in a very sad state indeed . . . .Johnstone seeks to liberate the imagination, to cultivate in the adult the creative power of the child . . . .Deserves to be widely read and tested in the classroom and rehearsal hall . . .Full of excellent good sense, actual observations and inspired assertions |o CHOICE: Books for College Libraries. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Not a theatre book, but a teacher's manifesto
Keith Johnstone's book has influenced countless acting classes. Many artists who have not yet heard of this book are doing exercises based on his experiments in England with actors using improvisation to discover status operations within a scene, narrative structure, and the importance of structure and process over "content" (a sticking point for the improvisator, the public speaker, and everyone who has ever said, 'I can't think of anything.') It also provides one of the best short introductions to mask work around. So it might seem like an indispensable theatre book. And it is that. Indispensable.

Yet read Johnstone's first chapter - a memoir of his early teaching career, in which he discovered the process by which children learn to be uncreative as a tragic coping skill. This is not a theatre book. Theatre classes were the arena, but this is a book about teaching! This is about opening doors that have been slammed shut, and acquainting people with the creativity and exuberance that is everybody's birthright. The exercises, and analyses of his students' work with improvisation, along with Johnstone's unflagging faith in every person's imagination, have much to show us even on repeated readings and practice.

Possibly the most important book in theatre education . . .
Keith Johnstone is a maverick educator and theatrical innovator. This book, first published in 1979, remains the most important book on improvisation written in English. Johnstone divides the world of improvising into four categories:Spontenaity, Narrative, Status and Masks. The stories about his own loss of creativity through the demands of public education set the frame for his illuminating description of what it takes to return us all to our creative selves. This book is a must read for anyone involved in the creative process, for all teachers of the arts and anyone who has ever wondered where his creativity has gone. Patricia Ryan, Head of Acting Stanford University

Absolutely entrancing
I'm not an actor, have no experience of improvisational theatre (not even seen any!), but I loved this book. A fascinating glimpse into a highly creative and original mind, and funny as heck, especially the section on Status. This book would be of interest to teachers, particularly those teaching arts (including but not limited to language arts).

Challenging but difficult to judge
Impro is divided in four sections, Status, Spontaneity, Narrative Skills, and Masks and Trance. The most interesting section, Status, discusses how general physical attitudes dictate our attitude and how other people see us. Johnstone expounds his idea that all relationships are plays on status. His other chapters are more technical and discuss various theater exercises meant to stimulate spontaneity and narrative skills.

This book is difficult to judge. On the one hand, it is very challenging and engages us with interesting ideas, especially about status and power relations. But the last chapter in particular is replete with paranormal and new age nonsense - hypnosis, trances, aborigene religions, everything gets thrown in the mix. Johnstone's attitude towards education is also surprisingly outdated for a 1981 book : he keeps harping on educational attitudes which belong in the fifties. Johnstone is obviously a very superficial and linear-thinking man.

I suppose the recommendation would have to be based on whenever one works in the theater or not. If the former, then this book will no doubt be of great help, if one can ignore the nonsense : otherwise there is little recommend this book.

This isn't a theatre book: it's THE theatre book
I first came actoss this book when I first got interested in theatre in the early 80s in England, and I couldn't believe what I was reading. If theatre is a search for truth, then Johnstone exemplifies this with a fundamentalist's zeal.

Eschewing formula and "how to" guides, he presents improvisation on the stage as less of a craft and more a state of mind. His "bookending" of his practical advice with an angry account of his time spent as a teacher at the beginning of the book and his work on masks and trance in the last section underlines this.

Johnstone's book is a must for anybody wanting to improvise effectively on a stage, anyone wanting to use drama as a teaching or therapeutic tool, and an essential for anybody interested in the practical exploration of the subconscious mind and its workings.

It's a manual for creativity. It's an essential for an artist in any discipline. No: scrub the majority of that sentence. It's an essential, period. ... Read more

Book Description

For over twenty years, Robert Benedetti's highly acclaimed The Actor at Work has offered students a thorough focus on the underlying principles of the acting process. Now in its eighth edition, The Actor at Work continues to present an experiential sequence of exercises designed to help actors develop a complete understanding of the physical, vocal, analytical, and ethical aspects of the actor's art. For anyone interested in acting. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Very detailed
I would have loved to had seen the pieces of the garment drawn in their pattern shapes, but otherwise an excellent book with much detail written about each garment. Only other problem was that sometimes the writer's handwriting about the details on the drawings were a bit hard to decifer.

The BEST
Until this book dissapeared from my local library I must have borrowed it for over half its shelf life there, in all of 15 years this book has been THE reference for me, no mean feat to hold my attention since I was 11.
I love it because of the minute detail of the fabric patterns which although hard to find today similar items can be found for those wanting to recreate the dresses.
The value for money is unreproachable, you just have to buy this book. Thank the publishers for reprinting in the U.S and here in U.K !

The best costume books I've ever read to date!
This book remains my favorite costume book, even 10 years after I first checked it out of the library. I find myself coming back to this book time after time, either to study a particular point of fashion or just to browse the fabulous drawings.

Nancy Bradfield has done a great service to all who enjoy studying vintage clothing and their construction. Each item includes 2 to 4 full-page, detailed drawings so the reader can see every detail of the original garment -- inside AND out. Many of them include measurements, so if you're a very talented seamstress/tailor, you can recreate the garments and scale them to fit a modern body.

Some books seem to just throw pictures or drawings together in no particular order, which makes it difficult to fully understand the fashion changes that took place. Nancy Bradfield has arranged the drawings in chronological order, which I find much easier to follow. She also has rather detailed comments along the bottom of each 2-page spread which explains particular details of the item or the fashion changes that were occuring at the time the dress was made. Those comments are in addition to the description found on the top left side of the left page, which is specific to the dress in question.

This is the Bible for any costumer or vintage clothing collector! The only thing that would be better is examining the clothes in person...And unlike seeing the clothes in person, you can keep going back to the drawings again and again.

a great book.
I had checked this book out of my high school library, er. . .almost 20 years ago (can it be)? It was one of those that I'd check out over and over again. Something reminded me of it the other day, and now I'm going to buy it, yeah!
The illustrations and descriptions are excellent.

Don't miss it!
This is the single most outstanding study of period construction detail out there. No one who loves clothes should be without this book. I highly recommend the first edition, which has a few color plates. ... Read more

Book Description

Develop proper posture and breath control

From classical to pop to musical theater – take your singing skills to the next level

Dreaming of becoming a sensational singer? Whether you enjoy singing in the shower or on the stage, this how-to guide will help you calm your nerves, match pitch, increase your vocal range, and develop a strong singing technique. You get expert advice on keeping your voice healthy, choosing a voice teacher, selecting the right material, and giving a stellar performance.

All this on the audio CD

• Singers demonstrate every exercise so you can hear how it’s done
• Allows you to develop agility, pop riffs, and dynamic control
• Exercises help you strengthen your chest voice, head voice, middle voice, and falsetto
• Put your singing skills to the test with a song recorded on the CD

Reviews (3)

Interesting
As a professional singer of 30 years and a voice teacher, I found the book very interesting. The basics were there, and she did make a good point of stating that these were only suggestions (there are as many "correct and only way to sing" methods out there as there are teachers). I found nothing wrong with the book at all, except one thing --- one can't know if they are doing things correctly just because they immitate the sound their hear. One can learn a lot from a well written book on singing, and this one is very easy to understand (many are so filled with jargon the real purpose behind the instruction is lost). A real key missing in this book is the things to watch out for. An example: She mentions "Lip Trills." Some teachers really rely on these stupid exercises (where you sound like a horse blowing air through its lips, and even sing while doing them) to help the student manage breath. There are real dangers doing them without proper supervision, the least of which is a super raised larynx and a depressing tongue. Those things only ruin one's ability to sing with a free open throat and with the full range.

Most singers sing with a too wide of an "east-west" facial position and not a large enough "North-South" position. Though she slightly mentions this, in order for a person to hear themselves, they are required to use more of the "east-west" facial position thus actually making their tone louder in their ears, but quieter and less ringing to the audience. She talks about "feeling how you sing and not relying on your hearing, or on listening" but she doesn't explain how to do that. If you don't have a teacher, the only way to do it is through a very good quality tape recorder (poor quality ones give you no real image of what you sing like as they cannot record either the volume of the voice or the natural resonance of the sound; and even with an excellent recorder, you are only getting maybe 20% of your sound reflected back to you). Then you MUST figure out what is a good sound quality, when you hear it on the tape, then concentrate beyond belief on what you felt like, what sensations you had while producing that sound, and learn to reproduce those sensations all the time. Gently cupping your hands IN FRONT of you ears can reflect what the audience actually hears, but it will be softer than the sound they hear. Although testing the voice that way is fine, one must never come to rely on those things. One must rely on the feel and then when you find the correct feel to maintain it all the time, even while singing when ill.

I rated it a five star because it is well written, and it covers many aspects of singing, not just technical, and well, is very approachable. It is a good introduction to singing, but as a warning: anyone really interested in serious singing, and perhaps in a serious career, get a real teacher who can watch what you are doing, and show you when you are doing something wrong. It is very easy to immitate the correct sound, but to do it in a very incorrect way. When you are very young, you may get away with that, but your voice will not last for very long. And she doesn't make it very clear that for popular singing, even the broadway belt (belting is not loud singing, or shouting out the song, or "belting it out" like a lot of people think; it is using the voice with much more forward resonance than in classical singing, less inner dome, and with the sound very concentrated on the upper lip area; one can sing very loud, or very soft and should not be confused with the "norm" amongst young "would be stars" of just yelling and screaming their way through a song at top volume), one still needs all the same foundation they use in classical singing, but that the use of the raised soft palate is less pronounced. However, there is a correct way of working the voice that won't hurt it and brings the extreme forward focus used for Broadway into the voice; she doesn't cover this (and I think most people will use this book not to become opera singers, but so they can study a week or two and sing popular music and musical comedy). When incorrectly done, belting can ruin the voice in no time flat; a classic singer can often sing for decades with incorrect technique before real problems get out of hand; not so with a poorly produced belting tone used in popular singing or broadway; the voice dies quickly because the voice is being abused to produce that sound.

Again, a great introduction, but only an introduction to singing. One needs a second pair of ears, and a second pair of eyes, to make sure they entire body is coordinated to produce the best sound quality possible.

Great start!
I always wanted to learn how to sing, so I picked up a copy of this book. I have been using it for a month now, and I'm actually starting to sound good (it's a lot of work, though). Overall, the content and explanations are excellent, and the CD-ROM is good, as well. I think Pamelia Phillips has done an excellent job here!

It probably shouldn't be your only source if you want to become a serious singer, however. But, it's a great start, and it should give you the confidence you need to start taking singing lessons. It might also save you considerable embarrassment.

I easily give this book 5 stars!

A Must Buy for Anyone
About two months ago, I was attending an open-call audition for a Broadway show. I'd have to say that I would have been no where without this book! With practicing with the cd and book everyday, I could tell that my singing voice was becoming stronger and more in tune. This is a wonderful book for singers of all levels, even the tone-deaf can become singers with this! ... Read more

Book Description

A poignant and hilarious tour of the last frontier, the ultimate forbidden zone, The Vagina Monologues is a celebration of female sexuality in all its complexity and mystery. Hailed as the bible for a new generation of women, it has been performed in cities all across America and at hundreds of college campuses, and has inspired a dynamic grassroots movement--V-Day--to stop violence against women. Witty and irreverent, compassionate and wise, Eve Ensler's Obie Award-winning masterpiece gives voice to real women's deepest fantasies and fears, guaranteeing that no one who reads it will ever look at a woman's body, or think of sex, in quite the same way again. ... Read more

Reviews (90)

REALLY GREAT BOOK
This book was given to me as a gift from a dear friend. She had already it and wanted me to read it. I did and I was really pleased with it.

Ensler explains that she is worried about the state of a world that cannot say VAGINA without blushing, but has hundreds of slang words for penis. This book is a collection of stories that were told to Ensler by hundreds of women from all walks of life who she interviewed. Some of the stories are verbatim what the women had to say about their vaginas, while Ensler takes more artistic licence with some.

There are stories about masturbation, sex, childbirth, rape, and many other things. Every way that our vaginas affect our lives, as women, are covered with a humorous or touching story. A great deal of this book is filled with humorous stories about nicknames for out vaginas and how women think about their own vaginas, but there is a disturbing rape scene in one of the stories. Although this story was incredibly disturbing, it is totally understandable why it was included: Rape, whether it is spoken of or not, is a tangible part of many women's vaginas. All in all, The Vagina Monologues is an excellent book for any woman or any man who loves vaginas. Vaginas are one of the most underappreciated entities in our lives. Vaginas provide pleasure for our mates, pleasure for ourselves, the means for conception, and most importantly-birth. Most of us came into this world through a vagina. While this isn't a self-help book and it won't help you deal with specific problems with your vagina, it can help you learn to see your vagina in a whole new light.

Vagina! Vagina! Vagina!
If Eve Ensler's vagina got dressed, it would wear a sign shouting "I Have Empowered Women Around the World and Started a New Wave of Feminism!"
I couldn't put the VM down: There were several outstanding monologues in it, including a collection of women's stories about getting their period for the first time, and one with a grandmother who shyed away from her vagina most of her life. I also enjoyed reading Ensler's commentary on the pieces. To be sure, the book made me more conscious of my feminist side and I felt a sheer sense of pride in being a woman after reading it. However, the content wasn't top-notch. There were surprisingly few segments and not each of them was great. I thought Ensler definitely could have expanded on the pieces themselves and done a lot more with her subject matter.
If one wants to judge the book by its actual writing and content, I wouldn't recommend it in particular. But I think that Ensler's real goal was to get women to understand about their femininity, their sexual sides, and, above all, their vaginas. And if that was what Ensler was aiming to accomplish, I would readily say that she achieved it in me and many others.
(I would love to see it performed live, too, whether by Ensler or others.)

Learn about the beauty between your legs!
This is a cry from women to find their spiritual, sexual, and beautiful power that is within them. There are stories that will make you laugh, stories that will make you think, stories that will make you open your eyes to the world. I have not had the privelige of seeing the performance on stage, which I imagine is fabulous and moving, but the book is good. I recommend it to women because it speaks of the taboo that women don't (or can't) want to talk about because they are afraid or embarrassed. It is witty and emotional. V-Day is a great idea. It promotes stopping violence against women. I recommend this book to women!

LAUGH AND LEARN WITH THIS READING
Words and thoughts once taboo are now mainstream due in large part to "The Vagina Monologues," a funny, moving exploration of women's thoughts, dreams, hopes and fears by the dynamic Eve Ensler. Released to coincide with February's V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls, the audio version brings Ensler's words to wise and witty life once more.

Of course, no one is better suited to read these words than the author herself. Winner of the Obie Award for this play, Ensler is also the author of other plays including Lemonade, The Depot, and Necessary Targets, which has had benefit performances on Broadway, at the National Theatre in Sarajevo, and at the Kennedy Center.

Hailed throughout the world Ensler's uninhibited masterpiece has become a rallying cry for women.

Listen, laugh, and learn.

Brilliant!
Eve's courage and strength shine through the stores of women she interviewed about their bodies, their thoughts and their lives. Many people have told me that the book/play would do much better if it had a different title. THAT'S THE POINT!! No one talks about vaginas and sometimes very little attention is paid to the women attached to them. Eve devotes such care and precision to telling the stories of all kinds of women that everyone should be able to relate to something. It is true that many of the monologues are quite "edgy" and some might even call them offensive, but the fact of the matter is that they are all true and real. Such a work, one that allows women to be true to themselves, and real in their wishes, desires and longings is so rare that this one is to be savored and treasured. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by the leading gender communication scholar, Julia Woods text introduces students to theories, research, and pragmatic information that demonstrate the multiple and often interactive ways in which our views of masculinity and femininity are shaped within contemporary culture. With the most up-to-date research, balanced perspectives of masculinity and femininity, a personal introduction to the field, and a conversational first-person writing style, GENDERED LIVES provides students with an engaging text that encourages them to think critically about gender and our society. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Validate arguments
Perhaps this was one of the best texts books I have ever used in graduate school. Although the subject was of interest to me I feel that Julia Wood writes in a way that captivates the interest and curiosity of any reader. Her book is much more enjoyable than the usual textbook. Although this book might be viewed as feminist literature-I disagree. Although the content of her book is based on generalizations of our society I feel that her arguments are justified and for the most part accurate. While Wood mostly addresses feminine issues she also includes issues facing men as well. Even if men are not seen as the "ultimate" oppressed gender in some areas of life they are oppressed. I would have like to have seen more attention given to this issue. I did not agree with all of Woods' points, but I do feel that Wood presents provoking realities of the struggles for both men and women. However, I would have liked to see information on how religion influences these matters. Overall, I thought this was an exceptional book that raises interesting issues that are pressing matters in society today.

Good Arguments_Questionable Bias
I found the contents of the book very enlightening regarding issues and problems our society is faced with concerning gender. I was pleased with the academic backing with which the author Julia T. Wood supported her arguments. I was also impressed with how well rounded her discussion was in an attempt to remain somewhat separate from the issues. The author makes a great portrayal of and argument against oppression of many kinds in this book.
There was a theme, or bias rather, running through the book that I was continually dissatisfied with. I found no discussion of oppression for religion, political affiliation, or disabilities, and too much about homosexuality. I felt that the author blurred the lines between choice, accountability and fate. On page 5 of her introduction the author states, "I define feminism as an active commitment to equality and respect for life. For me, this includes respecting all people, as well as nonhuman forms of life and the earth itself. Simply put, my feminism means I am against oppression, whether it be oppression of women, men, lesbians, African Americans, Jewish individuals, gay men, elderly people, children, animals, or our planet." I appreciate her defining her biases before the book begins, but still feel that the book was disproportionate in its view of oppression and contributes to a larger misunderstanding of the nature of two very different types of oppression.
I would describe those types as choice and non-choice oppressions. There are aspects of our lives over which we have absolutely no choice, nor control (sex, age, race, class, disabilities) and there are other aspects of our life that we have very much control and choice over (sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, appetites, place of residence). I agree that oppression is wrong, especially when it is regarding something over which we have no choice. When we choose a practice, which is unhealthy or socially unacceptable (i.e. drinking and driving) we choose discrimination against ourselves (i.e. freedom to drive), we choose to face opposing views and ideas. This is particularly true in the case of political affiliation, religion, and sexual preference. When we are discriminated against for these things, we still have choice in the matter.
In a civilized society we should agree to disagree, without being disagreeable. These differences among us should never be the source of social unrest, but neither should we be forced to agree with the disagreeable. It is not healthy for us to have a right to everything we want, nor to accept something as socially acceptable simply because someone wants it. Human nature proves daily that we want things that are very unhealthy for us. For that reason there must be a distinction between ignorant oppression and predetermined discrimination for the health of society.
I felt that Gendered Lives blurred the lines between these choice and non-choice categories, reasoning as if they were one. My advice is that the discussion of oppression should be limited to non-choice oppression, or it should be more comprehensive discussing more choice oppression issues such as religion and political affiliation right along with sexual orientation. We should not confuse the two.

Man Haters handbook
Julia Wood takes every chance she can to insult and denigrate men. In fact, the only men she will acknowledge in a positive way are those who have distinctly "feminine" traits. Many feminists may find this refreshing and validating, but it does little to foster better communication or interaction with members of the opposite sex. Wood is guilty of the same spiteful attacks on men that she portrays as happening to women.

A Great, Non-Stereotypical Feminist Book
Having read way too many textbooks in my academic career, I feel pretty confident saying that this is one of the best. The author presented the material (some of it difficult to swallow) in a straight-forward way, interjecting much-needed humor here and there. Many different viewpoints are addressed, and comments from other students, from a wide variety of walks of life are included, giving the reader exposure to a wide variety of thoughts and opinions.
The text reads quickly, and a lot of territory is covered. The author addresses everything from the various 'waves' of feminism to media coverage and violence. There is a lot of material in the book, and if it is read with an open mind, I don't see how the reader can help but be moved and possibly changed. There is no one that this book won't relate to - everyone has a gender.

Gendered Lives is a good read
I was assigned this book for my Gender, Race and Class class but I enjoyed it so much that I am not selling it back! I found standpoint theory helpful as I try to figure out where I stand in the world of feminism. As a minority, I liked reading about different cultures. So many textbooks are White. But this one wasn't. It was refreshing. ... Read more

Book Description

This introductory text provides coverage of the broad range of contemporary theatre and includes complete scripts of five plays:August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Wakako Yamauchi’s And the Soul Shall Dance, Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, Marsha Norman’s Getting Out, and Sam Shepard’s Buried Child. The text emphasizes the collaborative and creative processes that go into productions, and includes interviews with theatre artists. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Text for Introduction to Theater
THE CREATIVE SPIRIT takes a very refreshing, multicultural view to American Theater, while still giving good, basic information about theater history and the process of theater production.This text was written to accompany introductory theater courses, (perhaps in community colleges or in a theater for non-majors context), not to try to be a definitive guide to all theater.Hence, the subtitle "An Introduction to Theatre."

Reading plays is a huge part of learning about theater, and this text includes many plays for analysis and discussion.The plays included are each unique and important, reflecting the diverse experience of the people of the United States (and probably the students who are reading them), while still teaching the same concepts as if they were reading the plays that most intro textbooks offer.Each play is preceded by contextual information including an author biography, the artistic and cultural influences that contributed to the inspiration of the writing, information about a production of the play, etc.

There are individual chapters about the role of each theater practicioner (director, designer, actor, etc.) which include interviews with professionals who discuss their craft.

New to recent editions is the addition of an entire chapter about musical theater.An important part of American theater, recent and historical musical productions are discussed.

The text is richly illustrated, with many color plates, black and white photos and drawings.Photos of Broadway, regional and college productions are included, as well as historically important people and places.

In addition, the final chapter of the text (at least in the last edition, I have not seen the most recent edition) includes a number or project ideas for students to become the producers of a show, choosing directorial concepts, set and costume designs, etc.At the end of each of the other chapters are suggested discussion questions for that chapter's content as well.

Many of us practicing theater today could even benefit from reviewing some of the basic information in this book, or expanding our knowledge of what's out there by reading about and seeing photos from varied regional productions.

In my mind, THE CREATIVE SPIRIT: AN INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE is an excellent book for what it aims to be.

Its OK
I think this book its OK. It gives you more of a theatrical background than theatrical techniques. Backgroung information of theater, though, is essential so that we could understand theater as a whole. The book includesexerpts and many short plays. Like I had said before, it OK. ... Read more

Book Description

Provides the expert advice you need to get your big break!

Jump-start your career and land that paying part

From preparing for auditions to finding an agent, the acting business is a challenging and competitive field. This indispensable guide is what every aspiring actor needs to get a foot in the door. Discover how to market yourself, choose a dynamic head shot, create a stellar acting resume, join unions, and pay the bills while you pursue your acting dreams.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Reviews (8)

Great start- here's more
This book is a great start, of course the best way to learn is by throwing yourself in there. Other things I recommend as a working actor in LA:
Backstage West- for all the audtion listings

"Voice Lessons To Go" by Vaccarino, hey you know we all need to sing as some audition at one time or another-these are great.

"The Artist Way" by, Cameron- it has helped me and so many of my friends gain confidence and clarity- love this.
craigslist.org for more audition listings- free!

Great for Beginners
For anyone who has always wanted to be an actor, but has no idea where to begin - this is a great book. It covers all the basic like getting an agent, your headshot and resume, the unions. And even deals with more intermediate stuff like marketing yourself as an actor, auditioning and managing your money. I found the chapters on acting in Film and Television, Commercials and Theatre to be very helpful, since each is so different from eachother. The book also covers getting Voice-over work, and working as an Extra. There is even a chapter on getting your kids into acting.
This books touches on alot of different topics and is a very good starting book for the beginning actor.

Insulting to Actor's
Do not buy this book. It stereotypes actors as Dummies!! Actor's are not dumb! MAny are very smart. Mira Sorveno went to yale or Hartvard and cans peek Chinesse!!! David Duchoveny almost got a PHD!!! Do these people sound like Dummies to you?!?!

No. I didn't think so...

pretty cool book
this book was alright, a lot of useless info about the business that beginning actors wont use for years to come (if at all) i think all people breaking into acting should focus on how they act, not on how to find an agent (unless you look like brad pitt, then by all means)
anyway this book is about the business and it is very simple and informative in that regard, so if you're seeking that info you should buy this book, do not expect to find advice concerning technique though, good luck

Must Have
One of the Must Haves for any actor. Also required reading if you really want to make it: "Audition" by Michael Shurtleff, "How to Be a Working Actor" by Mari Lyn Henry, and "My Fractured Life" by Rikki Lee Travolta. ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling text by a leading voice in the field offers a distinct alternative to existing textbooks for the introductory course in interpersonal communication. This theoretically unified but pragmatic introduction to the concepts, principles, and skills of interpersonal communication in a multicultural society. This text consistently integrates ethics and issues of social diversity into coverage of both discussions and mastery of skills, and it shows how interpersonal communication theory and skills pertain to students' daily encounters with others. With unparalleled attention to social diversity and an emphasis on theories, research, and skills that are anchored in the field of communication, the new edition integrates Web and CD-ROM technology to provide interactive learning experiences for today's digital classroom. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great intro text
This book is wonderfully accessible and serves as a great introduction to interpersonal communication and preparation for upper-level coursework on relational communication. I have used this textbook for 4 years at a community college and 2 years at a state university and the students have always rated this textbook very highly. Although they do state that the chapters are a bit long, they feel it is very accessbile and easy to understand. The students also report that they like the examples/blurbs from other students that pepper the chapters, and many of them bring up those examples or Wood's personal examples in relation to their own lived experiences during class discussion.

Thanks to the students' positive responses to the text, I have been able to explore more options in teaching besides reiterating the text in lecture format and have developed quite an array of exercises and projects that push my students to understand some difficult concepts better, to learn more sophisticated materials, and to improve their interpersonal communication skills through practice.

I praise Julia Wood for creating a textbook that allows students to be in charge of their own learning and teachers to go outside the expected routine.

Valuable, but tedious
This text was required reading for an interpersonal communications course I took. It provided a ton of valuable information, very helpful insight, sample conversations, and examples which helped me to acctually apply what was learned. However, the writing style was highly repetitive, and each new section repeated earlier ones then built on them instead of starting with completely new information. While this did help me learn better, it was also somewhat boring. I would still recommend this book for it's ability to make abstract terms much more tangible. Hope this helps!

Not a reader friendly book.
Ms. Wood is intelligent and provides a lot of good information in this textbook. This was chosen for the course I teach before I took the position and if I had my way, we would have found a different book. It is not that the information is bad, it is just that Ms. Wood becomes very repetitive. About half of the first six chapters seem to drag on and most of the time restates the same thing from an earlier chapter or from the same chapter. I like what she has done with discussing multicultural issues, but some of it seems to be patronizing to the reader. I think another edition should be done and making the chapters shorter and more readable (Chapter 1 goes on for 78 pages -- which lost my attention, so I know my students had the same problem.) In the course review, the textbook generally gets a poor or below average rating. I can not give you a recommendation, as I am in the middle of searching for a better option. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Stagecraft Handbook strives to be lightweight, compact, and economical. Daniel Ionazzi leaves the specifics to the designers, but provides practical, reliable advice for those involved in setting the stage. With chapters on tools, scale drawings, scenic materials, joinery, flats, and rigging to fly, Ionazzi provides valuable know-how to help novice and experienced stagecrafters create their dream sets within practical boundaries of time and money. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Perfect Tool
This is a wonderful book, perfect for the beginner and intermediate. Clear and very helpful. Highly recommended.

A Great Sourse for Carpentry and Scene Design
I have worked in the theatre for a number of years in every capacity. As a scene designer and carpenter, I have found Ionazzi's Handbook to be a valued tool. I use it everytime I design, it can be found right along side my drafting tools. It's one of the best soures on this suject out there! I highly recommend it to the novice and seasoned designer and carpenter!

A very good book for the beginner or seasoned set builder
From the beginning, this book takes you step by step into set and scene building. It starts with the basic inventory of tools and space needed, to recommended shop lay out and flow of construction. Included from the start, are safety practices that are recommended to keep you and your helpers leaving each day with all fingers, eyes and etc. in-tact. Each chaptor that follows takes very logical and precise steps to show basic set building. This goes on to more complex (but very useable) technigues and then puts them together. Also included are variety of stage props that can be made. I have been a stage manager and set construction designer and builder for a childrens theatre group for a number of years, and I use this manuel as my main source and refer to it over and over. As part of the production with the children , it is a requirement for parent involvement which includes help with set construction- this book has proven to be of tremendous help for the parent helpers to use as resourse also. I highly recommed this book as a reference book for any scene shop. ... Read more

Book Description

Widely referred to as the "bible of stage makeup," the timely revision of this classic text addresses principles and techniques in the use of makeup for the contemporary performer. This extensive exploration of the application and use of stage makeup, and makeup for a variety of performance venues, covers all aspects in detail and contains over 400 photographs, drawings, and diagrams demonstrating step-by-step procedures. Thoroughly updated and revised, this classic text remains accurate and comprehensive, providing information from which all readers - whether students to the field or seasoned, professional makeup artists - will benefit. For anyone involved in the Makeup of theatre, dance or stage productions. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Film-Maker's Dream
I am a film-maker out of Ohio. I used to use Tom Savini's Bizarro, Grande Illusions 1, Grande Illusions 2, and Dick Smith's Do-It-Yourself guides....BUT, after meeting Tom Savini and learning that he considers this book his "bible", I checked it out for myself. WOW! This is the book to get for anyone interested in stage make-up or special effects makeup. It IS a little pricey, but for the information and detail, it cannot be beat. I consider this a companion to the ones listed above. Get em all if you can, but make sure you OWN this one!!!!!

Meridith
This is the bible of stage make-up. It has wonderful step-by-step pictures so you see the process. I loved the fact that there was no flowery language to complicate learning. It caters to the beginner and the professional. If you are serious about learning the trade, this is the investment to make. This was a recommended book for me in college and it helped give me an edge over my classmates. If you don't know where to start, or would like to brush up on your technique, this is a great resource.

New, but not improved.
While this book remains a "bible" in its field, my students complain about the price and the lack of color demonstrations. I was hoping the Ninth Edition of this book would have more color photos spread throughout the chapters, but the format has remained very much the same, with many of the same demonstrations and photo descriptions. The new chapters for film and television are a breath of fresh air and I applaud the new techniques aditions.

An outstanding and complete resourse for Theatrical Makeup
For both the amateur and professional, alike, Richard Corson's "Stage Makeup" is an essential resource for both the makeup artist and the performer. In my 35 years of experience in the performance industry, I have found no other single resource that is so well illustrated and written. -Ed Thurber- Marlboro Theatrical Technology

Good makeup techniques
We used this book for my Stage Makeup I and II class. It is very useful for beginners with chapters on different materials from oil based to water based, applying makeup including facial hair and wax features. ... Read more