An Actor Prepares
by Constantin Stanislavski
An Actor Prepares has become the Bible for a majority of actors in the U.S., who, through one filter or another, trained in what is commonly called the Method. And like the Bible, this book has been interpreted, reinterpreted, and misinterpreted time and again. Also like the Bible, An Actor Prepares offers a number of seeming contradictions within the larger, harmonious philosophical whole. Within the text are certain cryptic, practically inscrutable chapters, along with others that propose concepts so central to acting as we understand it that it seems amazing they weren't always taken for granted. Also like the Bible, particular ideas in this book have been selected by certain well-known sects and held up as the key to Stanislavski's system, while others have been all but ignored. Seeing these ideas in the context he intended?and given the individual weight Stanislavski originally proposed?is enlightening, to say the least.
To read An Actor Prepares is to challenge your assumptions as an actor. Getting it straight from the master's mouth puts a unique perspective on a number of ideas that most actors have received second- or third-hand. Among the most notable concepts covered in the book is the idea of breaking a script into units (more commonly called beats today) and of assigning objectives to these divisions. The "magic if," the unbroken line, given circumstances, super-objectives, and the highly debated concept of emotion memory are all discussed in detail.
Stanislavski presents his system through the conceit of a young student documenting his first year of acting training with the brilliant director Tortsov (Stanislavski's stand-in). The Socratic form of this dialogue-he naive novice setting up his genius teacher's zingers time and again-an be unintentionally comical and even annoying at times. Still, this narrative form is a more entertaining read than a straightforward philosophical treatise would have been.
When he wrote it, Stanislavski's logical and psychological approach to the art of acting was Jack taking on the giant of stylized, hollow theatrical performance. Today, of course, the tables have been turned. The Method is to thank-r to blame, depending on your perspective-or the naturalistic bent of the majority of plays out there and the ascendancy of the film medium as the best showcase for Stanislavski's ideas. Therefore, with 20/20 hindsight, it's hard not to judge some of these concepts harshly-articularly Tortsov's disregard for the actor/audience relationship.
But the dissatisfaction one might have with some of these debatable ideas pales in comparison to the refreshing feeling of experiencing the givens of psychological acting training from the source (for the first time or all over again). It's also prudent to keep in mind that An Actor Prepares is only the first in a trilogy of works Stanislavski wrote to elucidate his methods, the other two being Building a Character and Creating a Role. To judge this book without the larger context of the following volumes is not completely fair. But even if your current training has moved beyond, or stands in the face of, Stanislavski's system as described in An Actor Prepares, to revisit the ideas of the man who shaped contemporary acting training as we know it is a truly informative and essential experience for any actor.
?Scott Proudfit
Routledge/Theatre Arts Books, $18.95.
Respect for Acting and A Challenge for the Actor
by Uta Hagen
"Throw this away" is how Uta Hagen often inscribes her first book, Respect for Acting (1973), when eager young actors ask her to sign it. That's because in 1991, she brought forth A Challenge for the Actor, an expansion and revision on some of the same themes and practices she put forth in her seminal first book.
She protests too much, of course. Respect for Acting remains arguably the most important book about the technique of acting since Stanislavski's An Actor Prepares. But just as many actors insist that that book must be read alongside Stanislavski's subsequent book, Building a Character, we would say that any interested actor should read both of Hagen's books. There is inevitably some redundancy, since she lays out many of the same techniques and points of Respect for Acting in A Challenge for the Actor. But there's value in repeating her lessons, rereading her admonitions, and rehearing her pointed anecdotes. And while actors can gain insight by comparing the vitality and personable practicality of the first book with the slightly grander, more peroratory second book, actors can gain even more insight and inspiration by seeing how little Hagen's central passions and perspectives changed over two decades.
One could compare this two-book dilemma to Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations, which he recorded in 1955 and then revisited, with a far different take, in 1981-hat serious music lover can hear one without seeking out the other? It's an analogy Hagen might appreciate, since she is fond of comparing actors and their craft to the technique of other "classically" trained performers. Indeed, this is probably the thesis that emerges most stirringly from Hagen's books: that acting is nothing less than a true art form, with all that implies not only in terms of craft, skill, and discipline but also in terms of higher purpose, emotional availability, and aesthetic truth.
She claims this artistry not in terms of theatrical theory-hese books won't be mistaken for the manifestos of Artaud or Brecht-ut in terms of the kind of performance challenges with which most actors can identify in the commercial media marketplace. And while Hagen does write almost exclusively about the theatre, both commercial and nonprofit, these are not books for "stage" as opposed to "film" actors. As most actors and teachers will tell you, good acting is good acting, and what Hagen puts forth is that consistently good acting is not a fluke or a natural-born aptitude but rather the product of dedication as deep as that of good artists in any medium.
Lest that sound overly portentous, Hagen is very clear that this serious dedication is required for an art that is essentially a matter of playing-f connecting with the sort of imaginative projection, empathy, and dream life that characterizes the average childhood. And she's eminently practical, not loftily prescriptive, about ways to hone a craft that must be practiced in collaboration with others, and that its practitioners typically must wait to be hired to do. Any actor with time on his hands (I know there are some of you out there) would do well to consider the exercises Hagen first developed as workouts in her spare time. One need not carry them all out step by step as described in the books?though just try reading about the "inner object" exercise, or the recreate-two-minutes-of-life exercise, without wanting to put the book down and start?to learn from the way she takes the reader through the thought process behind them, or to imagine their practical applications to specific roles or auditions.
Her point about Respect is that the exercises are "out of order," and it's true that Challenge progresses through the steps of the actor's craft more logically. But that's part of what makes Respect so rich?its many iterations of "more on that in later chapters" or "reread the last chapter" make it feel less like a book that you'll read straight through than a portable companion on your journey. Together, these are books to read and revisit in whole or in part along your path as an artist.
?Rob Kendt
Respect for Acting: Hungry Minds Inc., $19.95. A Challenge for the Actor: Scribner, $26.
Acting in Film
by Michael Caine
Michael Caine's excellent book, first published in 1990 and since revised and expanded, is one of the most practical guides to modern film acting available. As a man who has fought in the trenches, so to speak, Caine shares his valuable observations on how to best behave and prepare for work on a film set. Writes the author, "Be completely available to whatever challenge comes your way, by being totally in charge of your craft, your material, yourself."
In 146 brief, entertaining pages, Caine spells out, in clear English, what any performer should know if cast in a movie-rom tips on keeping visual and emotional continuity to how to survive when your co-actor or director is providing you with little support. As a veteran actor of such films as Alfie, Educating Rita, Hannah and Her Sisters, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Mona Lisa, Little Voice, and The Cider House Rules, Caine comes across as an accomplished authority on the subject of filmmaking and is forthcoming in admitting his own past errors in the hope of saving his readers from repeating those mistakes.
Acting in Film is especially instrumental in spelling out the distinctions between film and stage acting. As the author explains, movie audiences now expect a more natural, subtle form of acting. While someone may be a brilliant stage performer, those same talents often need to be toned down, or even put aside, when working in front of a camera. Caine points out that the camera captures absolutely everything in its view, and it is often to the actor's advantage to reveal less, as opposed to more, to be as effective as possible.
Still, more is better than less when it comes to being a prepared actor, and that is the strength of Caine's book. The actor's job, he writes, is to arrive on the set on time, ready to work (on any scene in the script), and in character. For example, Caine writes, the actor should always get familiar with a set if it depicts a space that his character would know well, such as a home or office. He advises his readers to familiarize themselves with the props on a set, right down to the direction a door opens or where the telephone is placed. It's not just a matter of memorizing your day's lines and showing up to say them?you've got to live and breathe your character's world, and you've got to be ready and relaxed enough to deal with the inevitable unexpected.
With an eye for clarity, Acting in Film is a must-read for the novice thespian and is a highly recommended addition to any actor's bookshelf. Caine arms his readers with solid and useful advice for acting like a professional on a film set?right down to the number of blinks an actor should take during a close-up (usually zero, Caine says).
The bottom line is that time is money when it comes to filmmaking. The more efficient and self-reliant the actor, says Caine, the less chance there is for wasting the producers' valuable time and, above all, precious money. Actors need to remind themselves that as much as acting is an art, it's also a business.
?Jamie Painter Young
Applause Theatre Book Publishers, $14.95.
Audition
by Michael Shurtleff
Michael Shurtleff has seen a lot of bad auditions, with actors who whisper away their lines, who make bizarre dress choices, who deliver their monologues cowering in the shadows, or who simply bore the pants off their auditioners. Perhaps that's what prompted him to write this book, after years as a Broadway and film casting director. He has certainly seen the myriad ways an audition can go terribly, terribly wrong.
Audition is the kind of book you can buzz through in a day but whose finer points you may spend years putting into practice. It reads half like a quick and easy problem checklist, half like a valuable window into Shurtleff's coaching.
After covering a few standard rules of thumb?such as how to dress, where to stand, what to ask, and what not to ask?Shurtleff moves on to meatier advice. He has developed what he calls the "12 guideposts"?essentially 12 ingredients that any good audition should have, or 12 very important areas actors should keep in mind. Yet the value of these pointers extends well beyond the audition. Shurtleff's guideposts are a distillation of elements that any good scene should contain?period.
The guideposts include determining your relationship to other characters, honing in on conflict, finding humor and significance, and creating a sense of place. His chapter on the concept of "opposites" is particularly intriguing as he illustrates how, as in life, characters swing quickly between opposite emotions?without transition?no matter what their general mood or state might be.
Shurtleff likes to move from a general discussion of the topic to a specific example of how it might work in a scene from a well-known play. He then provides a kind of transcript of a coaching situation in which he guides a pair of actors to a new understanding of how they might approach their scene.
Readers should know that the book focuses almost exclusively on the type of audition in which one is asked to read a scene with a partner. The troublesome subject of monologues is pinched into a few pages near the end, along with equally condensed notes on musical-theatre auditions and interviews.
On the way to his guideposts, Shurtleff dishes out a wealth of tips and warnings about the ways in which actors glide cluelessly into traps. There is the trap of making choices that limit rather than expand possibilities, the trap of believing one needs to "find" the character from without rather than within, the trap of playing a shy character with shy acting, the cliches in portraying certain character types like whores and pimps (covered, unfortunately, in a tastelessly titled tidbit called "Lesbians, Whores, and Gays Are People, Too").
A quick yet provocative read, Audition has much to teach. Shurtleff has so many bits of wisdom to offer that he has to include an entire chapter on miscellany near the end, covering everything from what to do if you start to drown in the middle of a scene, to what to do if you hate the character you're playing, to what to do with stage directions if you're cold reading.
Skip the dull foreword and start learning.
?Laura Weinert
Bantam Books, $7.50.
The Actor's Encyclopedia of Casting Directors
by Karen Kondazian and
The Los Angeles Agent Book
by K Callan
In addition to the conceptual side of auditioning and acting, several books can offer you vital practical advice about the real people you will be auditioning for: casting directors and agents. The Actor's Encyclopedia of Casting Directors by Karen Kondazian and The Los Angeles Agent Book by K Callan offer inside information about CDs and agents in the business right now. Say you score an audition with Lisa Beach or an interview with Innovative Artists. These two books can serve as indispensable references about the backgrounds and preferences of such industry pros to help you be more informed at the interview and avoid perpetrating a casting director's No. 1 pet peeve.
Former k Stage West/Drama-Loguecolumnist Kondazian has collected more than 100 interviews she conducted with casting directors in recent years, many of which appeared in BSW, and compiled them into one book of all the prime need-to-know facts about this industry's gatekeepers.
Introductions to each interview include a list of recent and notable credits and a brief biography of how the CD entered the business. The interviews all appear in Q&A format. Kondazian, an actress herself, poses many of the basic questions that clearly cater to actors seeking all the juicy tidbits and fundamental instruction a caster cares to impart. She asks most of the CDs their opinions on training, audition preparation/ technique, making choices during a read, headshots, demo reels, the least annoying ways to contact them (don't call just to say "Hi").
The casters, most of whom are still working in film, television, commercials, and a few in theatre, discuss how they find new talent, qualities they look for in an actor, working with specific directors, the casting process, and dealing with adjustments. They offer a wide range of views and preferences concerning the essentials of auditions and casting in general. Also mentioned are the CDs' pet peeves (top of the list is don't be late, be prepared). But there are many others that you could check off before you even step foot into a specific casting director's office or mail a submission. By knowing that much more about the person you're going in front of, you are that much more competitive.
The interviews also relate CDs' specific experiences with certain actors, as well as a wealth of emotional and practical career advice. There may be plenty of conversation-starters amid the responses?or you may discover he/she doesn't even like small talk at a read. There's also a picture of each CD so you have some idea of whose hand to shake when you walk into the office.
Many of the interviews go into detail about dealing with rejection, offering casting directors' brutal honesty about the business and qualities in those actors most likely to fail. Essentially, the CDs are telling you everything they think you should know before you submit a headshot or read sides for them.
There are also interviews with acting coaches. Jeff Corey relates his extensive experiences as an actor in Hollywood with various well-known actors and his mentor, Michael Chekhov. Milton Katselas discusses his views on training as a part of an actor's career. Kondazian also includes interviews with directors James Cameron and John Woo, focusing on their work with actors and their opinions on the casting process.
At the end of each interview is the casting director's submissions address. Because casting directors change location often and this book was published last year, check with more recent updates for CDs' current addresses.
Callan, with numerous credits to her name?though perhaps best known as Clark Kent's mom in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman?has culled her knowledge and experience as an actress, along with hundreds of interviews with agents, to offer the seventh edition of a comprehensive manual on finding an agent. She explicitly states that her book is not for the true beginner (she's also written that book), though she offers some good advice on orienting yourself in Los Angeles (a la BSW's Welcome to L.A. issue). The target reader of this book already knows how to get into an acting class, as well as plays, student films, and theatre groups.
This reference book, the latest edition of which hit bookstores last week, provides essential information about the business of agenting, with quotes from numerous reputable agents from both coasts to illustrate each of her points. This is important to note considering how many illegitimate talent reps take up residence in Tinseltown and try to sell their message, which often includes an enormous upfront fee. Callan offers basic advice on avoiding such scams, in addition to covering all aspects of the actor/agent relationship.
The veteran actress, focusing primarily on theatrical agents, takes you step by step through the process of getting an agent and working with one, assessing if you are even ready for an agent.
At times the short chapters present a glut of the working actress' advice and relevant quotes from agents, but she expertly pulls all the information together in easy-to-synthesize checklists of such subjects as an actor's responsibilities, an agent's job, voice work, and children in the business. Concerning children, Callan offers smart advice about the general do's and don'ts, though a separate book could and should be written on scams perpetrated on parents and their children trying to become actors.
Throughout the book, Callan lists a significant number of recommended coaches, photographers, theatre groups, acting-related books, and workshops. Considering her experience, her picks might be worth exploring?though she is adamant that the process is entirely individual. Indeed, you should do your own research before investing in whatever services Callan may endorse.
One of the salient points she makes is that the actor is responsible for 90 percent of his/her career while the agent takes care of 10 percent, equal to his/her commission, illustrating how most actors mistakenly think they're on a free ride to stardom once they've landed an agent. The author aims to show you exactly what your 90 percent entails.
Callan offers a cursory glance at the usefulness of managers, mentioning the somewhat dated Garry Shandling/Brad Grey conflict and ignoring the continuing controversies concerning managers and agents, SAG and the Association of Talent Agents, and the potential strikes that lie ahead. It appears that Callan's ultimate goal is to inform actors about the process of choosing and working with an agent. Leave the breaking news stories to BSW.
Along with a helpful glossary of terms, Callan's hundreds of interviews with agents are organized into concise listings on each agency, including the agency's background, the names of the agents, some notable clients, some of their preferences, how they accept clients, and the number of clients they represent. Callan encourages you to confirm all addresses with the phone numbers provided.
Callan, in addition to this guide, has a library of titles designed to help actors, writers, and directors at various stages in their careers. For example, there is a New York version of the Agent Book. See her website at www.swedenpress.com for more information.
Though both of these reference books are subjective, to some degree, the extensive research the authors put into them make them essential to any actor's library.
?Behnoosh Khalili
The Actor's Encyclopedia of Casting Directors: Lone Eagle, $19.95. The Los Angeles Agent Book: Sweden Press, $18.95.