5 comments about Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part.

1. This book breaks down the audition process and helps to give you something, a formula to work with and depend on to prepare your best performance. A great tool for any actor or performer.



2. This is a really great acting book- definitely one of the best i've read. Not only for auditions but for rehearsal as well, (as it states in the book.)



3. This book deals with theatre, and I was going into it thinking it would help me audition for movies. I did not learn anything from it. But...if you are into the theatre, you will find it very helpful.



4. Considering the low price, I can't imagine a more valuable book for the actor. Michael Shurtleff is a luminary of theatre, and this book reads like a private class with him. Remember, this is a guy who basically launched the careers of DeNiro, Streisand, Redford, Vereen, Tomlin, Midler, and Hoffman. His wonderful career included both Broadway and film casting. He knows a lot, and in this book, he shares it with you.
   
   This book may be called "Audition", but the discussions go way beyond the audition. Granted, the opening chapter (Practical Aspects of the Audition) contains sage advice applicable only to the audition. What follows in the book are the "12 Guideposts", the bible of scene study and character development. Following the very readable discussion of the "Guideposts", Shurtleff writes essays on topics such as musical theatre, comedy, pace, and monologues. I know that my copy will become well-worn as I refer back to it again and again.
   
   I am currently in two shows, and I'm putting the "Guideposts" to work for me. I've not had an audition since buying the book, but I am looking forward to using Shurtleff's advice the next time I read for a part.
   
   This is a must-read for actors and directors. Highly recommended.



5. This is a fantastic book with extremely helpful information to any young actor aspiring to become a professional actor. Every actor needs this book so they can improve their auditioning skills and get the part they want! Break a leg!

5 comments about A Challenge For The Actor.

1. I do remember some really good lessons being in this book. Unfortunately, I just remember there being good lessons...but not what they are.
   
   This is a great book for the serious actor. That's not me. I act to be an idiot. I don't act to be deep or emotional. I'm not knocking the book, but it's not for me. I respect Uta Hagen's methods though.



2. This book - a systematization of Stanislavsky's four cluttered books and a testimony to Aristotle's ideals seen through the lens of her fiery husband Herbert Bergdof and a complete rewriting of her notorious 'Respect for Acting - is a pinnacle of articulation.
   Indisputably a masterpiece of 20th century psychology.
   Moreover, dauntingly organized, sober, demanding and simple, Hagen left her legacy in both a scope and a detail of the Realism School that no other stage practitioner has rivaled - after or before.
   Clear and efficient, it is the gospel from which any actor must start upon their vita nova.



3. If you're an actor, this is mandatory reading. Also read "A Leap From the Method" by Allan Rich. You won't regret reading either, and you will gain a lot..just trust me.



4. a follow-up to her RESPECT FOR ACTING..I'd recommend reading her first book then this one..there are alot more activities and exercises you can do here..and some reiterations from the first book but an acting book that should be read and kept by any serious student



5. Challenge for the Actor is a book that will open your mind and spirit as you explore the artistry of acting. Surprisingly, you will learn a lot about yourself as you apply the teachings of Uta Hagen in your journey into the world of the actor. By all means get this book!

5 comments about Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture.

1. The overall theme of this book is man bashing, and bases too much on stereotypes. I used this book for class, and it was hell reading it.



2. I didn't like the book. I had to read it for class. It was interesting to read, but she put so much facts in there that I couldn't remember everything that she said. It needs to be more oraganized and maybe less man biased like the other two men said. Before bashing me or my review, I'm a woman.
   
   Edit: I put two stars, but I meant one, I changed my mind.



3. While I don't doubt the author's intentions weren't honestly good, the prescence of society influenced bias is ever present.
   
   Just to point out a lone example from the first chapter, "In general, African American women are more assertive than European American women, and African American men tend to be more communal than White men".
   
   Notice how she cares to use extensive titles for women and African American men, but when she discusses European American males we are merely "White" males. So much for an unbiased presentaton :)



4. 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.



5. 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.

No comments about The Basics of Communication Research (with InfoTrac ) (Wadsworth Series in Speech Communication).

3 comments about Oedipus Rex - Literary Touchstone Edition.

1. THIS EDITION HAS SPACE FOR YOUR NOTES, AND ALONG THE SIDE IT HAS NOTES THAT HELP YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND THIS ALREADY GREAT STORY. ONE MORE IMPORTANT REASON FOR YOU TO BUY THE TOUCHSTONE EDITION IS ITS PRICE, CAN'T BE BEAT. I ONLY WISH THAT IT WAS THE SIZE OF OTHER PAPERBACK BOOKS.



2. This product is extremely helpful when reading Oedipus. It is a fantastic version of the play.



3. "Oedipus Rex" is not only the most read Greek tragedy, it is also the most misread. The play's reputation exists in part because it is presented as the paradigmatic example of the Greek tragedy by no less an authority than Aristotle in his "Poetics." No doubt this reputation played a part it making it one of the relatively few plays by Sophocles that has been preserved from ancient times. Whenever I have taught the Greek tragedies in various classes my students almost always find in the play the best examples of Aristotle's key concepts of harmartia ("tragic error of judgment"), anagnorisis ("recognition"), peripeteia ("reversal"), catharsis, etc. Still, there is the fact that because even those who do not know the play know the story about the man who killed his father and married his mother, "Oedipus Rex" is usually misread by students. Because they know the curse they miss something very important: the curse that the oracle at Delphi tells Oedipus (ln. 752-57) is not the same curse that was told to his parents (ln. 676-78).
   
   The only reference to Oedipus by name in Homer appears in the "Iliad" (Book 23, ln 756) where it says that the king of Thebes died in battle, which suggests he was not blind. At some point in between the time of Homer and when Sophocles wrote this play, the tradition became that Oedipus blinded himself (Ismene refers to it in "Antigone," ln 37-39, which was written 15 years earlier but may have been edited later to conform with the more famous work). Sophocles could be playing with the legend again by having the prophecy change because this way there is an explanation for the sin of incest being part of the prophecy: it is added when Jocasta tries to thwart destiny and she herself gives the baby Oedipus over to the huntsman to be killed. Consequently, in the view of Sophocles at least, the incest is a punishment for the actions of Jocasta and not something that the innocent babe Oedipus faced from the moment of his birth.
   
   Anyhow, there is no need for me to convince you that "Oedipus Rex" (a.k.a. "Oedipus the King" and "Oedipus Tyrannos") is a great play and the epitome of the Greek tragedy. So let me instead recommend this Literary Touchstone Edition with it use of sidebar notes to explain terms, concepts and mythological references. Once upon a time it seemed like only Shakespeare got this treatment, so it is nice to see Sophocles being treated the same. Before you read the play there are some Reading Points for Sharper Interest, which give readers some key things to consider whether they are reading the play for the first time or the twentieth. A list of Dramatis Personae is provided before the play and a look at the Mythological Background follows, although reading that latter one first as well could be quite useful.
   
   Actually, a lot of what is included in this book would be useful reading before rather than after. The rest of this volume is devoted to brief considerations of the Origins of Greek Drama, Tragedy and the City (looking at the importance of these dramas to the Athenians), Conventions of Greek Drama, and Aristotle's Influence on Our Understanding of Tragedy. If anything, depending on how much you already know about such things, these sections may be too brief. But they do provide some key concepts for better understanding "Oedipus Rex." Even teachers who cannot get classroom sets of this edition to give their students to read can take advantage of what they find here to benefit their students.

3 comments about Living Theatre: A History.

1. Just what the professor ordered! My son is quite pleased with this purchase. He needed the text for his theatre class in college. Thanks for the speedy delivery.



2. This is a [must have] for anyone who desires to study theater outside of high school and into college. Throughout my studies in college, I constantly referred back to this piece for references. It is an expensive book, but trust me. You will get your money's worth out of this one.



3. This has been the only textbook I have enjoyed in 4 years of university. Great pics. Very well done.

2 comments about Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics, Study Edition (8th Edition).

1. How about Pearson Education, taking a best selling PR book and adding tear-out quizzes! ...for free! This is a typical publisher ploy where they sell the profs on this free added value; but what they don't tell the professor is that this is how they force students to always buy new. What a racket. And I don't just blame Pearson; Cengage Learning is probably the worst offender but they all do it.
   
   Professors, do the right thing and adopt the non-consumable version of this textbook. Ask your Pearson rep to supply the quizzes so that you can print them and hand them out in class and tell them that you won't partake in the screwing of college students.



2. From the very first page this book gives a good introduction into the daily life of a professional account executive a public relations firm. This is designed to ltet the student know how his workday is likely to be spent. Perhaps in eight editions they've learned how to approach students.
   
   That brings up the question of what's new in the eighth edition. One important step is the new chapter on Conflict Management. This has become very critical in today's world as investigative reporters are constantly seeking conflicts to spread to the public. There's a new 'casebook' at the end of every chapter that presents a situation in depth that is left as a discussion subject for the student or the class. Finally the book is completely revised to use up to date in areas as diverse as salary ranges or notable public relations campaigns such as those mounted by John Kerry and George Bush.
   
   This is the student edition of the book which contains a 64 page practice test at the end of the book.

No comments about The Return of Ulysses: A Cultural History of Homer's Odyssey.

3 comments about Cengage Advantage Books: Essentials of Public Speaking (Cengage Advantage Books).

1. Dont waste money buying this from the school book store. Get it here at amazon. It is the same thing and cost much less. Arrived in new condition.



2. This book was required for a speech class I took. The book is very interesting and has a lot of techniques to make a speech effective. I really like the sections on "Preparing Your Speech" and "Presenting Your Speech." They were actually the best. There are some great examples of how communication affects the environment and the speaker. The sequential process of writing and delivering a speech is packed with some excellent principles and suggestions. This is an excellent book for preparing and delivering a speech; building confidence to speak, and to develop credibility with the audience. This is an excellent book for speakers and potential speakers. It has helped me with poetry presentations and speaking engagements.
   
   Another great book to read is "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul." This book introduces the new "Epulaeryu" poetic form, and it's also filled with great inspirational poems to stimulate the mind, body and soul.



3. Great emphasis on visual aids. Organization is great and easy to understand. Author does an excellent job of explaining. Includes some great examples of speeches throughout the book. Great section on speaker anxiety - helped a lot.

5 comments about Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre.

1. I've recently discovered improvisation. As a tai chi instructor I've found improv fits in perfectly with my other training. It teaches you to find a way to say yes to what is offered you, good and bad. It helps put you in control of your own life.



2. Honestly, I don't know why there are so many positive reviews for this book. I purchased this book based purely on that criteria.
   
   I was expecting the best book anybody can get their hand on to learn improv, but what I got was a tedious toil read with nothing practical to be taken from the book.
   
   The author constantly went on talking about himself and his theater, and put me to sleep with all these fluffs. The information is presented in "how-to" unfriendly. I couldn't even figure out what was the point the author was trying to make with all these fluffs. Look I don't care about the "you" and "what you did", all I care about is the "I", the selfish me...which is the learning the material in a easy "how-to" fashion that affects me.
   
   Frankly, I am extremely disappointed, after all the positive reviews. Am I missing something? Am I the only one here who found this book useless?
   
   Don't waste your time and money on this.
   
   A much better book on improvisation will be "Truth In Comedy", which the information are much more easy to learn on a practical level.



3. You don't need to be interested in theatre to find this book fascinating. I've purchased over a dozen copies to give to my friends. It's changed my life more than any other!



4. This book taught me many, many things, mostly immediately applicable to improv but also, on a deeper level, everyday life. It is not a book of physical techniques to try but of mental exercises to show us how we think of the world, how we are trained not to think and what we subconsciously do or avoid doing. This theoretical base I see as being immensely helpful to understanding improvisational work, but the lessons I have learned easily apply to real life situations. The author writes mostly non-linearly, but it is still very easy to follow and full of life rather than being overbearing and pretentious or dry and dull. Reading it has also exposed me to many fascinating stories, especially in the final chapter on Masks and trance, which tells us of hypnotic states and Mask-related cultures across the world and across time. The lessons we learn from these apply to our world as well, but we are conditioned to reject Mask work as being silly or strange. This book has changed and will continue to change how I think of myself and my interactions with other people and I am sure that once I get back into the improv workshop I will be a more confident and knowledgeable performer, both consciously and subconsciously, and thus a more eager participant and more ready and open to further teaching. I recommend this book to any who want a theoretical, metaphysical and spiritual guide to both improvisational performance and the constant improv performance of life.



5. As a theater actor, this book has been a very good tool for me. It has made me a better listener which is important on the stage. Just memorizing lines is not enough. In case someone drops a line, you can immediately come to their rescue, without making them look bad, thus maintaining the scene. I highly recommend this to anyone in the theater.