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Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent.
Having read much material on Grotowski, I found Jennifer Kumiega's book one of the most rigorous and deeply illuminating studies of Grotowski's and the Teatr Laboratorium's pioneering work up to the beginning of "Theatre of Sources". It also contains a detailed dramaturgical account of "Apocalypsis cum Figuris" including all texts and sources which alone is preciouous. Excellent. ... Read more

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Act locally

Teach Yourself Theater covers all aspects of community theater, from acting to lighting to managing. It includes important advice on coping with opening-night nerves, health and safety issues, funding, taxes, and more.

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In the first exhaustive history of the origins of dramaturgs and literary managers--people who act as advisers and play-doctors at today's theatres, Mary Luckhurst examines the major theorists and practitioners, arguing that Brecht, Granville Barker and Tynan have central roles in this history. Contentious figures, often accused of sinister intent, the numbers of dramaturgs have multiplied considerably in the last decades. This study inquires as to the political and cultural agendas behind this revolution, and whether dramaturgs are mentors or censors. ... Read more

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Learn how to direct television programs, understand complex directing tasks, and learn the fundamentals of studio production procedure in this back-to-basics guide to studio-based productions. Learn about lighting, set, camera operations, floor direction, technical direction, audio, tape, graphics, prompting, and assistant directing. As it's one of the most challenging types of programming, the live newscast is used to illuminate television producing and directing procedures for your newscast or other program genre. You'll soon be able to direct any type of studio-based program with ease.

* A short, quick, easy-reference guide to multicamera TV directing
* Heavily illustrated and written in the popular Media Manual format, designed for use on the job ... Read more

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This book brings you to one of the frontiers of multimedia applications, where computers are used as part of experimental theatre, puppet theatre, art installations, musical performances, museums, entertainment, games and teaching. Bringing together a wealth of knowledge covering theatre production, film production, design, game development, art and software engineering, 3D Production Methods recounts the exciting histories of the origins of specific multimedia products. Each chapter is case-orientated and focuses on the production process, including themes such as: - Scriptwriting techniques- Interdisciplinary co-operative teams- Visualization of ideas- Motivation- Prototyping and experimental systems development- Advice on how to organise multimediaA CD-ROM accompanies this book, containing all figures and video material from some of the cases presented in the book. 3D Production Methods contains edited research papers resulting from a project managed by Professor Lars Qvortrup into Virtual Inhabited 3D Worlds. Other volumes include: Virtual Interaction: Interaction in Virtual Inhabited 3D Worlds; Virtual Space: Spatiality in Virtual Inhabited 3D Worlds; and 3D Virtual Applications: Applications with Virtual Inhabited 3D Worlds. ... Read more

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A text.Sufficient knowledge of the drama, the production of plays and the american theatre today. Ohio state University, Columbus. ... Read more

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Every actor and director who enters the orbit of Marowitz's major work will find himself challenged to a deeper understanding of his art and propelled into further realms of exploration on his/her own. Marowitz meditates on all the sacred precepts of theatre practice including auditions, casting, design, rehearsal, actor psychology, dramaturgy, and the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Build Your Library!
Anything written by Charles Marowitz has ever written should be included in personal library of a theatre professional.Why his writings are not mandatory as texts in courses is beyond me.I review, at least once a year, each of his books just to keep me on track to doing the best work I can.In every paragraph in every book, there is something of great value to think about, ponder if you will.The man has an amazing mind that never ceases to challeng and illumine.Gordon Goede (gordongoede@aol.com)And you can quote me!

A great tool both for Directors and Actors
I'm reading this book now for the second time. Charles Marowitz has an interesting style of writing, the kind that you have to stop and think about it for a little while every other page or so. I often go back and re-read some sentences just to make sure I fully understood the whole meaning and the context. It's a very professional view on theatre in all it's aspects. It's not usual to find an author that does not mind sharing his point of view and breaking taboos (I like the way he disagrees with Method acting in some aspects ). This book has helped me in my work as an actor and director. ... Read more

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A Director Prepares is a fascinating and thought-provoking examination of the challenges of making theatre. In it, Anne Bogart speaks candidly and with immense wisdom of the courage required to create "art with great presence." No other book on the art of theatre comes even close to offering this much understanding, experience and inspiration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Brilliant exploration of how art is made
Although Anne Bogart's A DIRECTOR PREPARES: SEVEN ESSAYS ON ART AND THEATRE is directly concerned with how a piece of theatre comes into being, it transcends that single category and becomes a meditation on the nature of creativity and how art is made.A fantastic book for writers, dancers, musicians, and visual artists.Highly recommended!

like my bible, but not my manual
It's true that this book does not offer technical guidance on directing.I concur with the other reviewer in recommending William Ball's "Sense of Direction" if you are looking for a straightforward beginner's guide for directing and managing rehearsals and the technical aspects of producing a show (with lots of little practical details that some other writers leave out).

What this particular book is invaluable for is its wisdom on the art of directing.The information Bogart provides in this book is not useful in the sense that it will not help a newcomer to know how many run-throughs to schedule before tech and such.It will be of incredible use, however, when a director is in the middle of a rehearsal trying to make innovative and engaging directorial choices on the fly and simply does not know where to begin or how to even approach the subject politically, intellectually, or artistically (which is the real difficulty in directing).Bogart here is big on encouraging artists to make "brave" choices without censoring themselves, but to still be aware of the political choices they are making.This sounds like telling people to be brave when they don't have the practical experience to develop or implement these big choices.I think the technical experience, however, comes with just that; experience.Get a different kind of guide to start out with (consider Bogart's practical guide, "The Viewpoints Book"), keep directing over and over again, try different things, read this book and others, and definitely consider some of the points Anne Bogart makes here in this work.Ball's book is what guides me in how to structure rehearsals; Bogart's (and Augusto Boal's as well) work is what inspires me to direct in the first place.Coincidentally, they are all at odds with each other on certain philosophical and artistic points (Ball believes the actor to be heroic when they are free to make choices, Bogart believes the actor to be heroic when they know how to accept constraints, Boal believes it is heroic when the spectators themselves make the choice to act, etc.), but that is the joy of figuring things out for yourself.This book is a great place to start in developing your own philosophical approach to directing (and I believe that as an artist, you should very much have some kind of philosophical approach to your own work).I personally have Anne Bogart's wisdom and techniques to thank for many of the choices I make as an artist, and I am glad that I read this book and became familiar with her work early on in my directing experiences.

p.s. On a technical note, her writing style is sometimes a little long-winded, meandering, and vague.Read this for fun (or "inspiration," if you will), and just let her lead you from anecdote to anecdote.I personally like her style, but others might find it distracting.

Required Reading
Full of holes and alot of overbearing personal philosophy.I found myself crossing out lines of this text, as so much of this is conjecture and hyperbole.The chapter on Violence is worth the cost of the book, however, I would recommend going to the library and saving your money.Some directors swear by this text, thusly it is a potent force in the contemporary theatre.However, many of these ideas have been chewed up and misused by so many inexperienced Bogart groupies that it has little more validity than, say, a Richard Foreman text in its extremely self-referential nature.

A must have for your theatre library
A vitally important book about creating theatre in the 21st century.Those who complain that this book is not a handbook for how to direct are unfortunately missing the point - one would be hard pressed to find a more important, inspirational book about why we take on the struggle that being in theatre brings.

Don't let the price scare you, all you fellow actors on a budget - this book is for you, too.

How any theater artist prepares
The title is misleading since the book is really about the process of making art--specifically making theater--and will be valuable to anyone involved in the collaborative process.

Some have complained that this book does not tell one "how to direct." But Bogart's book is about how to find one's voice as an artist and how to wrestle with material--topics that are rarely treated with the sanity that this book does. Reading it will help you figure out how to direct(or act or design) in your own individual way.

... Read more

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The newest volume drawn from the American Theatre Wing--creator of the Tony Awards--archive of transcripts from the popular discussion series of Working in the Theatre seminars is now available. Theatre is a creative and collaborative enterprise. But like any enterprise in a capitalistic culture, it must rely on the initial flow of money from entrepreneurs and investors. There can be an uneasy relationship between commerce and creativity. But this book dispels this easy notion, in the process demystfying the work of producers on Broadway, off-Broadway, and the West End. As Oscar Hammerstein observed: "A producer is a rare, paradoxical genius--hardheaded, soft-hearted, cautious, reckless, a hopeful innocent in fair weather, a stern pilot in stormy weather, an idealist, a practical dreamer, a sophisticated gambler, a stage-struck child." By examining the funding of theatre today, this book is an invaluable examination of what a producer does in terms of selecting the work, finding backers, dealing with unions, advertising, and much more. Although economics is called the dismal science, nothing could be further from the truth in this lively collection of free and collegial discussions. ... Read more

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Outstanding Real World Opinions
I could not put this book down.Packed with insider insights and classic stories, this is an extremely quick read but one that will leave an impression long after the final page is turned.

I would recommend the paperback edition, as the hardcover is a bit pricey, although I borrowed mine from the local library.There are no photos in the book, contrary to the above description given for the hardcover.

This book readily dispels the myth of the theatrical producer as an artless bean counter, but nowhere more poetically than in Kevin McCollum's gorgeously phrased description of his "Drowsy Chaperone" experience, which concludes:"...I have a certain theory about musicals, where they must start on the earth, end in the heavens, be about community, and must be driven by love."Mr. McCollum's words should have launched the marketing campaign for this musical, because after reading his take on how it is about so much more than musical theatre, I was moved to get tickets to the Cleveland touring production.His spirit is unquestionably as artistic as anyone working in the theatre, and Broadway is fortunate to have such a person among its ranks.Reading his words made me wish I could meet him one day.

Golden nuggets of wisdom from the best of the best in the business.Bravo.Most highly recommended.
... Read more

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Play Production Today moves students through a step-by-step production process by taking an in depth look at the many jobs to be done in mounting a show from the formation of the company through auditions and rehearsals to the final performance. Features include beginning each chapter with a preview of topics and working vocabulary, an overview of theatre history from antiquity to the contemporary stage, profiles of theater professionals, and a variety of activities designed to encourage personal creativity and foster communication and cooperation.

Customer Reviews (1)

No credit for authors?That's dishonest!
I've read this and other books by Jonniepat Mobley.This book is simple, clear, concrete; it's a wonderfully practical, thoughtful book.

What I don't understand, though, is why (when the name of the author is clearly on the cover of the book), Amazon is listing this as being written by McGraw-Hill, the publishers.Don't authors deserve credit? ... Read more

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A look behind the scenes in the theatre, with background material on the history of the theatre, playwrights and plays, theatrical terminology and how the modern theatre is run. Illustrated throughout in full colour. ... Read more

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Comprehensive Theatre Source
This book has all the information needed for someone of little experience to be able to put on a show. It covers every aspect of theatre (whether costumes, lighting, or acting). I was amazed by the simplicity of the writing while it covers technical areas like sound. It does not go in depth at all on acting, which is a bit dissapointing for an actor like myself, but if nothing else, it will suffice.

A fantastic foundation course in acting for all ages!
For only 64 pages, this book is packed with basics of lighting, props and costumes, as well as, learning your lines!It offered my 7 year old "wanna be actress" an awesome history of acting, types oftheatre, and definite do's and don'ts.An awful lot of"homework" and work went into this book!Diagrams, coloredphotographs and lots and lots of information! ... Read more

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Concert Tour Production Management deals with the business of production and sets out guidelines to follow in order to literally get the show on the road.Concert Tour Production Management provides the basic information to manage the production for a touring concert from start to finish in the most effective and efficient way possible.

Beginning with an introduction to the touring concert, explaining who's who on the road, the author guides you through a tour setup using a realistic itinerary that visits different types of venues using the production manager's checklists.He also covers the role of the local promoter's production manager and how to manage a crew.The appendices provide some basic electrical formulae, a performance contract, a technical rider, a production checklist to suit most situations, and several forms to help expedite routine tasks.

All you need to know about concert touring by an industry expert.
Appendices provide industry standard forms and information.
Only book dedicated to production management for concert tours. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Sorry auther, I feel ripped off!
OK I never write reviews.I am way to busy but this book.Growl,[........]Ok, the book is 150ish pages.The first 45 pages are the book, and contain information about major tours.Huge tours.That is great but nothing under that, and if your doing major tours, you know this stuff.The other 100 or so pages is just appendix.Yes!!! 100 pages of appendix which means 2/3rds of the book!!!It is full of examples of contracts etc. very nice to have, but common on, a 2/3 ratio? So basically he wrote about 45 pages of the book and filled the rest with contracts he had lying around being in the business. And the book is some were like, 45 bucks or so.Seriously.I paid a buck a page. I am NOT a cheap guy.[........]A 45 dollar book should be huge.I feel ripped off!!!.Sorry Mr, Vasey. I do.I just hope I can keep someone else from getting taken.

Lots of details, not many numbers
I got this book for a marketing project for school, and in general it was a great help and gave me a lot of ideas, it didn't have some of the detailed numbers I was hoping for. I would have atleast like some examples for how much it costs to rent a truck or crew. ... Read more

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Theoretical inquiry into the representation of mental illness on stage has not kept pace with theatre scholarship relating to images of marginalized populations as presented on stage, nor with developments in current thinking about mental disease. This collection examines the dynamics of characterization and the problematics of representation within the context of new trends in pharmacology and reconfigured definitions of mental disease, at a time when unprecedented attention is being given to the complex realities of living with mental disorders. ... Read more

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Directing Plays explores both the theory and practice of directing plays, with particular emphasis on textual interpretation.Don Taylor guides the student through the complex process of choosing a play, the working partnership of director, playwright and designer, the delicate matter of casting a play, the rehearsal process and everything which needs to happen before the production is up and running. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Just what you've been looking for...
I've read many books on this subject in the vain hope that they will give me advice on how to actually CREATE theatre on a PRACTICAL level: not to be patronised in the process or made to feel that because I don't have enough experience I shouldn't even bother. Well, PRAISE BE TO THE THEATRE GODS, I've found a book that not only shows me how to practically create and produce non-text based theatre but to actually enjoy it too!
The writers' enthusiasm leaps off of the page and soon injects that same enthusiasm into the reader...whether they are a student, keen theatregoer, professional or amateur.
The presentation is wonderful: the photographs, illustrations, checklists, 'prompt points' and the excellent clearly and expertly written text etc. all add to the overall feeling of being 'shown' how to make theatre through the benefit of the contributors' collective and extensive experience, not being 'taught' or being bombarded with unhelpful theories by teachers whom have never produced a theatre event.
It is obvious to all those who read this book that the author is an excellent teacher. The book is written in such a way as to give immensely helpful advice to the reader but essentially demonstrates that theatre is a process of discovery and the reader needs to discover their own working methodologies, so they can create theatre that is socially applicable to their world - think of the information in this book as the foundations for your own theatre creating process...
In all, an excellent book and source of advice. Go on! Make use their expertise, experience and talent to create and have fun with your own productions! Worth every penny!

Superb !
I have devised many shows with young people and in professional contexts. There is no other book which does the job this one does. It allows professionals from the whole spectrum (from directors to composers to stage managers) to write about their experiences of devising in a way ANYONE would find useful. It is a MUST for any student or young professional wishing to begin work from a non text base. ... Read more