Acting for the Stage

Acting for the Stage

by Anna Weinstein, Chris Qualls
Released February 2017
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781317370505

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Book description

Acting for the Stage is a highly accessible guide to the business of theater acting, written for those interested in pursuing acting as a profession. This book is a collection of essays by and interviews with talented artists and businesspeople who have built successful careers in the theater; it’s a goldmine of career advice that might take years to find on your own. Herein, the myths around professional acting are dispelled, and the mysteries revealed. Acting for the Stage illuminates practical strategies to help you build a life as a theater professional and find financial rewards and creative fulfillment in the process.

  • Contains essays by and interviews with working stage actors, acting coaches, directors, writers, and agents.

  • Features discussions on selecting a graduate school program, choosing acting classes and workshops, making the most out of your showcase, landing an agent, networking and promoting yourself, and the business of casting.

  • Covers issues of money management, balancing the highs and lows of the profession, finding work to nourish your acting career, and building your creative team and support network.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Dedication
  6. Table of Contents
  7. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  8. INTRODUCTION
  9. CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED
    1. MOVING TOWARD YOUR DREAM
    2. Big Buttery Acting and Developing Business Relationships
    3. HOW TO BREAK IN
    4. An Agent’s Perspective
    5. TRAINING AND RESPECTING THE WORK
    6. A Director’s Perspective
    7. AUDITIONING FOR SHAKESPEARE
    8. IS A RESIDENT THEATER COMPANY FOR YOU?
    9. An Interview With Richard Rose
  10. CHAPTER 2: STICKING IT OUT
    1. TRAINING YOUR VOICE FOR THE JOB
    2. ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND HABITS
    3. For the Working Actor
    4. THIS IS NOT MY BEAUTIFUL HOUSE!
    5. A Semi-Imaginary Interview With Berliner Ensemble Actor Laura Tratnik
    6. WHEN IT FEELS IMPOSSIBLE
    7. An Interview With Regan Linton
    8. A DIALOGUE ABOUT THE ART OF WORKING AS AN ACTOR
  11. CHAPTER 3: FINDING SUCCESS
    1. THE TRIPLE CROWN OF ACTING
    2. The Road to Winning an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony
    3. CAREER STRATEGIES FOR PERFORMING ARTISTS
    4. YOU’RE SUCCESSFUL! NOW WHAT?
    5. An Agent’s Perspective
    6. EXPANDING YOUR VIEW OF SUCCESS
    7. Notes from the Acting Coach
    8. NOT STANDING ON CEREMONY
    9. How To Be an Amateur in the Theater
  12. CHAPTER 4: GETTING AHEAD
    1. CREATING A CONTEMPORARY LANGUAGE FOR THE STAGE
    2. An Interview With Caden Manson and Jemma Nelson
    3. WORKING IN CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT
    4. SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS THEATER
    5. Acting as a Vessel for Change
    6. THE ACTOR WHO WRITES
    7. Another Tool for Your Toolbox
    8. A LIFE IN THE THEATER
  13. CHAPTER 5: STARTING AGAIN
    1. UNDERSTANDING YOUR AUDIENCE
    2. BEGINNING ACTING LATER IN LIFE
    3. An Interview With Mary Ann Thebus
    4. MANAGING REJECTION, DISAPPOINTMENT, AND SETBACKS
    5. 1,000+ STAGE PERFORMANCES
    6. An Interview With 100-Year-Old Chemancheri Kunjiraman Nair
    7. SUCCESS AND THE RESET BUTTON
    8. A Moving Target
    9. TEACHING ACTING IN PRISONS
    10. Lessons from the Actors’ Gang Prison Project
  14. INDEX

Product information

  • Title: Acting for the Stage
  • Author(s): Anna Weinstein, Chris Qualls
  • Release date: February 2017
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781317370505