Michael Checkov "To The Actor' But you can't learn from a book. You need a teacher and when you get into the industry you need a mentor. With Stanislavski there is a good book by David Magarshak which contains commentary as well as translations from his works. I think it's out of print though.
Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing.
www.tonymoore.id.au

'Empty Space' - Peter Brooks
'The invisible Actor' - Yoshi Oida

My two most prized acting books... Based on theories of the theatre and theatrical acting. They really open your eayes up to what is beyond the 'Stanislavski' technique.. and believe me.. there is much more...

Terry Crawford's "Trade Secrets" - he interviews 15 Australian actors of different backgrounds/ages/experience on their ideas of what Acting is all about. Interviews include those with Geoffrey Rush, Joel Edgerton and Billie Brown...a large range...

By far the most useful book I've ever read on acting was 'True and False: Heresy for the Actor' by David Mamet. It's particularly useful if your other reading is focused more on Stansilavski-inspired techniques. Having said that, whilst Mamet's book is easily the most practical out of any I've encountered, it isn't the whole picture - whilst he is writing in his capacity as an acting teacher rather than his capacity as a famous play-wright/script-writer, he overtly works on the assumption that the actor is performing to a solid script (a fair assumption when you're David **$$%%^ Mamet:-). He's had a substantial influence upon a number of acting schools, with a focus upon performing the script rather than making up a character outside of the script, but he'd be the first to admit that it isn't a lot of help if the script sucks (in fact he does state this somewhere in his book, with the advice not to do badly written work).

Frankly its worth reading just for interest if nothing else - Mamet is always a clear and entertaining read. He starts with what at the time was a controversial premise: that the Stanislavski method is a distraction and hindrance to acting, and makes a pretty good fist of arguing it over the rest of the book (even if he does exaggerate the differences between Stanislavski's and his own views).

There's copies in the UWA library, and I'd bet that they're also in the other university libraries as well.

Actor, martial artist and soon-to-be Philosophy post-grad student. Making myself less employable one step at a time:-)

I have not come across this book but it sounds much like the point to which I have been gradually shifting over the last several years. I will immediately attempt to acquire a copy. Thankyou

Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing.
www.tonymoore.id.au

I have been reading "Playing Shakespeare" by John Barton. While it basically a direct transcript of a BBC Series and loses a little without the auditory support, it is a very interesting read for any budding shakespearian.

Incidentally, I went to the local book shop during my lunch break just today to find 'True and False: Heresy for the Actor' by David Mamet, but in my searches (I did find that book) I came across "How to Stop Acting" by Harold Guskin who has references from actors such as Glenn Close, Peter Fonda, Christopher Reeve (RIP), James Gandolfini, Kevin Kline and David Suchet. After reading the first pages of the Prologue, I was completely taken that I dropped the other text without even reading it (sorry Craig ) and rushed straight to the counter with my Credit Card out.

Suffice it to say that in the very opening lines, I could completely relate to the author's experiences of trying to act "in-the-moment" and just had to know more, and I couldn't do that knelling on the floor of the bookshop, during my lunch break now could I?

Absit invidia

Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director

http://au.geocities.com/labrug