What is the best acting book ?

Question

Is acting for dummies a really good book if you want to start acting or is there something
else?I want to buy the best book on acting because thats what i want to start doing.Ive heard that there are not so many great theatre teachers left in this world and dont teach correctly...Just want to be sure
thanks

Answer 1

Avoid the books recommended above. Avoid anything based on Stanislavski and from the big names of the 1950's, 60's. You need a practical up-to-date approach to acting. Don Richardsons's Acting Without Agony is good. If you are going to do a lot of stage acting, Rehearsal by Miriam Franklin 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th edition, is the best basic acting book ever written! Get it used, paper cover from bookfinder.com for about $5. Also look for used copy ot Tony Barr's Acting for the Camera which has the best definition of acting ever!

and by the way, I happen to know that you do not learn to act in classes, the only way to learn to act is to act. be in some plays.

Answer 2

There are many good books out there. I suggested Acting For Dummies because it gives an easy to understand overview of the business. Highlight the busniess part - it covers training, headshots, marketing, unions, film vs. television vs. theatre, auditions, etc. It's a good place to start for someone who knows nothing and then you keep reading. Alternately, just go to the drama section of Barnes and Noble and take a look at all the titles. Go on a weekend afternoon, grab a few books, go get a coffee at the in-house Starbucks they all seem to have now and start reading.

By the way, a book is not going to teach you how to act. That's what classes are for.

Answer 3

I would not recommend starting with Acting For Dummies. If this is your first intro into the world of acting, I would suggest a few of the most popular reads which are:

Sanford Meisner on Acting by Sanford Meisner
Respect for Acting by Uta Hagen
An Actor Prepares by Constantin Stanislavski

Those 3 will provide a great intro and you'll be able to see whose method and style you mesh with!

Answer 4

Good acting is something timeless so don't listen to the ones telling you not to read books from any other period than now. But good acting, as said by the others, can't be learned from a book. It has to be in you and if it isn't forget it. Now there's a few things I'd suggest you read : "the paradox of the actor" by Diderot is interesting, and stuff about Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, and so on might give you a piece of advice or two

Answer 5

I agree with JC100002, BUT you need class. You can't learn acting from solely a book. You need to get into a class with real people who can give you live feedback about what you're doing. A book can give you lots of info but you can't put it into practice without people. There are plenty of other books out there, but those are great to start with.

For a more updated one, try Ivana Chubback's The Power of the Actor.

good luck,
Marianne

Answer 6

Sandford Meisner On Acting

Tony
http://www.actingcareerstartup.com

Answer 7

What is the best cookbook?

You cannot learn to act, or cook, from books.

As Paul's Grandfather ("He's very clean!") said to Ringo in A Hard Day's Night : " You can learn a lot more from goin' out there and livin'!"

Answer 8

"Acting is Everything" by Judy Kerr. It's a step by step guide, and its really helpful. It's very recent, and is recommended by alot of industry professionals. It tells you everything you need to know, from getting headshots to producing work to getting a career team. there are also alot of references in this book

Answer 9

...Living History, by Hillary Clinton.
...P.S. It tied for 1st place in the fiction category as well.