Stella Adler on America's Master Playwrights
Eugene O'Neill, Thornton Wilder, Clifford Odets, William Saroyan, Tennessee Williams, William Inge, Arthur Miller, Edward Albee
Written by Stella Adler
Edited by Barry Paris

Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Publisher: Knopf
On Sale: August 14, 2012
Price: $27.95
ISBN: 978-0-679-42443-7 (0-679-42443-1)

“Don’t use your conscious past. Use your creative imagination to create a past that belongs to your character. I don’t want you to be stuck with your own life. It’s too little.”

“You must get beneath the words before you can say them. The text must be in you. It is your... Read more >

Stella Adler on Ibsen, Strindberg, and Chekhov

Written by Stella Adler
Edited by Barry Paris

Format: Trade Paperback, 352 pages
Publisher: Vintage
On Sale: September 12, 2000
Price: $18.00
ISBN: 978-0-679-74698-0 (0-679-74698-6)

In her long-awaited book, the legendary acting teacher Stella Adler gives us her extraordinary insights into the work of Henrik Ibsen ("The creation of the modern theater took a genius like Ibsen. . .Miller and Odets, Inge and O'Neill, Williams and Shaw, swallowed the whole of him"), August Strindberg ("He understood... Read more >

Playing Shakespeare
An Actor's Guide
Written by John Barton

Format: Trade Paperback, 288 pages
Publisher: Anchor
On Sale: August 21, 2001
Price: $15.00
ISBN: 978-0-385-72085-4 (0-385-72085-8)

Now in its first American edition, Playing Shakespeare is the premier guide to understanding and appreciating the mastery of the world’s greatest playwright.

Together with Royal Shakespeare Company actors–among them Patrick Stewart, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Ben Kingsley, and David Suchet–John Barton demonstrates how to adapt Elizabethan theater for the modern stage... Read more >

The Unexpurgated Beaton
The Cecil Beaton Diaries as He Wrote Them, 1970-1980
Written by Cecil Beaton
Introduction by Hugo Vickers

Format: Hardcover, 528 pages
Publisher: Knopf
On Sale: October 28, 2003
Price: $35.00
ISBN: 978-1-4000-4112-1 (1-4000-4112-0)

Cecil Beaton was one of the great twentieth-century tastemakers. A photographer, artist, writer and designer for more than fifty years, he was at the center of the worlds of fashion, society, theater and film. The Unexpurgated Beaton brings together for the first time the never-before-published diaries from 1970 to 1980 and... Read more >

Acting for Young Actors
For Money Or Just for Fun
Written by Mary Lou Belli and Dinah Lenney

Format: Trade Paperback, 224 pages
Publisher: Back Stage Books
On Sale: August 1, 2006
Price: $16.95
ISBN: 978-0-8230-4947-9 (0-8230-4947-7)

Aimed at teens and tweens, Acting for Young Actors lets kids hone their skills and develop their craft. It begins with the five W's: WHO am I? WHAT do I want? WHY do I want it? WHERE am I? WHEN does this event take place? Sounds basic - but many young... Read more >

The Actor's Audition

Written by David Black

Format: Trade Paperback, 128 pages
Publisher: Vintage
On Sale: October 3, 1990
Price: $14.00
ISBN: 978-0-679-73228-0 (0-679-73228-4)

This practical, hands-on guide by a veteran producer, covers every aspect of the auditioning process: the monologue, the cold reading, the musical audition, and the interview. It shows actors how to see their performance through the eyes of the prospective employers, how to sell themselves even before they step into character... Read more >

A Practical Handbook for the Actor

Written by Melissa Bruder

Format: Trade Paperback, 112 pages
Publisher: Vintage
On Sale: April 12, 1986
Price: $12.95
ISBN: 978-0-394-74412-4 (0-394-74412-8)

This is a simple and essential book about the craft of acting: it relates a technique developed and refined by the authors, all of them young actors, in their work with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet, actor W.H. Macy and director Gregory Mosher. It is written for any actor who has... Read more >

Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World

Written by Simon Callow

Format: Trade Paperback, 384 pages
Publisher: Vintage
On Sale: August 7, 2012
Price: $16.00
ISBN: 978-0-345-80323-8 (0-345-80323-X)

Acclaimed actor and writer Simon Callow offers a fresh perspective on one of the greatest novelists in the English language, Charles Dickens, in this lively, colorful biography.

Dickens was one of the first true celebrity authors. Thousands of fans in Britain and America eagerly awaited each new installment of his stories and... Read more >

Little Me
The Intimate Memoirs of that Great Star of Stage, Screen and Television/Belle Poitrine/as told to
Written by Patrick Dennis

Format: Trade Paperback, 304 pages
Publisher: Broadway
On Sale: October 15, 2002
Price: $15.95
ISBN: 978-0-7679-1347-8 (0-7679-1347-7)

A runaway bestseller that made its way to Broadway, starring Sid Caesar in 1962 and Martin Short in 1998, Little Me is now reprinted--with all of the 150 historic, hysterical photographs depicting the funniest scenes from Belle's sordid life, including cameo appearances by the author and Rosalind Russell. Considered a collector's... Read more >

Oscar Wilde

Written by Richard Ellmann

Format: Trade Paperback, 736 pages
Publisher: Vintage
On Sale: November 5, 1988
Price: $24.00
ISBN: 978-0-394-75984-5 (0-394-75984-2)

"A master of the biographer's art...a distinguished book...Ellmann has the first, indispensable virtue of telling his story well--not just the big story but the lesser stories that lie coiled inside it."--New York Review of Books

"It is difficult to imagine a more comprehensive, measured and fascinating account."--Time Read more >

The Actor's Art and Craft
William Esper Teaches the Meisner Technique
Written by William Esper and Damon Dimarco
Preface by David Mamet

Format: Trade Paperback, 304 pages
Publisher: Anchor
On Sale: April 8, 2008
Price: $16.00
ISBN: 978-0-307-27926-2 (0-307-27926-X)

William Esper, one of the leading acting teachers of our time, explains and extends Sanford Meisner's legendary technique, offering a clear, concrete, step-by-step approach to becoming a truly creative actor.

Esper worked closely with Meisner for seventeen years and has spent decades developing his famous program for actor's training. The result is... Read more >

Reading Lyrics
More Than 1,000 of the Century's Finest Lyrics--a Celebration of Our Greatest Songwriters, a Rediscovery of Forgotten Masters, and an Appreciation of an
Edited by Robert Gottlieb and Robert Kimball

Format: Hardcover, 736 pages
Publisher: Pantheon
On Sale: November 21, 2000
Price: $45.00
ISBN: 978-0-375-40081-0 (0-375-40081-8)

Reading Lyrics is a collection of the finest American and British song lyrics written between 1900 and 1975.  More than one hundred lyricists are represented:  from Irving Berlin and "Alexander's Ragtime Band" to the greats of Broadway and Hollywood, including Ira Gershwin, Lorenz Hart, Cole Porter, Oscar Hammerstein, Yip Harburg, Dorothy Fields, Frank... Read more >

The Journals of Spalding Gray

Written by Spalding Gray
Edited by Nell Casey

Format: Trade Paperback, 384 pages
Publisher: Vintage
On Sale: October 2, 2012
Price: $16.00
ISBN: 978-0-307-47491-9 (0-307-47491-7)

Riveting, funny, heartbreaking, at once raw and lyrical: these journals reveal the extraordinary inner life of the actor-writer who invented the autobiographical monologue and perfected the form in such celebrated works as Swimming to Cambodia.

Begun when he was twenty-five, Spalding Gray's journals reflect on his childhood; his craving for success... Read more >

The Journals of Spalding Gray

Written by Spalding Gray
Edited by Nell Casey

Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Publisher: Knopf
On Sale: October 18, 2011
Price: $28.95
ISBN: 978-0-307-27345-1 (0-307-27345-8)

Riveting, funny, heartbreaking, at once raw and lyrical: these journals reveal the complexity of the actor/writer who invented the autobiographical monologue and perfected the form in such celebrated works as Swimming to Cambodia.

Here is the first intimate portrait we have of the man behind the charismatic performer who ended his life... Read more >

How to Get the Part... Without Falling Apart!
Featuring the Haber Phrase Technique for Actors
Written by Margie Haber and Barbara Babchick
Foreword by Heather Loclear

Format: Trade Paperback, 360 pages
Publisher: Lone Eagle
On Sale: October 1, 1999
Price: $18.95
ISBN: 978-1-58065-014-4 (1-58065-014-7)

Gene Hackman, Halle Berry, Heather Locklear, Gabriel Byrne, James Bond's Pierce Bronson, Kelly Preston, most of the cast from Melrose Place and 1000s of actors all take acting classes from Margie Haber. How to Get the Part... gives actors tools to break through their psychological roadblocks to auditioning. Read more >

How to Be a Working Actor, 5th Edition
The Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater, Film & Television
Written by Mari Lyn Henry and Lynne Rogers
Foreword by Joe Mantegna

Format: Trade Paperback, 432 pages
Publisher: Back Stage Books
On Sale: December 10, 2007
Price: $19.95
ISBN: 978-0-8230-8895-9 (0-8230-8895-2)

The celebrated survival guide for the working actor - now completely updated and expanded with a foreword by Tony award-winning actor Joe Mantegna.

Renowned for more than two decades as the most comprehensive resource for actors, How to Be a Working Actor is a must-read for achieving success in The Business. Now... Read more >

The Ultimate Scene and Monologue Sourcebook, Updated and Expanded Edition
An Actor's Reference to Over 1,000 Scenes and Monologues from More than 300 Contemporary Plays
Edited by Ed Hooks

Format: Trade Paperback, 336 pages
Publisher: Back Stage Books
On Sale: October 16, 2007
Price: $19.95
ISBN: 978-0-8230-9949-8 (0-8230-9949-0)

All actors and acting teachers need The Ultimate Scene and Monologue Sourcebook, the invaluable guide to finding just the right piece for every audition. The unique format of the book is ideal for acting teachers who want their students to understand each monologue in context. This remarkable book describes the characters... Read more >

Stardust Lost
The Triumph, Tragedy, and Meshugas of the Yiddish Theater in America
Written by Stefan Kanfer

Format: Trade Paperback, 368 pages
Publisher: Vintage
On Sale: September 4, 2007
Price: $16.95
ISBN: 978-1-4000-7803-5 (1-4000-7803-2)

In Stardust Lost, Stefan Kanfer brings the colorful Yiddish stage roaring back to life.

Born of ancient traditions stretching back to the drama of the Old Testament, the Yiddish theater was a vibrant part of the immigrant experience. Kanfer invokes the energy, belief, and pure chutzpah it took to establish and... Read more >

The Back Stage Guide to Stage Management, 3rd Edition
Traditional and New Methods for Running a Show from First Rehearsal to Last Performance
Written by Thomas A. Kelly

Format: Trade Paperback, 304 pages
Publisher: Back Stage Books
On Sale: June 16, 2009
Price: $19.95
ISBN: 978-0-8230-9802-6 (0-8230-9802-8)

The Most Widely Used Manual For Aspiring And Veteran Stage Managers - Now Revised and Expanded


The next best thing to shadowing a Broadway stage manager, this detailed, behind-the-scenes book as been brought completely up to date. First published in 1991, it is widely used and has been lauded as the most... Read more >

Opera and the Morbidity of Music

Written by Joseph Kerman

Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Publisher: New York Review Books
On Sale: April 8, 2008
Price: $27.95
ISBN: 978-1-59017-265-0 (1-59017-265-5)

The death of classical music, the distinguished critic and musicologist Joseph Kerman declares, is “a tired, vacuous concept that will not die.” In this wide-ranging collection of essays and reviews, Kerman examines the ongoing vitality of the classical music tradition, from the days of Guillaume Dufay, John Taverner, and William Byrd... Read more >

Mainly on Directing
Gypsy, West Side Story, and Other Musicals
Written by Arthur Laurents

Format: Hardcover, 192 pages
Publisher: Knopf
On Sale: March 10, 2009
Price: $25.00
ISBN: 978-0-307-27088-7 (0-307-27088-2)

From Arthur Laurents, playwright, screenwriter, director—a mesmerizing book about theater, the art, the artist, the insider, the outsider—and the making of two of the greatest musicals of the American stage, West Side Story and Gypsy. It is a book profoundly enriched by the author’s two loves, love for the theater and... Read more >

Three Uses of the Knife
On the Nature and Purpose of Drama
Written by David Mamet

Format: Trade Paperback, 96 pages
Publisher: Vintage
On Sale: June 13, 2000
Price: $13.00
ISBN: 978-0-375-70423-9 (0-375-70423-X)

What makes good drama? And why does drama matter in an age that is awash in information and entertainment? With bracing directness and aphoristic grace, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Glengarry Glen Ross delivers a thrillingly original treatise on his art.

To David Mamet, human beings are drama-creating animals who impose narrative... Read more >

True and False
Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor
Written by David Mamet

Format: Trade Paperback, 144 pages
Publisher: Vintage
On Sale: February 22, 1999
Price: $14.00
ISBN: 978-0-679-77264-4 (0-679-77264-2)

The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, director, and teacher gives us a blunt, irreverent, unsparingly honest guide to acting that overturns conventional truths and tells aspiring actors what they really need to know.

David Mamet leaves no acting tenet untouched: How to judge the role, approach the part, work with the playwright. How to... Read more >

Cole Porter

Written by William McBrien

Format: Trade Paperback, 480 pages
Publisher: Vintage
On Sale: December 5, 2000
Price: $16.95
ISBN: 978-0-679-72792-7 (0-679-72792-2)

In his life and in his music, Cole Porter was "the top"—the pinnacle of wit, sophistication, and success. His songs—"I Get a Kick Out of You," "Anything Goes," and hundreds more—were instant pop hits, and their musical and emotional depths have made them lasting standards.

William McBrien has captured the creator of... Read more >

Sanford Meisner on Acting

Written by Sanford Meisner and Dennis Longwell
Introduction by Sydney Pollack

Format: Trade Paperback, 272 pages
Publisher: Vintage
On Sale: July 12, 1987
Price: $16.00
ISBN: 978-0-394-75059-0 (0-394-75059-4)

This book, written in collaboration with Dennis Longwell, follows an acting class of eight men and eight women for fifteen months, beginning with the most rudimentary exercises and ending with affecting and polished scenes from contemporary American plays. Throughout these pages Meisner is delight--always empathizing with his students and urging them... Read more >