This is a book for the thinking actor, and the finest actors I've known are just that. The best actors bring it all together body, heart, spirit, and mind. This book is for the actor who thinks about craft and influence, who thinks about the relationship of performance to living, who thinks about doing and what that doing means. Acting is a metaphor and it's a mirror, and, so, a theory of acting, if true, shows us to ourselves. Jeff Zinn knows this. He knows it as an actor, director, teacher, and thinker. His theory of everything is simple and revelatory. (from the foreword by Todd London)

Voice: Onstage and Off is a comprehensive guide to the process of building, mastering, and fine-tuning the voice for performance. Every aspect of vocal work is covered, from the initial speech impulse and the creation of sound, right through to refining the final product in different types of performance. This highly adaptable course of study empowers performers of all levels to combine and evolve their onstage and offstage voices. This second edition is extensively illustrated and accompanied by an all-new website, full of audio and text resources, including: extensive teacher guides including sample syllabi, scheduling options, and ways of adapting to varying academic environments and teaching circumstances downloadable forms to help reproduce the book’s exercises in the classroom and for students to engage with their own vocal development outside of lessons audio recordings of all exercises featured in the book examples of Voiceover Demos, including both scripts and audio recordings links to useful web resources, for further study. Four mentors - the voice chef, the voice coach, the voice shrink and the voice doctor - are on hand throughout the book and the website to ensure a holistic approach to voice training. The authors also provide an authoritative survey of US and UK vocal training methods, helping readers to make informed choices about their study.

Author Robert Barton uses the NLP approach to illustrate a range of innovative methods to help the actor and directors, including: reducing performance anxiety enabling clearer communication intensifying character analysis stimulating imaginative rehearsal choices. The author also shows how NLP can be used alongside other basic training systems to improve approaches to rehearsal and performance.

Movement: Onstage and Off is the complete guide for actors to the most effective techniques for developing a fully expressive body. It is a comprehensive compilation of established fundamentals, a handbook for movement centered personal growth and a guide to helping actors and teachers make informed decisions for advanced study. This book includes: fundamental healing/conditioning processes essential techniques required for versatile performance specialized skills various training approaches and ways to frame the actor’s movement training. Using imitation exercises to sharpen awareness, accessible language and adaptable material for solo and group work, the authors aim to empower actors of all levels to unleash their extraordinary potential.

Reader-friendly and practical, ACTING: ONSTAGE AND OFF demonstrates how to adapt onstage training toward offstage performance, and how to apply skills for theatre and film to lead a rich, full life outside the theatre. Humorous, conversational writing helps students learn all phases of actor training, including scene study, auditioning, and improvisation, as well as relaxation techniques for the mind, voice and body. Examples from life, rather than dramatic literature, ensure understanding. Students also learn strategies for connecting with other actors in a scene and in rehearsal. Enlightening and creative exercises help students practice altering their physical and emotional state to become a character while keeping those aspects of their selves that most serve the role being played. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.

Acting in Musical Theatre is the only complete course in approaching a role in a musical. It is the first to combine acting, singing and dancing into a comprehensive guide, combining what have previously been treated as three separate disciplines. This book contains fundamental skills for novice actors, practical insights for professionals, and even tips to help veteran musical performers refine their craft. Drawing on decades of experience in both acting and teaching, the authors provide crucial advice on all elements of the profession, including: fundamentals of acting applied to musical theatre script, score and character analysis personalizing your performance turning rehearsal into performance acting styles in the musical theatre practical steps to a career. Acting in Musical Theatre’s chapters divide into easy-to-reference units, each containing related group and solo exercises, making it the definitive textbook for students and practitioners alike.