Spivak, an actress and coach, presents a guide to developing and building a character when there is no real rehearsal, providing 11 steps for character development that are based on the Stanislavsky System. She describes the system, the importance of rehearsal, and strategies for reading the script, developing relationships, writing a character background, and other elements to use when developing a character. The final section presents a condensed description of the steps and tips on working with directors, doing camera takes, and auditions. Indexes are by name, films and television programs, and plays. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
(Limelight). This practical book on the subject of how to act, based on Ms. Spivak's forty years of acting, coaching, and teaching classes first at Herbert Berghof and Uta Hagen's HB Studio, then on her own provides a step-by-step system for analyzing and building a character organically, which can be applied even in the short time an actor has to prepare for auditions and for many television performances. Timely advice includes how to do camera takes, interpret and follow stage directions, and how to prepare for auditions and work in theater, film, television commercials, and television soap operas, sitcoms, and nighttime dramas.
