The Show Must Go On at the Library

In cities and towns across the country, thousands of people, both amateurs and professionals, are staging plays; some are directing and acting; others are designing costumes and building sets. Yet theater types are chronically underrepresented and misserved at the library, often overshadowed by their flashier counterparts in television and film.

The confusion over how to spell the thespian's profession well indicates the sorry state of affairs. Is it theater (the predominant American spelling) or its reciprocally chi-chi and English variant, theatre? It goes downhill from there. The Actors' Equity Association, the labor union that represents professional actors and stage managers, boasts a membership of some 41,000, yet at any given time, it estimates that over two-thirds of its members are unemployed, owing to the temporary and seasonal nature of the performing arts.

The theater arts encompass many elements and professions, but this article will focus on the largest and most well-known art—acting—from an academic and professional perspective. More technical callings like directing, makeup, and lighting design get some coverage, but community and musical theater do not, as they are large enough to merit their own features. To estimate the number of actors in your community, find out how many professional, amateur, and civic theater groups are active and what variety and number of plays are produced.

Actors have a universal need, regardless of expertise or experience, for classical and contemporary audition material, particularly monologs, plays, and treatises on acting technique, vocal work, and body movement. Directors, like actors, opt for information on theory, style, and exercises. Designers tend to seek visual research materials, often period-specific, while producers, stage managers, and technicians gravitate more toward manuals.

Fortunately, several specialized publishers exist to accommodate all of these diverse needs. Applause, TCG Publications, Crowood Press, Palgrave, Faber & Faber, and Routledge excel in providing strong materials and deep lists, not to mention Samuel French and Dramatists Play Service, the Ford and GM of the play-licensing world. But it is Eric and Marisa Kraus, of Smith & Kraus, who have become the publishing patron saints for the theater community, by turning out 35 to 40 new titles a year.

As for star authors, they also happen to be the leading lights of the stage. While classic acting guides by Uta Hagen and Stanislavski are featured here, works by master teachers Lee Strasberg, Sanford Meisner, and Stella Adler have been omitted owing to space contraints, though they are just as worthy of consideration.

More often than not, librarians will have to withdraw plays, monolog collections, and scene anthologies owing to physical deterioration, or the classic and ignominious patron indiscretions of highlighting, underlining, and annotating text. Acting techniques and exercises wax and wane in popularity, but actors typically are devoted to particular methods and styles, so publication dates are often not an issue. Guides and manuals for technical theater, however, reflect evolving technology and should be vigorously weeded.

And now for the moment we've all been waiting for, a representative sampling of titles under the theater arts bailiwick in the general areas of theory and history, acting, plays/monologs/scenes, Shakespeare, directing, technical theater, and vocational guidance. Starred [*] books should be part of a core collection. Let the show begin!

*Artaud, Antonin. The Theater and Its Double. Grove. 1988. 159p. tr. from French by Mary Caroline Richards. ISBN 0-8021-5030-6. pap. $12.
Avant-garde theater's clarion call since its original publication in 1938, this collection of manifestos introduced his "Theater of Cruelty Theory," which assails the basic tenets of Western culture and argues instead for the exploration and release of dark and irrational desires embodied in dreams, religion, and emotions. Though the artistic rhetoric is sometimes dense, Artaud's plea for true and relevant theatrical experiences has influenced both theater intellectuals and practitioners.

*Brockett, Oscar G. & Franklin J. Hildy. History of the Theatre. 9th ed. Allyn & Bacon. 2002. 720p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-205-35878-0. $88.
Brockett (Univ. of Texas, Austin) is synonymous with theater history, and his definitive text for undergraduate survey classes emphasizes Western traditions, with some coverage of Asia and Africa. Significant revisions to chapters on postmodern developments in Europe and the United States and on English theater to 1642 are new to this edition. (LJ 10/15/68)

*Brook, Peter. The Empty Space: A Book About the Theatre. Touchstone: S. & S. 1997. 142p. ISBN 0-684-82957-6. pap. $11.
Cofounder of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Brook was one of the most influential directors of the 20th century. In his most famous credo, he distinguishes four types of theater: the Deadly Theatre (conventional), the Holy Theatre (ritualistic), the Rough Theatre (combative), and the Immediate Theatre (mutative and organic). An impassioned treatise that is also very accessible and direct.

Krasner, David. A Beautiful Pageant: African American Theatre, Drama, and Performance in the Harlem Renaissance, 1910–1927. Palgrave: St. Martin's. 2002. 370p. illus. index. ISBN 0-312-29590-1. $35.
Krasner (theater, Yale) evocatively examines the halcyon years of the Harlem Renaissance, picking up where his more esoteric Resistance, Parody, and Double Consciousness in African American Theater, 1895–1910 ended. He continues to explicate the leitmotifs in black theater and performance, focusing on the seminal Johnson-Jefferies fight; the dramatic work of Angelina Weld Grimke and others; dancers Aida Overton and Ethel Waters; and black musicals. An academic yet broadly accessible title suitable for a range of collections. (LJ 10/1/02)

Theatre in Crisis?: Performance Manifestos for a New Century. Manchester Univ., dist. by Palgrave. 2003. 273p. ed. by Maria M. Delgado & Caridad Svich. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-7190-6290-X. $74.95; pap. ISBN 0-7190-6291-8. $27.95.
"Theatre will, like cockroaches, always be with us." The academic eggheads still have a quorum here, but this provocative collection of over 30 international contributions draws from an impressive and diverse group of artists, playwrights, and scholars to scrutinize contemporary theater issues relating to identity, politics, technology, and economics.

*Chekhov, Michael. To the Actor: On the Technique of Acting. rev. ed. Routledge. 2002. 222p. ed. by Mala Powers. ISBN 0-415-25875-8. $75; pap. ISBN 0-415-25876-6. $19.95.
Chekhov is among a handful of master acting teachers who have profoundly influenced not only a constellation of famous stars but also shaped an acting style and sensibility. A student of Stanislavski in Russia, he left to explore the imaginative aspects of acting. This new edition contains all of Chekhov's brilliant insights, techniques, and exercises, as well as a previously unpublished chapter on the "Psychological Gesture," a central precept of his system.

The Complete Voice and Speech Workout: 75 Exercises for Classroom and Studio Use. Applause. 2001. 170p. ed. by Janet Rodgers. ISBN 1-55783-498-9. pap. $32.95 with CD.
In this wonderfully functional workbook, Rodgers (theater, Virginia Commonwealth Univ.) compiles 75 voice and speech exercises from 57 members of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association. Divided among ten chapters, they take the actor from prepatory phases like stretching and breathing through the performance stages that integrate voice with breath, text, movement, and the exploration of dialects. The accompanying CD enables advanced students and professional actors alike to work independently.

*Hagen, Uta with Haskel Frankel. Respect for Acting. Macmillan. 1973. 240p. ISBN 0-02-547390-5. $19.95.
Hagen has performed in seminal Broadway productions and since 1947 has taught acting at the Herbert Berghof Studio. Her classic treatise on the process and craft of acting has significantly benefited actors for three decades. Juxtaposed with Hagen's aesthetic is a wealth of practical information, creative ideas, and her uniquely useful object exercises. If you could only take one acting book with you to your desert island theater, this would be the one. (LJ 10/15/73)

*Linklater, Kristin. Freeing the Natural Voice. Drama Pubs: Quite Specific Media Group. 2002. 224p. illus. ISBN 0-89676-071-5. pap. $19.95.
Master voice teacher Linklater radically altered both the perception and the process of vocal training with this now standard text. Predicated on the basic assumptions that everyone has a voice capable of expressing a full range of emotions within a normal two- to four-octave scale and that daily stress compromises the voice's natural abilities and power, she presents a simple and clear narrative, as well as a full set of exercises to cultivate and strengthen the voice.

McEvenue, Kelly. The Actor and the Alexander Technique. Palgrave: St. Martin's. 2002. 208p. ISBN 0-312-29515-4. pap. $15.95.
Developed by Australian actor F.M. Alexander in the early 1900s, the Alexander Technique has become an integral part of curricula at elite drama schools. McEvenue, Alexander guru to the Stratford Festival in Canada for the past 18 years, shepherds actors through concepts and routines with precisely defined warm-ups and exercises all in service to opening the voice. Destined to become a classic for the working actor's bookshelf.

*Stanislavski, Constantin. An Actor Prepares. 336p. ISBN 0-87830-983-7.
*Stanislavski, Constantin. Building a Character. 340p. ISBN 0-87830-982-9.
*Stanislavski, Constantin. Creating a Role. 306p. ISBN 0-87830-981-0. ea. vol: Theatre Arts Bks: Routledge. 2003. tr. from Russian by Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood. pap. $18.95.
In this theatrically holy triumvirate, Stanislavski devised a "method" that became the most predominant force in 20th-century acting. Volume 1 details the internal voyages and preparations required of the actor and introduces Stanislavski's famous "magic if," "emotion memory," and "unbroken line" techniques. Volume 2 addresses the actor's external mechanics of body and movement, voice and diction, and control. Finally, in Volume 3, Stanislavski unifies his conceptual canon and applies it to detailed preparatory work for the roles of Othello and Gogol's Inspector General.

The Best American Short Plays, 2000–2001. Applause. 2002. 296p. ed. by Mark Glubke. ISBN 1-55783-480-6. $32.95; pap. ISBN 1-55783-481-4. $15.95.
This revered 60-year-old series has introduced a veritable who's who of American playwrights, including Tennessee Williams and David Mamet. The latest volume features the work of a dozen contemporary playwrights (e.g., rising star Glen Berger). Important as a bellwether for current playwrighting, with fresh and vibrant material for actors, directors, and students.

The Best Men's Stage Monologues of 2000. 88p. ISBN 1-57525-288-0.
The Best Women's Stage Monologues of 2000. 113p. ISBN 1-57525-287-2. ea. vol: Smith & Kraus. (Monologue Audition). 2002. ed. by Jocelyn A. Beard. pap. $11.95.
Editor and playwright Beard has gathered more than 50 men's and women's monologs from contemporary dramatic luminaries, including Charles L. Mee and Daisy Foote. Both volumes offer scenic descriptions and brief leads into the speechs and indicate the tone (dramatic, comic, or seriocomic). In the volume for women, there are no strictly comedic pieces.

The Best Stage Scenes of 2000. Smith & Kraus. (Scene Study). 2002. 239p. ed. by Jocelyn A. Beard. ISBN 1-57525-289-9. pap. $14.95.
Scenes are to acting classes what monologs are to auditions, a fact of the actor's life that leads to a perpetual search for material. This latest edition culls 45 selections from recent plays, divided among scenic groupings for men and women, men, and women. Similar in scope and format to Men's Stage Monologues (above), the scenes vary in length and intensity, with each scene providing a setting, description, and the number of needed characters.

The Ultimate Audition Book. Vol. 2: 222 Monologues, Two Minutes and Under from Literature. Smith & Kraus. (Monologue Audition). 2002. 281p. ed. by John Capecci & others. index. ISBN 1-57525-270-8. pap. $19.95.
In their never-ending search for fresh monolog meat, actors typically overlook and are often discouraged from taking advantage of material from nondramatic sources. This excellent pastiche draws upon lesser-known works from significant writers and those of contemporary favorites and reflects a wide range of tone, age, time period, and voice. Divided among female, male, and unisex categories, all meet the obligatory two minutes or less time limit imposed by most directors and auditions. Numerous indexes provide excellent cross references by special voice considerations, author, sex and age, and time.

Fallon, Robert Thomas. A Theater goer's Guide to Shakespeare's Themes. Ivan R. Dee. 2002. c.288p. index. ISBN 1-56663-457-1. $26.
As he did so well in A Theatergoer's Guide to Shakespeare, Fallon (English, emeritus, La Salle Univ.) seeks to expand the average audience member's appreciation of Shakespeare through clear, incisive, and intelligent commentary. He devotes a chapter each to the thematic constructs of love and hatred, warfare, madness and melancholy, the prince, illusion, universal order, the supernatural, evil (and good), the hero, the comic muse, and the choric voice.

Harold, Madd. The Actor's Guide to Performing Shakespeare for Film, Television, and Theatre. Lone Eagle. 2002. 288p. ISBN 1-58065-046-5. pap. $18.95.
Harold is the anti-academic incarnate, who, through his own considerable Shakespearean experience as both an actor and a director, has accrued some useful ideas, collected in this breezy vernacular guide. For all its rough edges, it often hits the mark and will help actors who want to get down and dirty in the Elizabethan muck of verse and phrasing. With useful ideas, tips, and insights, as well as an appendix of suggestions for good and alternative monologs.

*Rodenburg, Patsy. Speaking Shakespeare. Palgrave: St. Martin's. 2002. 355p. ISBN 0-312-29420-4. $26.95.
Director of voice at London's Royal National Theatre, Rodenburg (The Actor Speaks) presents an illuminating text based on her elementary principle that "you can't act Shakespeare until you speak him." Her approach focuses on the mechanics of body and voice, explication of verse structure and language, imaginative textual exploration, and, finally, the application of the aforementioned to an assortment of speeches from 17 plays. (LJ 10/1/02)

Silverbush, Rhona & Sami Plotkin. Speak the Speech!: Shakespeare's Monologues Illuminated. Faber & Faber: Farrar. 2002. 1028p. ISBN 0-571-21122-4. pap. $35.
The authors, an acting coach and actor/playwright, respectively, have culled more than 150 monologs from the entire canon. Included are actor-friendly aids that rate the frequency of use on a scale of one to five (an inspired idea of inestimable value) and indicate the appropriate age range and time required to perform. Introductory chapters clearly dissect verse, meter, scansion, and punctuation. (LJ 6/1/02)

*Hodge, Francis. Play Directing: Analysis, Communication, and Style. 5th ed. Allyn & Bacon. 1999. 396p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-205-29561-4. $80.
With this text, Hodge (emeritus, Univ. of Texas, Austin) has instructed and influenced directing students since the 1970s. This authoritative edition presents a clear and effective methodology for textual analysis, communicative relationships with actors, and understanding and cultivating a sense of interpretive style. All production areas are considered and illustrated with diagrams and photographs. Numerous exercises assist in the explanation of each area.

Jory, Jon. Tips: Ideas for Directors. Smith & Kraus. (Art of Theater). 2002. 263p. ISBN 1-57525-241-4. $16.95.
Along with its companion, Tips: Ideas for Actors, this should be mandatory reading for directors and actors. Jory, a veteran producing director and playwright, shares his considerable knowledge and expertise in several hundred one-page nuggets divided into a dozen categories, including casting, vocabulary, the play, and the director's homework.

Copley, Soozie & Philippa Killner. Stage Management: A Practical Guide. Crowood Pr., dist. by Trafalgar Square. 2001. 160p. illus. index. ISBN 1-86126-453-4. pap. $29.95.
Crowood's practical guides are outstanding in their clarity, depth, and use of text and extensive illustrations. Copley and Killner, both tutors and professional stage managers at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama, provide a thorough manual to the complicated, detailed, and often undervalued world of stage management. With some Britishisms.

*Corson, Richard & James Glavan. Stage Makeup. 9th ed. Allyn & Bacon. 2000. 432p. illus. index. ISBN 0-13-606153-2. $103.
The late Corson was a one-man theater reference machine, and this guide on theatrical makeup instruction is his crowning achievement; it simply delineates basic principles, techniques, and applications with copious illustrations and step-by-step instructions. Intended for the professional and collegiate crowd, it's worth every penny.

Gillette, J. Michael. Designing with Light: An Introduction to Stage Lighting. 4th ed. McGraw-Hill. 2002. 307p. illus. ISBN 0-7674-2733-5. pap. $45.
Gillette (theater, Univ. of Arizona) divides his standard text for undergraduate lighting design students into the two constituent elements of his craft—technology and design. He clearly and completely presents both technical and aesthetic design aspects; new to this edition is a chapter on lighting for film and video. Chock-full of illustrations and sidebars.

Troubridge, Emma & Tim Blaikie. Scenic Art and Construction: A Practical Guide. Crowood Pr., dist. by Trafalgar Square. 2002. 192p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 1-86126-499-2. pap. $29.95.
An indispensable guide for upper-level theater students, scenic artists, and technical directors, this details the nuts and bolts of the production process, beginning with a design and culminating in a full-blown set. Troubridge and Blaikie, head of scenic art at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and a former RADA workshop manager, respectively, show how to set up a workshop and a paint studio, then explain at great length stagecraft construction elements and scenic painting. Also with British terms.

*Catron, Louis E. Theatre Sources Dot Com: A Complete Guide to Online Theatre and Dance Resources. Heinemann. 2001. 215p. ISBN 0-325-00382-3. pap. $18.95.
Catron (theater, Coll. of William & Mary) separates the wheat from the chaff in this excellent guide to more than 750 U.S. and Canadian web sites. The dozen-plus chapters cover, among other topics, search engines, playwrights, directors and dramaturgy, actors and acting, design, technical theater, job hunting, and shopping.

Directory of Theatre Training Programs. 8th ed. 280p. ed. by Jill Charles. ISBN 0-933919-50-6. pap. $34.50.
Regional Theatre Directory 2002– 2003. 190p. ed. by Barbara Ax. ISBN 0-933919-49-2. pap. $20.95.
Summer Theatre Directory 2003. 150p. ed. by Barbara Ax. ISBN 0-933919-52-2. pap. $20.95. ea. vol: Theatre Directories. 2002. index.
For prospective drama students, Directory of Theatre Training Programs surveys college and conservatory programs throughout the United States, providing detailed information on admission, degrees, faculty, curricula, facilities, productions, and training philosophy. The Regional and Summer Theatre directories are national guides to potential employment opportunities in regional, dinner, and summer theater for designers, technicians, and both Equity and non-Equity performers and stage managers. Included in each volume are hiring and casting procedures, shows for the season, and numerous appendixes.

Field, Shelly. Career Opportunities in Theater and the Performing Arts. 2d ed. Facts On File. 1999. 257p. index. ISBN 0-8160-3798-1. $49.50.
An exhaustive compendium to 70 diverse job classifications, this is divided into 11 sections, including performing artists, support services, and performing arts education. Each job entry specifies a career profile and ladder and then describes the position, salaries, employment, and advancement prospects; education and training; requisite experience/skills/personality traits; unions and associations; and tips for breaking in. Several useful appendixes on subjects like academic programs, theaters (dinner, resident, stock, Broadway, etc.), performing companies, and unions conclude the volume. An excellent reference and circulating choice, especially suitable for neophytes and students.

*Shurtleff, Michael. Audition: Everything the Actor Needs To Know To Get the Part. Bantam. 1980. 264p. ISBN 0-553-27295-0. pap. $7.99.
This guide has taken on mythic status as the most valuable insider's guide to the frequently Byzantine world of auditions and auditioning. Shurtleff, casting director for a parade of Broadway hits, generously dishes his trade secrets to help actors understand important elements. Included are monolog selection, pace, comedy, musical theater, consistency, practical aspects, and an extensive list of guideposts to help with scene analysis.

*American Theatre. 10/yr. $35. Theatre Communications Group, 520 8th Ave., 24th fl., New York, NY 10018; 212-697-5230; custserv@tcg.org. ISSN 8750-3255.
The best commercially produced magazine on the developments, trends, fads, and happenings in the nonprofit American theater milieu. Despite an understandable New York bias, it excels at covering regional theater. Each issue includes between three and five major features with regular monthly departments that include interviews, profiles, theater schedules, and general news. Often, a contemporary play from a hotshot playwright is published in its entirety.

Stage Directions. 10/yr. $26. SMW Communications, Beacon Bldg., 3101 Poplarwood Ct., No. 310, Raleigh, NC 27604-1010; www.stage-directions.com.
Serving college, regional, and community theaters, this lively periodical focuses on problem-solving ideas, technical equipment and effects, and production costs. It also serves as a resource for supplier and manufacturer information.

Uta Hagen's Acting Class. 2 vols. color. 3 hrs. Karen Ludwig & Pennie Dupont. Applause Prods., 800-524-4425. 2003. ISBN 1-55783-511-X. $49.95.
Culled from more than 200 hours of Hagen's classes over a two-year period, this features student performances and critiques of her renowned object performance exercises. (LJ 9/15/02)

Actor Site
www.actorsite.com
The site of choice for professional actors. Audition information—including Equity casting calls, national audition notices, and various casting hotlines—abounds.

Artslynx International Theatre Resources
www.artslynx.org/theatre/index.htm
In this electronic wonderland, students, actors, and designers will find heaps of information on production histories, books, design, technical theater, costumes, and acting.

Theatre Communications Group
www.tcg.org
The most significant services entity for nonprofit American theater, TCG serves as an information clearinghouse with its numerous directories, sourcebooks, periodicals, and listing of grants programs.