Acting resources

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Monologues:
Colin's Movie Monologue Page
(monologues from movies)
http://www.whysanity.net/monos/

Non-movie monologues
(though a few movie ones sneak in, mostly not from movies)
http://www.actorpoint.com/free_monologues/

Classic Monologues
http://www.theatrehistory.com/plays/monologues.html

Monologues for Teens and Kids
http://www.ispgroupinc.com/monologues/monologues_for_kids_and_teens.htm

Audition Tips:
Auditioning 101
(the basics, everyone should know this)
http://www.bethsepkocasting.com/auditiontips

On Camera Acting Audition Tips
(AMAZING tips from Lori S. Wyman CSA)
http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/1231_auditioning-oncamera.htm

Actor to Actor Reviewing:
http://actingshowcase.com (http://actingshowcase.com/)

Books:
Sanford Meisner on Acting
(BEST acting book, changed me both as an actor and as a director)
http://www.amazon.com/Sanford-Meisner-Acting/dp/0394750594/

On Method Acting
http://www.amazon.com/Method-Acting-Edward-Dwight-Easty/dp/0804105227/1

No Acting Please
http://www.amazon.com/No-Acting-Please-Eric-Morris/dp/096297093X/

The Art of Film Acting
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Film-Acting-Actors-Directors/dp/0240805070/

Plays:
http://www.samuelfrench.com/

http://www.dramatists.com/

Regional Resources:
Atlanta
www.love2act.com

Oregon
http://www.oregonmedianetwork.org/

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Everyone! Add your own good resource links as you find them and I will update this top post to be up to date.

[FilmBoy77]

a website a lot of actors in my area (Atlanta) visit are www.love2act.com

there's a few more i can try and dig up that i have bookmarked for when i do castings, etc.

[Hans Moleman]

I'd be careful about any internet databases for monologues. Reliability becomes an issue.

Mind if we also list published books?

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

I'd be careful about any internet databases for monologues. Reliability becomes an issue.

Mind if we also list published books?

Sounds good, I just added me favorite book. Whats yours?

[Tom Marshall]

Sanford Meisner on Acting is a great book. I've heard it's hard to get fully into the Meisner technique if you weren't actually taking classes from the guy.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Sanford Meisner on Acting is a great book. I've heard it's hard to get fully into the Meisner technique if you weren't actually taking classes from the guy.

But the legacy continues. For instance, my wife (who's an actress), is currently learning Meisner from a lady who studied under Meisner himself for 2 or 3 years.

[Ted Spencer]

Harold Guskin's "How To Stop Acting" is great.

I also picked up a lot of great stuff from Judith Weston's "Directing Actors" even though it's aimed at directors. She's an actor too, which pretty much explains it.

[Tom Marshall]

But the legacy continues. For instance, my wife (who's an actress), is currently learning Meisner from a lady who studied under Meisner himself for 2 or 3 years.

That's really cool. It's great when you can get acting coaching from someone who taught from a master teacher.

Same thing with Stella Adler and why she was such a great teacher. She's the only (known) actor who actually studied with Stanislavski in Paris.

I'd love to find a great acting coach here in Los Angeles who studied with Stella and, at the same time, is a great coach.

[Tom Marshall]

Harold Guskin's "How To Stop Acting" is great.

I also picked up a lot of great stuff from Judith Weston's "Directing Actors" even though it's aimed at directors. She's an actor too, which pretty much explains it.

I was watching Johhny Depp on "Inside the Actor's Studio" (for the 400th time. :)) and he recommends 2 books that I have. One is "On Method Acting" and the other is "No Acting Please". I'm at work right now and can't get the author's names for you. I know one of them is by Eric Morris.

Speaking of which, Shawn, can you add those 2 books to your list?

[Ted Spencer]

That's really cool. It's great when you can get acting coaching from someone who taught from a master teacher.

Same thing with Stella Adler and why she was such a great teacher. She's the only (known) actor who actually studied with Stanislavski in Paris.

I'd love to find a great acting coach here in Los Angeles who studied with Stella and, at the same time, is a great coach.

Well, unfortunately for you she's over here on the right coast, but Valerie Kingston (coach and teacher) studied with both Adler and Uta Hagen. She's great.

[carbon3c]

My favorite book out of the half dozen I've read is "Audition" by Michael Shurtleff. I haven't read the Meisner book yet, but I plan to check it out.

[Jason Ramsey]

Read plays.

http://www.samuelfrench.com/

http://www.dramatists.com/

Lots of them.

Later,
Jason

[GageFX]

Online casting services:

http://nowcasting.com/indexsplash.html

http://lacasting.com/la_home.asp

http://www.casting-call.us

http://actorsaccess.com

http://extrasaccess.com

http://www.onlocationcasting.net/


ALSO... as a director/producer, I am going to break down my experiences with each of these services. What may be the "easiest" or most convenient service for the ACTOR may not be for the person trying to find you. If it's easy for you and hard for US, we'll give up and you'll go unseen.

So... those reviews to come.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Fantastic Brian!!

Could you put your reviews in line with the links? That way I can hotlink to your specific post from the main top post.

[GageFX]

Huh...wha???? Who is the "Brian" you speak of? I know no such "Brian".

Cool. Will do. :)

[bosindy]

But the legacy continues. For instance, my wife (who's an actress), is currently learning Meisner from a lady who studied under Meisner himself for 2 or 3 years.

I studied a bunch in New York and then when I moved to Boston I studied Meisner for 2 years. Studying Meisner was completely another level for me and really taught me how to relax, focus in a scene and react. I can't recommend the Meisner book enough.

All the Stanislavski based methods have something to offer though and people should check out the different philosophies and just try one. IMO, It will also make you a much better director if you are a film maker.

[tasialabastro]

Wonderful!

I'm in the process of locating a Meisner coach in my area. Audition by Michael Shurtleff is really good. Most of the books listed here are wonderful, but let's not forget one of the most fun resource there is...movies!

I also recommend a book called "The Art of Film Acting (http://www.amazon.com/Art-Film-Acting-Actors-Directors/dp/0240805070)" by Jeremiah Comey.

Best wishes to all you thespians out there!

[Tom Marshall]

Acting in Film by Michael Caine is a cool book too. They made a video of a workshop that Caine did. I'm going to post the video from youtube in a seperate thread...

[tasialabastro]

Oh yes, that's a great book too. The youtube clips are great, except when you get to the 3rd and on clip, the sound is out of sync.

[Tom Marshall]

Is it really? I didn't notice. I'll have to look at it.

[GageFX]

For regional, here is a list of LA area acting classes:

http://www.actingdepot.com/hollywoodactingclasses.htm

[ConspiracyPenguin]

Sanford Meisner on Acting is a great book. I've heard it's hard to get fully into the Meisner technique if you weren't actually taking classes from the guy.

Wow. For the record, I did NOT see this post before I made up my identity in the introductions thread. I pulled that name out of my arse and then here it is. I almost fell out of my chair reading here right after posting it over there. :)

[GageFX]

That's a great story, Penguin. It would make a really good TwilightFest story. Very haunting. I dont think I'll be able to sleep.

[AJ Brooks]

Stanislavki - An Actor Prepares is great.

Meisner - On Acting is great.

Uta Hagen's great. Her DVD is actually really cool. It follows the book, but you can actually see actors stage a scene and then hear the critiques. Very helpful to see it visually.

Ivana Chubbuck - Power of the Actor and Judith Weston's - Directing Actor's are pretty good. However, they talk a lot about affective memory, which I haven't really found to work for me.

That's the whole thing that Meisner stopped teaching after Adler came back from training with Stanislavki saying that he had abandoned it.

Most of these say the same things, but in vastly different ways--which is something I find really helpful.

Each book is helpful and has a unique approach, with the same goals in mind.

[Tom Marshall]

Wow. For the record, I did NOT see this post before I made up my identity in the introductions thread. I pulled that name out of my arse and then here it is. I almost fell out of my chair reading here right after posting it over there. :)

I haven't gotten to your post in the introductions post...

Please don't tell me you introduced yourself as Sanford Meisner... :huh:

[Tom Marshall]

Another great book is "To the Actor" by Michael Chekhov.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Okay, just updated the main thread, still more updating to do.

GageFx! Write up those reviews of those links!

[GageFX]

I have 10 more pages in a script I need to finish.

[tasialabastro]

OooOooo, may I read it?

[GageFX]

No. http://www.buddy-icons.info/content/smileys/yahoo_shame.gif

[tasialabastro]

Fair enough!