Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
An essential companion for actors in rehearsal - a thesaurus of action words to revitalize performance.
Paperback: 158 pages
Publisher: Drama Publishers/Quite Specific Media; 1 edition (August 30, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0896762521
ISBN-13: 978-0896762527
Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #6,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #4 in Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Theater > Acting & Auditioning #89 in Books > Reference > Encyclopedias & Subject Guides #756 in Books > Humor & Entertainment
"Actions" is the perfect size to carry around, and I've found it invaluable in preparing for auditions as well as fleshing out a role. The juice in this book is in the concept of characterizing a theatrical beat in one action word. Since theater is visual, it is critical for an actor to physically demonstrate the inner workings of the character, and this book is a great jumping off point. I did purchase a pocket size thesaurus to use with it, since on several occasions this book did not contain the exact word I was looking for. I've played four widely different roles since acquiring this book, and consider the hours I've spent looking for that perfect "aha!" word well worthwhile. I'm making much more confident acting choices, and I think my characters are more assured, clearly defined and authentic. Highly recommended!
I'm an acting teacher in the theatre department at a university. I've found one of the biggest problems for actors was naming their goal/objective/victory...whatever you want to call it...and coming up with tactics that were compelling and ACTABLE. This book offers a goldmine of ideas for actors. Now, hopefully, they can move on from "convince" and "avoid"!!![ASIN:0896762521 Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus]]
This book is such a great idea, but it would be AMAZING to have a version for Kindle or to have an app so that I can carry it around with me all the time.I use it for directing actors. Absolutely invaluable.
This resource is a must for anyone analyzing a script. if you can't find the purpose for your actions in the book, try again. The book acts as a reference guide to find the purpose behind saying each line. If the purpose for acting is to respond or react to what you are given you have to have an action. This book gives you the action and varying degrees of the action. Yes, you could use a regular thesaurus but you would get words that are not just actions. The idea of soliciting an action from your partner gives the scene and your reason for doing things in the scene POWER. When given a script, this book comes out with the pencil and highlighter. You might find your actions change but you have an action for each line. I've found if you don't have an action, either you don't understand the line or you aren't doing your best work.
This book makes it so much easier to clarify your actions and your goals when acting. It was introduced to me by a director and our whole cast bought copies and use them all the time. I highly recomend it!
This book was suggested by my current Acting coach on the first day of class. After one week I hadn't gotten it because I know tons of action verbs and I had written my own little booklet about them years ago in college so I had the info & thought I was fine. Then I realized my current coach is a genius and that this book is invaluable to all actors. I ordered it & I use it all the time. Actions plus a dictionary are two books all actors should carry with them every day. You might think that you want to manipulate someone in your scene, but you can't keep using manipulate on every line! If it didn't work the first time you need to try something else like coerce, taunt, trick, tease, jab, lure..... the list goes on. And it's really well organized so you can search by categories or alphabetically. And each word (like Manipulate) has a list of other verbs that might suit your action better. I'm so thrilled this book exists! I've only had it about a month or so & have merely cracked the surface so I know I'll be using it a very long time! Well worth the price no matter what you pay for it!
A must have for every actor. It's great to have so many actionable words right at your fingertips. I really like that there is a section in the back that separates them into emotional groups. Good size to carry with you to rehearsal.
As a human, we sometimes lack the words to say things. As an actor, we sometimes need a variety of words to help us communicate what we want to "do" in a scene. This is the perfect book to help give ideas. Well worth it.
Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus Actions Speak Louder: A Workbook for Actors Games for Actors and Non-Actors, 2nd Edition Winning Monologs for Young Actors: 65 Honest-To-Life Characterizations to Delight Young Actors and Audiences of All Ages Simon & Schuster Thesaurus for Children: The Ultimate Student Thesaurus Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus: Updated and Expanded 3rd Edition, in Dictionary Form (Roget's Twentieth-First Century Thesaurus in Dictionary Form) How to Use a Dictionary/How to Use a Thesaurus: 48 Fun Activities for Students Learning Dictionary and Thesaurus Drawing Hands & Feet: Form - Proportions - Gestures and Actions (The Art of Drawing) How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 3: Bringing Daily Actions to Life Real Kids, Real Stories, Real Change: Courageous Actions Around the World The Archetypal Actions of Ritual: A Theory of Ritual Illustrated by the Jain Rite of Worship (Oxford Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology) Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All Charts Don't Lie: 10 Most Enigmatic Price Behaviors in Trading: How to Make Money Exploiting Price Actions (Price Action Mastery Book 2) Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions Strategies for Employment Class and Collective Actions: Leading Lawyers on Addressing Trends in Wage and Hour Allegations and Defending Employers in Class Action Litigation (Inside the Minds) Time to Get Things Done: Beat Procrastination, Stop Being Lazy, Take Actions, and Master Your Life in 24 Hours (2nd Edition) (Organize Yourself, Organize ... Self Organization, To Do List Book 6) President Ronald Reagan's Initial Actions Project Stage and Screen Hairstyles: A Practical Reference for Actors, Models, Makeup Artists, Photographers, Stage Managers, and Directors Tips : Ideas for Actors Great Shakespeare Actors: Burbage to Branagh
