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The Introduction

"Man must understand his universe in order to understand his destiny."
NEIL ARMSTRONG

 

Why This Book?

If you know that you must act, if your heart is set on it, this book will give you absolute clarity as to what great acting is, what it isn't, and how to work toward it. I want you to be able to recognize and stay very near the people who can help you grow as a human being and an artist, and avoid the rest. I am determined to give you the essential information so that you get onto the most useful path toward fulfilling your dreams. If you are not really sure yet, if you are just beginning to think that you might like to become an actor, by the time you finish this book, you will have a much deeper sense of the true demands of acting, the actor's life, and if any of this is for you.

This past summer, I sat and watched hundreds of young actors audition for two roles in an Off-Broadway play I was co-starring in. These parts required actors in their late teens to early twenties. I was frustrated and saddened to witness 95 percent of these young men and women acting in the most artificial and deadly manner. Looking at the résumés of these young people, almost every one of them had recently completed high school, college, or university actor's training programs. Was I shocked? No, this has been my consistent experience for the past twenty years.

What about the remaining 5 percent of the actors who auditioned? These young people were wonderfully alive, available, and true. They were personally and intimately connected to what they were doing, and they were beautifully simple. Watching them, I forgot all about acting and technique because I was riveted by the life they brought to the very brief moments of the auditions.

I know that you want to be in the 5 percent group. I know that you want to be prepared to either get into a good college to continue your training or to work as an actor when you get out of school. However, much of what you've learned about acting up to this point has not prepared you for professional work. Academic and intellectual theories do not lead to great acting. I've had the benefit of learning from the best teachers and actors in the business. Many instructors have not had this opportunity. In this book, I'm going to share with you a lifetime of real-life discoveries. Whether you're auditioning for college or entering the business, this book will fill you in on what, most likely, your instructors have missed, saving you a lot of time, disappointment, frustration, and money!

Log On and Express Yourself!

Along with buying this book, I am inviting you to join an online forum where you can express your thoughts, concerns, and experiences. As you go through the book, I will ask you questions and give you writing assignments from time to time. Please give these some thought and attention and then log on to my Web site, www.actorscraft.com. Here you will find the new "Teen Actors Forum" where you can respond to the book and where you can read and learn from the experiences of other teen actors from all around the country.

Lastly . . .

Throughout the book, you will hear me talk about acting in the "theater" and "on the stage." Please know that whenever I talk about acting, I am referring to all acting. This includes performing for film, television, and the stage (as well as CD-ROMs, video games, cell phones, iPods, and any other surprising technology that appears any day now!). Great acting is great acting. The differences in acting for the various mediums are merely technical.

Also, at various points, you will be asked to write down your thoughts in a journal. If you are serious about examining acting, and I hope you are, these will be valuable exercises for you. Get yourself a notebook or journal just for this purpose. It will be a useful tool in your growth process as an actor. - Larry Silverberg

LARRY SILVERBERG is considered the foremost authority on the Sanford Meisner technique of acting through his internationally acclaimed four-volume series, The Sanford Meisner Approach: An Actors Workbook, and his book Loving To Audition. Larry is a graduate of the Neighbor-hood Playhouse School of Theatre where he studied with legendary acting teacher, Sanford Meisner. Since then, Larry has worked professionally as an actor and director across the United States and in Canada. Most recently, he received high praise from the New York Times for his performance as Don in Athol Fugard's People Are Living There at The Signature Theater in New York City, and he won the Seattle Critic's Association "Stellar Acting Award" for his portrayal of Teach in the Belltown Theatre Center production of American Buffalo. Larry teaches acting at his True Acting Institute which offers world-renowned professional actors training programs, master classes for teen actors and workshops for acting teachers.