Donna in Hollywoodland

Book Review - Acting: The First Six Lessons. (Theatre Arts Book) by R. Boleslavsky, Richard Boleslavski Great Book for the Acting Student I recently took a scene study class, and the teacher used this book as our reading material for the course. This is a great book to get if you want to find out what it takes to be a serious actor. The book teaches the basic foundations of acting, for example Concentration and Characterization and more. It is told in a story type format with the Teacher meeting "The Creature" and her aunt and other people in her life. The characters in the book talk about the fundementals of what it takes to act. Because it is told in this format, the ideas in the book are very easy to follow. I did find that the Teacher refering to his student as "The Creature" was somewhat demeaning. But then you have to consider how long ago this book was written and the time period it was written in. This was probably typical of the period. Even though the actual book was written so long ago, it is a classic for the acting student. And the techniques and methods the Teacher speaks about are things even modern day actors must learn. If you are interested in the Craft of Acting, this is definately a book you should read. Richard Boleslavski - on Ebay Richard Boleslavsky - on Ebay

Book Review - Way of the lancer by Richard Boleslavski, jt. author Helen Rosen Woodward First Hand Account of Russian History I decided to read "Way of the Lancer" after reading Boleslavski's classic acting book "Acting the First Six Lessons". Way of the Lancer is Boleslavski's account of when he served in the 1917 Russian war that saw Tsar Nicholas abdicate. It was published in 1932. The stories are still amazing and interesting. The book almost reads like a collection of short stories about the war. These are stories about young soldiers interacting with townspeople in ways that sometimes seem very unjust. It is a glimpse into a very different world, time period and mind-set. It is amazing to see how harsh the circumstances back in 1917 Russia were. I normally don't read books about war or politics. But since Boleslavski is a noted acting instructor, I wanted to learn more about his life. I found this book very easy to read and understand. The stories of what happened to him and his fellow comrads during the war are amazing, and still fascinating. I think this book is out of Print. I checked it out from the Los Angeles Public Library. I suggest you check it out at your local library.

Book Review - Q Is for Quarry by Sue Grafton Very Interesting Mystery I got the book-on-tape of Q is for Quarry. And I really enjoyed it. This is the first Sue Grafton novel I have listened to or read. I really liked the fact that the story if built on a real unsolved murder mystery. For me that makes the story all the more interesting. And it is wonderful to think that a novel would do a good deed by helping to solve a murder. I totally enjoyed the character of Kinsey. She is an interesting character as she goes about investigating her leads. I enjoyed how she shows concern for the people she interviews about the musrder. And how she shows a caring attitude toward the murder victim. The two grouchy older cops she works with, Dolan and Oliphant make for interesting characters. The humor tidbits added in about all the fast food they eat really add alot to the story. All in all, I find Sue Grafton's characters very true to life. I really enjoyed this novel, and will be reading more of Sue Grafton's writings. Sue Grafton - on Ebay