Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus [Paperback]

Marina Caldarone (Author), Maggie Lloyd-Williams (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This new book just released by Drama Publishers gathers together -- for the first time -- the acting community’s –- formerly — secret lists of action words and makes them available in an organized and comprehensive format.

From the Author

ACTIONS is primarily for actors:
for established professionals and beginners alike;
for students or amateur actors;
for those with training and those without.

ACTIONS can also be useful:
for music theatre performers;
for actors wrestling with audition speeches;
for those who have to breathe life into a one-dimensional television or radio commercial;
or for those who have been performing a play for months and need to reinvigorate their performance.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: Drama Publishers; 1 edition (August 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896762521
• ISBN-13: 978-0896762527
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 4.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,294 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Theater

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great place to start!, August 12, 2008

By 

Jody (Northwest Ohio) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus (Paperback)

"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!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!!!, December 5, 2007

By 

Yolanda E. Fleischer "Lonnie" (West Bloomfield, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus (Paperback)

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]]

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So helpful!!, September 11, 2007

By 

Dancing Maiden (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus (Paperback)

This book is wonderful as a reference when trying to find the perfect action to express your intentions and achieve your objective in the scene. It won't be too helpful if you're not sure what action to start with at all, but if you have a sense of the action you are looking for, this thesaurus will help you find the strongest choice. I will carry this with me at all times.