Customer Reviews

Letters to a Young Actor: A Universal Guide to Performance (Art of Mentoring)

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I bought this as a gift for a young friend who wants to be an actor. I decided to read it first and found it delightful and insightful. The lessons he provides are for actors, but they apply equally to any choice of a profession, in my opinion. As the author points out, though, acting is the one profession where you rely totally on yourself, so you expose your ego to scrutiny that can be very painful. After reading the book, I want to be sure my friend's parents will read it too, so they can support him in his dream.

I have no experience in the acting world, nor any such aspirations, but I've always been fascinated with it. Perhaps this is because I value what actors do, but I imagine that I could never myself be a good actor, so my sense of wonder and appreciation are all the greater.

I therefore read this book in the hope of getting a thorough peek into the acting world -- including a sense of the real highs and lows of the actor's life -- and that's exactly what I got. Not only did I gain insight, but Brustein also serves as the kind of tour guide who makes the experience a delight.

This book should be informative and enjoyable for anyone interested in acting. Given the popularity of movies, I imagine that includes a lot of people! The book does have many references to specific people, performances, etc. which won't mean much to people outside the acting world, but those parts can be read through quickly without losing continuity.

Highly recommended for both aspiring (or active) actors, and for others who simply want to broaden their horizons by learning about a unique art form.