Sensational Scenes for Teens : The Scene Studyguide for Teen Actors! (Hollywood 101) [Paperback]

Chambers Stevens (Author), Renee Rolle-Whatley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2001 | Series: Hollywood 101 (Book 3)

Sensational Scenes for Teens: The Scene Studyguide for Teen Actors provides 12-18 year-olds with performable age-appropriate comedic and dramatic scenes, all 100% teen tested. The author introduces young actors to the joys and how-to's of performing scenes written in true Hollywood industry-standard style (half-hour situation comedy and one-hour drama) in preparation for professional stage and screen auditions. +30 scenes are incorporated, each is titled for quick content perusal, easy to understand & requires a minimum of props and works in impromptu settings. Interviews are presented with three top industry experts--two veteran casting directors and a television writer-- discussing current requirements for teen actors. A glossary of industry terms, index and bibliography of basic-to-challenging plays teens should read are also included as a study aid. Great for classroom, variety talent shows, competitions, and ultimately, auditions.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Like the other entries in this series, this volume offers young actors fresh audition material written by an acting coach who works with kids. Stevens presents more than 30 short comedy and drama scenes, all written for two actors with an even mix of boy-boy, girl-girl, and boy-girl casts. The contemporary urban and suburban settings coupled with culturally neutral names allow for racial and ethnic diversity. Older high school students, however, may find the humor in the comedy sketches a bit juvenile. Solutions come together too easily in a very short time frame in the dramatic pieces, and this may come off as unrealistic to some of the more sophisticated readers who would be interested in this book. For the most part, though, the scenes will be enjoyable to young dramatists and their teachers, and most leave room for students to be creative in their interpretations. A useful section at the end includes interviews with Hollywood insiders, acting exercises, a glossary of industry terms, and a bibliography of plays any serious teen actor should read. Libraries that serve large or growing drama programs would certainly want to consider purchasing this title.-Toni D. Moore, Simon Kenton High School, Independence, KY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. Stevens, an actor and acting coach, has collected a neat selection of scenes to be performed by two teen actors. Part of the Hollywood 101 series, the bright paperback includes 23 comedy scenes and 10 dramatic scenes, none running longer than four pages, with an equal number of boy-girl, boy-boy, and girl-girl pairings. Teens interested in acting, directing, or writing will find the scenes immediately useful for performance, practice, or study. There are a few light sf takeoffs, but most scenes are set in the U.S. today and they revolve around such "G-rated" subjects as school, friendship, dating, and family. More sophisticated readers may find them a bit too simplistic, but, nonetheless, the collection is good practice stuff for those interested in performing arts. Brief interviews with the casting agents for Felicity and The Practice and with a television writer for Buffy the Vampire Slayer contain basic advice on how teens can get involved in showbiz. Includes a bibliography of plays, a glossary, and acting exercises. Karen Simonetti
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Sandcastle Publishing LLC; 1st edition (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883995108
• ISBN-13: 978-1883995102
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chambers Stevens is the author of the Hollywood 101 series featuring the best selling books for young film and television actors in the world. The series includes not only the very first book of original commercials ever written for kids, but also the only books of original film and television scenes written for young actors. Chambers currently works as an acting coach in Hollywood and has been working with young actors across the country for more than 25 years. Actors he has coached have appeared on Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, plus countless films, theater productions and Broadway shows.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Practice, February 13, 2006

By 

Jan Murphy - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sensational Scenes for Teens : The Scene Studyguide for Teen Actors! (Hollywood 101) (Paperback)

My daughter has practiced with the scenes many times. They are current, have a wide range and are fun to do.
She has gone from being only one type of character to being comfortable in doing a wide range of characters.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, February 13, 2006

By 

Sam (Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sensational Scenes for Teens : The Scene Studyguide for Teen Actors! (Hollywood 101) (Paperback)

If you are looking for a book with a variety of scense and characters this is the book to get! His scense are funny, upbeat, and true to teenage life.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great book for any actors..., January 7, 2006

By 

C. Cheng (Santa Monica, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sensational Scenes for Teens : The Scene Studyguide for Teen Actors! (Hollywood 101) (Paperback)

This is a really helpful book if you're looking for scenes for young actors. There's a good share of comedic and dramatic scenes. I was looking for a couple to bring to class and this book came in very handy. A good scene book for the beginner or pro.