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Robert Sanford Brustein

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Letters to a Young Actor (Art of Mentoring (Paperback)) Paperback – March 1, 2007

by Robert Brustein (Author)

4.1 9 ratings

Part of: Art of Mentoring (11 books)

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The founder and director of the Yale Repertory Theater, as well as Harvard's American Repertory Theater, and the drama critic for The New Republic for going on thirty years, Robert Brustein is a living legend in theatrical circles. In Letters to a Young Actor, he not only seeks to inspire the multitudes of struggling dramatists out pounding the pavement, but also to reinvigorate the very state of the art of acting itself. Brustein is a man of strong opinions and formidable intellect. Stocked with a wealth of stories about the now rich and famous (he has at various points in his career cultivated such talent as actors Meryl Streep, Marisa Tomei, Cherry Jones, Debra Winger, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Walken, Tony Shalhoub, Henry Winkler, Christopher Lloyd, Claire Bloom, and many, many more), he brings both passion and a peerless authority to his subject. His telling anecdotes from decades of experience help explain how and why those who made it big are the successes they are today-and what struggles they faced along the way. From why Method acting is not the answer, to the critical importance of paying attention in English Lit. classes, Brustein's advice is clear, persuasive, and inspiring.

About the Author

An Ivy League-pedigreed teacher, actor, director, playwright, critic, and lifelong supporter of the theater, Robert Brustein has taught countless current stage and screen superstars, supervised well over 200 theatrical productions. His thirteen books used as texts for theater classes the world over.

Part of series

Art of Mentoring
Print length

240 pages
Language

English
Publication date

March 1, 2007
Dimensions

5 x 0.61 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

0465008143
ISBN-13

978-0465008148
See all details

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books (March 1, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465008143
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465008148
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.61 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,905,472 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,427 in Performing Arts History & Criticism
- #2,518 in Acting & Auditioning
- #7,792 in Job Hunting & Career Guides

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4.1 9 ratings

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Camber

A Delightful Peek into Another World

Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2008

Verified Purchase

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.

2 people found this helpful

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Suzanne H. Rodgers

Brustein's advice is universal

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2006

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.

8 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

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Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2021

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Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2017

This book seems hopelessly outdated. It reads like reminiscences about "my life in theater and how good theater has been to me." If you're a fan of Brustein (I am), well and good, but as far as practical knowledge, there is nothing here that the tyro won't glean from working in the field for a year or so. As a general view of "what theater is like" it is pretty good, though Brustein avoids much discussion of some of the pitfalls. Just today the New York Times profiles a theater artist who, more than a decade after graduating, still can't come close to making ends meet: "She’s never missed a loan payment, but there’s no end in sight: She borrowed nearly $75,000 to attend the American Repertory Theater Institute, or A.R.T. Institute, at Harvard and still owes about $54,000." He touches briefly on some of the "predators" who offer acting-improvement services, but having seen, in the decade since publication, exposés in Chicago alone of practices at Profiles Theater and Dead Writers Theater recently, you realize the problem is a lot more ingrained and prevalent than Brustein reports; but he wouldn't know about that. He writes from a vantage point of extreme privilege - inescapably - but you can't help feel, that some of the absurd behaviors he recounts of "master directors" and "auteurs" really arise from boorishness and not artistic necessity or idiosyncrasy. The old canard about theater artists and actors expressing "vulnerability" has really been done to death. It may have been a revelation to Brustein all those years ago; but today we need theater artists who show strength. The epilogue is worth quoting: "I leave you with this, my dear young friend. I only hope you enjoy your life in the theatre as much as I have enjoyed mine. And I pray you never lose faith in the value of your calling. You have chosen to create when so many others are dedicated to destruction. With half the world devoted to death, you remain devoted to life." A sentimental foray into Brustein's past, rich with anecdotes, may not be the thing his target audience will find useful. The conceit of "Letters to a Young Actor" is hardly developed in earnest, but serves as a framing device for those anecdotes and reminiscences.

3 people found this helpful

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