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David Mamet

True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor Paperback – February 22, 1997

by David Mamet (Author)

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One of our most brilliantly iconoclastic playwrights takes on the art of profession of acting with these words: invent nothing, deny nothing, speak up, stand up, stay out of school. Acting schools, “interpretation,” “sense memory,” “The Method”—David Mamet takes a jackhammer to the idols of contemporary acting, while revealing the true heroism and nobility of the craft. He shows actors how to undertake auditions and rehearsals, deal with agents and directors, engage audiences, and stay faithful to the script, while rejecting the temptations that seduce so many of their colleagues. Bracing in its clarity, exhilarating in its common sense, True and False is as shocking as it is practical, as witty as it is instructive, and as irreverent as it is inspiring.

Print length

127 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage
Publication date

February 22, 1997
Dimensions

5.1 x 0.4 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

9780679772644
ISBN-13

978-0679772644
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mamet manages to demolish the myths...that pass for theory with regard o acting and directing. . . True and False is a revealing book of the highest order and a pleasure to read"—Anthony Hopkins

"Hard-edged, pragmatic and idealistic. . . . Every actor or would-be actor should read this book."—Chicago Tribune

"Trenchant...Meet’s pared-down, occasionally cryptic prose can make powerful sense."—The New York Times

"This book should be read and considered by everyone who acts."—Steve Martin

About the Author

David Mamet is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, as well as a director, novelist, poet, and essayist. He has written the screenplays for more than twenty films, including Heist, Spartan, House of Games, The Spanish Prisoner, The Winslow Boy, Wag the Dog, and the Oscar-nominated The Verdict. His more than twenty plays include Oleanna, The Cryptogram, Speed-the-Plow, American Buffalo, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, and the Pulitzer Prizewinning Glengarry Glen Ross. Born in Chicago in 1947, Mamet has taught at the Yale School of Drama, New York University, and Goddard College, and is a founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0679772642
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; 1st edition (February 22, 1997)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 127 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780679772644
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679772644
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.1 x 0.4 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #71,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #37 in Acting & Auditioning
- #248 in Dramas & Plays (Books)
- #5,194 in Reference (Books)

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David Mamet

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David Mamet's numerous plays include Oleanna, Glengarry Glen Ross (winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award), American Buffalo, Speed-the-Plow, Boston Marriage, November, Race and The Anarchist. He wrote the screenplays for such films as The Verdict, The Untouchables and Wag the Dog, and has twice been nominated for an Academy Award. He has written and directed ten films, including Homicide, The Spanish Prisoner, State and Main, House of Games, Spartan and Redbelt. In addition, he wrote the novels The Village, The Old Religion, Wilson and many books of nonfiction, including Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose and Practice of the Movie Business; Theatre; Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of Drama and the New York Times bestseller The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture. His HBO film Phil Spector, starring Al Pacino and Helen Mirren, aired in 2013 and earned him two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Directing. He was co-creator and executive producer of the CBS television show The Unit and is a founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

443 global ratings

5 star		81%
4 star		11%
3 star		3%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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M. Plishka

Not Just for Actors...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 27, 2022

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This book is about much more than acting. It's about the creative life, the life well lived. How to approach every moment on Life's stage. Being bold enough to share yourself, your life, and artistic creations with the gatekeepers and institutional structures of the world and the virtue of doing it.
The closing thoughts from Mamet are apropos here:
"What is true, what is false, what is, finally, important? It is not a sign of ignorance not to know the answers. But there is great merit in facing the questions."
I highly recommend this book, especially if you consider your life and what you share, art.

Helpful

Terrence Walsh

Speaks to multiple audiences, like authors

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 11, 2016

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Many reviewers commented on True & False as it relates to actors and their craft. Few commented as authors--playwrights. My perspective is that of an author with few published credits. Call me a newbie.

Actually I've been writing for decades in the bowels of a federal agency, anonymously. (Trust me, it was all NON-fiction.) I've had brilliant editors and duds. Even with anonymous federal prose the key to good writing is the audiences. Few documents have just one audience--look at what happens when a "private" email goes public. We must consider ALL the audiences, real or potential, present AND future, visible or not.

Now, writing as a fledgling dramatist, I find Mr. Mamet's thoughts useful. Here is someone who respects the audience AND the author. Take any dramatic work that endures through hundreds of live performances, or thousands. With a revolving door of actors that work is still going. Despite a parade of venues that show still goes on. An audience flows in and out. Just look at any Broadway road tour. There are only two common pieces--the author and the script.

While True & False may be directed to actors, a second audience must be authors. It's full of nuggets for authors.

For example, this to an actor: "You don't have to portray the hero or the villain. That's been done for you in the script."
That is, BY THE AUTHOR. Hmmm. Had I been a lazy author, leaving too many blanks, relying too heavily on skillful improvisation to fill in the blanks? There is a place for improvisation but the author's billing appears above the title of the show. Had I done my job? Earned that billing?

If you ever see one of my works you can decide for yourself (e.g. ROUND TUIT, Brooklyn Publishers). As for me, I'm sure: True & False already helped me be a better author--and of course the journey continues. Thank you, Mr. Mamet.

I hope one or two will find this review helpful.

2 people found this helpful

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Frank Fetters

Simplification Translates Into Power

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 26, 2011

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Over the years, I have been amazed at how successful David Mamet has been in almost everything he attempts. This is why, when I started reading this book I felt disappointed. It seemed to me that, in the first third of the book, he listed all the things you should NOT do as an actor. Several times I thought about closing the book and throwing it away. But somewhere around that point where I almost gave up on him, Mamet's genius kicked in. It may be heretical to say this, but I believe that one of the stronger aspects of Mamet's art is his ability to cut through the BS and simplify. I believe that a considerable amount of his power as a dramatist comes from this. Concerning playwriting, he said that, in the crafting of a play, you must dispense with any part of it that does not relate to the protagonist's quest.

In this book, he again makes us see the power of simplification. He says actors need to forget about the elaborate explanations coming from the "scholars" and just look at the bare bones reality of what acting is. Pretending. He says "This is what I see the actor doing: Invent nothing, deny nothing. This is the meaning of character." He also says, "The simple performance of a great deed, onstage or off, is called 'heroism'". He says a number of other provocative things and then proves each and every one of them. And these proofs are a strong counter-argument to what many acting teachers and scholars are saying. What he tells the actor to do is practical, real, doable and powerful. That is why I gave it three stars, why I will suggest that any actor who acts in any play I write reads this book, and why I believe this book is nourishment not only for the actor, but for the playwright and for just about anybody else in the theatre who wants to know how great performances can be sculpted from a written text.

6 people found this helpful

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Alice Brockway

Actors - READ THIS BOOK!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 30, 2012

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I've worked professionally as an actor for years but have only recently got round to reading this book - I wish someone had handed it to me sooner. It's a really insightful view into the practicalities of living and working as an actor and it strips back so many of those frustrating and pretentious ideas that are so often bandied around the theatre world. Down to earth and refreshing. If you perform, write or direct please read this.

3 people found this helpful

A Giles

Spends too much time complaining.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 9, 2016

Verified Purchase

Like many acting teachers, David Mamet spends more than half his time talking about how terrible all other acting teachers are, and how all other methods are a complete waste of time.

Then after about half the book he starts to give some not very well explained tips (which anyway I think come from Meisner,) such as, keep your attention outside of yourself, do the scene ‘as if’ it were something important and personal to you, etc etc.

He admits he wanted to be an actor but wasn't very good. (Would you give advice to violin players if you were never very good?)

The book is well written (hence two stars), but the content is disappointing.

Hopefully elsewhere he writes about writing, since that is what he is good at.

3 people found this helpful

Charlotte

A book which was hightly recommended to read by a lecture

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 8, 2016

Verified Purchase

A book which was hightly recommended to read by a lecture, as a training actor i found it useful to read and will be rereading it through out my life. Some of it i felt was contradictory to what we are learning but makes sense when looked at on a bigger picture. arrived on time and the condition was good.

2 people found this helpful

Scribe73

This is a great product at a good price swiftly expedited

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 10, 2018

Verified Purchase

The greatness of this book says more than I could ever attempt to do. This is a great product at a good price swiftly expedited.

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Excellent read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 20, 2019

Verified Purchase

Excellent book but was very unhappy with the damage the book had incurred, was put in its package or stored carelessly which resulted in the front cover being bent and damaged. Got a refund so all is good

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