I am going to share three very, very powerful “secret weapons”
that have served me well, and will serve magicians everywhere well.

In my opinion, Magic is one of the Theatre-Arts,
and a magician whose goals include being:
effective, entertaining, deceptive, professional, and engaging in performance,
needs an understanding and experience in ALL the theatre disciplines.

Here are three of my favorite books, to get you started on the royal road:

“Respect for Acting”
Uta Hagen, Haskel Frankel
ISBN: 978-0-470-22848-7
Hardcover, 240 pages, 2 Edition July 2008
USA $19.95

“Voice and the Actor”
Cicely Berry, Peter Brook (forward)
ISBN: 978-0-02-041555-8
Paperback, 160 pages, August 1991
USA $12.95

“Play Director's Survival Kit:
A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Producing Theater in Any School or Community Setting”
James W. Rogers, Wanda C. Rogers
ISBN: 978-0-87628-565-7
Paperback, 304 pages, November 1997
USA $29.95

Best of luck!
Magically,
Walt

I don't think books help the same learn acting in school

It certainly can't hurt though. A person should immerse themselves in books and workshops and anything they can get their hands on. Even learning one thing form a book that is read, makes it have value to you as a performer. Just my thoughts.

Kyle

Whilst I don't doubt you Honus, I would have expected there to be some top class amateur theatre somewhere in the USA. I know we have quite a number over here in the UK.

The late Noel Coward is attributed with the following, somewhat along the lines of your quote above. To newly recruited actors and actresses in the 1930s he would advise:

'Learn your lines dear and try not to fall over the furniture.'

And that was it!!

While you are correct that you cannot learn acting from a book,
it is a starting place to inspire and motivate further investigation.

The three books I recommended above are a treasure-trove,
and in my opinion required reading for performing artists.

Of course, they cannot take the place of live instruction and experience,
but should not be blown-off for that reason.

With thirty-years as a union actor/director under my belt,
I have some understanding of stage work.

Magically,
Walt

For those of you lucky enough to have caught one of the very few lectures given by Kalin and Jinger one of the things they say helped them on stage a great deal was joining an improve group. It taught Jinger, who comes from a dance background not an acting or magic one, how to talk to the audience.

There are indeed high-quality amateur theatres in the US. But they won't cast somebody like me!

Interesting post there honus are you saying that you are not up to the job or that they have a vendetta against you


Z

I think another interesting point to make is the art of storytelling and being able to watch and learn from the good ones. There is just something really great about how a great storyteller will engage and draw an audience in just hrough he usage of patter and emotion and a bit of pantomime. I think many could learn from this as well. Food for thought.

Kyle

Acting Workshops are also helpful.

Our Christian Drama Troupe (Professional but non-Equity)
would (besides rehearsing) go over exercises from The Actors Workbook.

They have a vendetta against me, because I'm not up to the job!

I think it's probably the best thing you could do with your time.
I've not done it to date and it scares the he77 out of me just thinking about the first day in class...


"Ok class. Hello. I'm Bob. You're teacher. We're going to jump right in. Um... you, Frank, come on up here, introduce yourself and then run around acting like an chimpanzee for all of us."

If you ever attend an acting class
where they want you to run around like a monkey
you're in a bad class and SHOULD run like all heck for the door.

There are so many misperceptions as to what acting,
good acting and actor training are
(note the books I mentioned above they will get you on the right track).

Magically,
Walt

My work in acting has helped me be a better listener...on and off stage.

For years I did individual things both athletically and in the field of entertainment.(claim to fame includes Kansas University Airhockey Champion back in one of the 70's year...and performing for the 85 Jayhawks after their big win)

Being part of a production of live theatre is a great learning experience..Though it does come with it's out takes ..such as when I played Herb a couple of years ago in Godspell...I was supposed to form the Puppet "Head" of the Farazee..but thought another part of the play was next...Sophia called out herb...er herb...finally had to say Harris in a bigger stage whisper.

Nearly Normal Note..be kind to tech people in theatre including magic theatre...and make sure your headsets have fresh batteries each night...

Harris