Category: acting

acting, inspiration

The Actor’s Book of Quotes

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Mike Kimmel
Publisher: Ben Rose Creative Arts
Genre: Acting / Inspiration
ISBN: 978-1953057136
Pages: 276
Price: $17.99

Author’s website
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Acting is a hard profession, so it’s helpful to have someone to lean on when the going gets tough. So even if you don’t know any professional actors to guide you, Mike Kimmel has gathered many of their quotes for inspiration. This unique book shares the best of the best on acting and life.

The topics covered are too numerous to list, but include autions, audiences, creativity, criticism, fear, hard work, individuality, optimism, and pessimism. Actors like Steve Martin, Leonard Nimoy, Sean Connery, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, and Fred Astaire as well as many others offer their gems of wisdom.

A few of these quotes are:

To be good, you need to believe in what you’re doing. ~ Billy Crystal

Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners. ~ James Stewart

If you let your head get too big, it’ll break your neck. – Elvis Presley

The first star of a motion picture should be its story. ~ Cecil B. DeMille

This book is the perfect addition to any actor’s bookshelf, which will always be there when facing a big audition or a huge letdown. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

acting

Monologues for Young Adults

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Mike Kimmel
Publisher: Ben Rose Creative Arts
Genre: Acting
ISBN: 978-1-953057-10-5
Pages: 142
Price: $14.99

Author’s website
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Acting is a difficult profession to break into, and it’s easy to use the wrong monologues for auditions. Many actors choose violent, dreary, depressing, and sexually inappropriate monologues in an attempt to stand out, but industry professionals get tired of seeing the same old tired thing. So instead of dark material, Monologues for Young Adults offers enthusiastic, hopeful, and optimistic messages.

Along with detailed helpful hints on how to present a great monologue, sixty short monologues are provided for the aspiring actor. “Birds in My Head” shares a young adult’s dream of becoming an artist, and how he ultimately convinces his father that he’s doing the right thing. “Quirks and Eccentricities” encourages people to follow their own path, even when others disagree. “The Difference We Can’t See” explains how the hidden actions we do to perfect our craft will always show up best when we perform. And “One Day or Day One” takes a hard look at procrastination and keeping our goals in sight. These and many other inspiring monologues showcase the young actor in a positive light.

Aspiring actors will gain confidence in proclaiming these positive messages that can’t help but to lift them up with their optimism and hope. And industry professionals will enjoy hearing something more light-hearted that will bring a smile to their faces. I highly recommend Monologues for Young Adults.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

acting, children, tween

Monologues for Kids and Tweens II

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Mike Kimmel
Publisher: Ben Rose Creative Arts
Genre: Acting / Children / Middle-grade
ISBN: 9781953057037
Pages: 140
Price: $14.99

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In a follow-up to Monologues for Kids and Tweens, Mike Kimmel offers some new material for kids who are looking to hone their acting skills. These new comedy and drama monologues are short but effective, filled with positive messages for kids to perform.

So much of comedy today is filled with vulgar humor, so it’s great to see such uplifting ideas presented in this book. While some topics are designed with the intention to sway opinion – like “Get Involved,” “What Not to Do,” or “Be Careful What You Talk About” – some are just fun dialogue. “The Mighty Mustache Men,” “Egg Salad Sandwiches,” and “An Old Ugly Couch” are a kid’s attempt at philosophy, and they’re enjoyable to perform.

All of the monologues in this book are age appropriate, written in kids’ language, and will delight the listener. Monologues for Kids and Tweens II would be perfect for young actors looking to improve their skills. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

acting

Six Critical Essays on Film

Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Mike Kimmel
Publisher: Ben Rose Creative Arts
Genre: Movies
ISBN: 978-0998151359
Pages: 146
Price: $14.99

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Serious film students study the classics to learn about the craft of acting and directing. Six Critical Essays on Film provides in-depth critiques of six classic films as a college guide for film appreciation.

The films the author selects are Taxi Driver, Star Wars, Annie Hall, Casablanca, Blonde Venus, and The Gold Rush. In each essay, he explores directing and casting choices, special effects, acting, scenery, and other features that made each film special in its own way. The casual viewer might not notice the fine details in these films, but these essays show us the behind-the-scenes techniques that made each of them memorable.

Final notes to students include a glossary of film terms, recommended reading, and a list of must-see movies. Six Critical Essays on Film would be a handy resource for any student who wants to study the film classics with an eye to details. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

acting, children, tween

Monologues for Kids and Tweens

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Mike Kimmel
Publisher: Ben Rose Creative Arts
Genre: Acting / Children / Middle-grade
ISBN: 978-0998151328
Pages: 150
Price: $14.99

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Practice makes perfect in the world of acting, so it’s no surprise that kids are always looking for good pieces to perform. Monologues for Kids and Tweens gives them some great new material to work with.

Kids think and speak differently from adults, and these monologues are written with that concept in mind. But young actors are also encouraged to personalize the monologues if they want, to make them truly their own. Most of the monologues are designed to be around one minute long, although some could run two to three minutes. They contain humor and drama, as well as some really good advice for kids. All contain positive messages, and there is no inappropriate humor or vulgarity.

Monologues for Kids and Tweens would be perfect for young actors looking to improve their skills. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

acting, teen

Scenes for Teens

Bergers Book Reviews

Scenes for Teens
Author: Mike Kimmel
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: Acting / Teen
ISBN: 9781497557031
Pages: 142
Price: $14.99

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Teenage actors don’t always have good drama and comedy scenes to practice on, while attempting to hone their skills. Much of the material out there is offensive or simply not appropriate for teens. Mike Kimmel saw the need for clean scenes, and that was why he developed Scenes for Teens: 50 Original Comedy and Drama Scenes for Teenage Actors.

These two or three page scenes are designed to be played by two actors. Roles are identified as A or B, and there is no gender indicated, so anyone can play either part. Although a few of the scenes handle moral issues, most are simply casual conversations between two friends, but they don’t include foul language, inappropriate topics, or any kind of mischief. Teens are encouraged to act the part the way they feel inspired, with no stage directions given.

Scenes for Teens is appropriate for aspiring actors of any age – even the younger set. Teens who want to improve their acting skills would be wise to pick up a copy. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger