Directors Books

This book covers it all! This is an invaluable reference for any producer, director, or theatre teacher... whether attempting their first show or their twentieth!

I am the founder and artistic director of a community theater group, Green Room Players, that has been in existence since 1993 in Franklin County, Massachusetts, and have directed musicals each year, including Babes in Arms, Snoopy! , A Wonderful Life, Barnum, South Pacific, and Grease.

Of all the books I have read on musical theater production, Staging Musical Theatre by Dr. Elaine Novak (with contributions from her daughter, Deborah Novak, an actress of stage, TV and film) has been by far the most helpful to me. It is written in simple and easy-to-comprehend language, and covers practically every aspect of theater production.

In a very organized and straightforward manner, the Novaks have discussed selecting the musical; analyzing the book, lyrics and score; interpreting the musical; holding auditions; casting; rehearsals; blocking; and polishing. Included are specimen time tables that are very helpful to a beginning director. There are also suggestions for exercises, games and improvisations to get actors acquainted with each other and with the director. The book also addresses potential problems -- such as kissing, slapping, asides, the vocal solos, curtain calls, pit dress, and even duties of the offstage crew -- and rounds out its invaluable stock of information with scenes for practice, an appendix containing lists and descriptions of well-known musicals and various types of musicals, an extensive bibliography on any aspect of play production, and a 6-page glossary of theatrical terms.

I strongly recommend Staging Musical Theatre as a textbook for beginning and prerequisite courses in academic programs in theater. I also highly recommend it for all who are involved with play production -- especially amateur, community, and school theater directors, producers, choreographers, and actors.

Ruby L. Agnir, M.A. Founding and Artistic Director GREEN ROOM PLAYERS 55 Cleveland St. Greenfield, MA 01301 e-mail: rubyleah@juno.com webpage: www.agnir.net/greenroom

I received exactly the book I ordered. It came quickly, as advertised. I am very satisfied.

What is the nature of art? What is its bottom line? At first when sent this book I was skeptical, thinking it would be a hagiography of a genuinely difficult artist about whom there are only shades of grey. But editor David E. James anticipated me there, and in his beautifully delineated preface goes right to the heart of the matter, the precipitous decline of Brakhage's reputation, a drop nearly unparalleled in contemporary art. Was he, as Annette Michelson or P. Adams Sitney once claimed, the sort of genius artist for whom whole eras used to be named? A filmmaker who combined a sincerity and authenticity with a true avant-garde spirit and actual hardcore discoveries that forever changed the medium? Or was he what his latterday rep suggested, a driven, masculinist obsessive who was able to hide behind patriarchy the failures of an overdetermined use rule?

James makes it all sound so obvious, and yet he then comes around and suggests that even the haters might find something to cheer about with a new survey of Brakhage's voluminous output. (400 films, of which it was sometimes said that even Brakhage himself had only seen maybe three quarters of them.) Completists will sigh that James' compilation is too meager to do him justice, just as they balked at the recent Criterion release of 27 films, with far too many from the last 15 years of his life with those wild hand-painted strips of film. And not even women writing about Brakhage, but that's one of the issues in the first place, isn't it, and this book merely reflects that. Even so, Carolee Schneeeman and (especially) Abigail Child contribute two of the most cogent essays here. There are a few "poetic" pieces written by Brakhage's contemporaries, such as the essays by Bruce Baillie and Chuck Strand, that not even their mothers could love.

As James points out, there are few notable artists about whom so little biographical information is available. I vote for James himself to give it a go. Not only does his introduction represent and condense a whale's load of original research, but one of his own pieces, "Amateurs in an Industry Town" (on Warhol and Brakhage wrestling with Los Angeles both as metropolis and conceptual freedomland), is a brilliant and focussed article that sheds light not only on the supposed duality between the two filmmakers, but on their mutual interests and fellowship.

It took me over a month after the book was released, for me to make a decision to purchase this book. I am glad I did.

When I received the book, I was in awe of it's size and it's beauty. Today, I keep the book on my living room coffee table for fear of destroying something I treasure.

I love you SRK. Thank you for being such a humble, talented and awesome humanitarian!

This book is a MUST have for any TRUE SRK fan.

A perfect present for any SRK fan. This coffee table book is great in many ways. It is beautifully designed, so even if you don't read a word you are still bound to love it. I was mesmerized by page after page. There are ofcourse lots of gorgeous and exclusive pictures of Shah Rukh. You'll spend hours just admiring everything about this book.

This autobiography is fascinating and written in a very "readable" and easy manner. Mr. Neames' life is so interesting. The film industry is part of our history and is an important art form. Thank you for sharing your life with us.

This book has it all, adventure, history, fun and it doesn't read like an autobiography, but more like a wonderful entertaining story. I heartily recommend it for anyone who loves film and who would appreciate being transported into the heyday of the film industry. Kudos to the writers who did such a beautiful job.

I'm an independent information specialist with several ad agency clients. When I picked up this book, I'd been tearing my hair out over yet another "need it yesterday" assignment. As I read through the interviews in this book, I felt like I was chatting with old friends. It was good to know the challenges I faced were not unique, and I enjoyed reading about how other information pros handled them. I picked up some great ideas.

This book is an excellent introduction for researchers in the ad business, but I'd also recommend it for seasoned professionals. Each professional interviewed for this book had a different area of specialization, and since we can't specialize in everything, the advice and resources that these individuals provide may be helpful even to those who've been in the business for a long time.

Others books have focused on research pros who work in various fields; Super Searchers On Madison Avenue tackles those who function in the advertising and marketing world, using interviews with researchers who find and analyze information for fueling new product launches and ad campaigns. Especially intriguing are case histories showing how successful researchers made the change from traditional careers to being an online researcher.

This new Spiritual Directors International Book offers a valuable contribution to a relatively new educational field: the training of supervisors. Supervision of Spiritual Directors: Engaging in Holy Mystery is a collection of essays edited by two longtime practitioners in the field, Mary Rose Bumpus and Rebecca Bradburn Langer. They, along with eight additional contributors, hope their writings about formal supervision will expand and encourage further conversation about this arena of formation and training. The essays begin by defining supervision and shift to pertinent subjects such as gender and sexuality; parameters of supervision; supervision of beginning directors; ethical quagmires; "co-cultures" in supervision; working with diverse ethnicities; the differently-abled; and more. These topics permeate our teaching methods.
One crucial subject is the meaning of supervision itself. My first experience as a supervisor many years ago was difficult. At the end of the academic year I thanked the program director for trusting me to do the work. His response was simply, "Cissy, if you are going to be a good supervisor you need to learn how to trust yourself." Supervision is the process in which spiritual directors are helped by their supervisors to facilitate growth of a relationship between God and another individual. While good skills help this process, the writers tell us that we most often gain self-confidence as a supervisor and spiritual director by recognizing the particular gifts God gives each of us for our work. The reminder is to allow our gifts to unfold in their own time. It is my experience that the luxury of time is difficult in supervisory settings that span a few academic quarters, with the added pressure of grading vulnerable learning. A contemplative approach described by James Neafsey can help with this difficulty. The second part of this book grounds supervision in incarnational reality. Jesus becoming human makes it possible for every aspect of our own selves to be holy. Supervision acknowledges this by using the director's emotions, sexual desires, other bodily sensations, and thoughts to discern God's presence or absence. My heart further resonated with the final section of this book that invites us to see God in all things. Supervision can enlighten the process by helping us encounter God beyond the confines of silence in prayer, privacy in "me and God" relationships, and monastic settings. Seeing beyond limits widens our worldview and helps the spiritual director discover God within cultural diversity and in other settings. A chapter regarding spiritual direction with disabled persons is particularly helpful. These essays left me wanting more. I wondered, for instance, what qualities supervisors look for in a potentially good spiritual director. The answer seemed implied in the excellent writing throughout this book. An explicit list of core competencies, however, would have been helpful. The writing is, for the most part, well done. The writers are primarily from spiritual direction training and formation programs in California, USA. An international
flavor in future books of this type might add a broader perspective. Supervision of Spiritual Directors: Engaging in Holy Mystery makes a fine contribution to the training of spiritual directors. I highly recommend it as an excellent resource for new and experienced supervisors and spiritual
directors.

Cissy McLane has been a spiritual director and retreat
presenter for twenty-two years and has supervised spiritual
directors in a variety of training programs. She is co-founder
of the Ignatian Spirituality Center in Seattle, Washington,
USA. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother.

The book is a compilation of short essays on topics that could come up during spiritual direction between a director and directee. The essays are well written and cover almost every conceivable issue that may surface.

The story of Mr. Fazeli's escapes from the powers in Iran is compelling, especially in this day of terror on our doorstep. The book may focus on Iranian militants, but fanatics are not limited to one country or one people. Written in what is often called "faction", reality with fictional overtones, Mr. Fazeli's tale allows us to glimpse a man not altogether appealing to the Western reader, a man who admits his mistakes, but who remains chauvanistic to the end.

In spite of this, I found my sympathies engaged and I wanted to know what happened next. These rank as appealing qualities for my leisure reading and I would recommend this book not only to those looking for vicarious adventure, but also for readers who wish to glean insight into the workings of another culture and the mind of one of its sons, especially a son who attained celebrity status within that culture.

I just could not put it down... in addition to making the reader aware of the history of the region and the atrocities that have been committed by the current islamic terrorist regime in Iran, we are gripped by the amazing course of events that consitute Reza Fazeli's life.

Fazeli and Hamilton hypnotize the reader with the story of one man's life. I just could not put the book down asking breathlessy... what next? until the final page...

A must read for anyone who wants to learn more about politics and the theocracy that terrorizes the middle east and in particular - Iran

A thoroughly engrossing book that delves not only in Wyler the director, but Wyler the man. This books offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of this phenomenal director, from his early days as a young immigrant to becoming honored by the AFI.

Learn what went on before, during and after some of filmdom's greatest movies (Mrs. Miniver, Best Years Of Their Lives, and Ben-Hur) as well as Wylers' time in the service, shooting award winning documentaries. As well as how the HUAC hearings impacted on his professional life and those he came to rely on, and how he dealt with personal triumphs and tragedies.

Jan Herman has taken what could have been a dry retelling of movie making, and offers up a book that is both informative and entertaining.

Until I read this book, I had no idea that so many of my favourite classic films were directed by William Wyler.

The book tracks through Wyler's early childhood in pre-WWI Europe, his move to the United States and how he made his start making 3 movies a week for his uncle.

The book examines the process behind Wyler's great films - Roman Holiday, The Heiress and so on. Having read a biography of Audrey Hepburn and read about how she coped with the filming of Roman Holiday, it was really interesting to read the director's verion of what happened during filming. The quality of the final product was important to Wyler. He was a meticulous film maker who cared about his films. He was also a man of principle as shown by his efforts to make realistic fims during WWII, often puttin ghis wn life at risk as he shot footage of bombing raids over Europe.

The book also shows a little bit of Wyler's personal life. He was married for most of his life to the same wonderful woman and had a family that he clearly loved.

All in all, the book was a fascinating insight into pre-sound Hollywood and into a very interesting man and great director. It was extremely well written and an "easy read". It was tough to put down!

One of the very best books about Tarantino's movies to day, Smith manages to both analyze his movies from a point of view noone else before him has done, and take a look at the man's work in a numer of contexts that matter to his fans. Well-written, full of insight and not too short, this book might very well make it to the top of must-read Tarantino books. (www.tarantino.info)

Virgin film continues to be the best information one can aquire when interested in a filmmaker. Tarantino may only have released four films as director to date, but he has been a great presence in the film world for many moons.
This book covers everything Tarantino has touched or been a part of in movies. From his own four films, to screenplays directed by others (True Romance, Natural Born Killers, From Dusk Till Dawn), to movies he has acted in (Destiny Turns On The Radio, Dusk again, ect.) and more. It also includes some information on unfinished scripts and projects he's thinking of directing next.
Quentin Tarantino is a major presence in Hollywood and a brilliant young filmmaker, I have read every other book there is to read about him and this is by far the most detailed, complete and easy to read account of his life and career thus far!
Kudos to Virgin Film.
Other great virgin film guides: The Complete Hitchcock, The Complete Scorsese, The Complete Coppola, Tim Burton, The Coen Brothers, Animated Films, Comic Book Films, Gangster Films, Film Noir and Horror Films.

Every spiritual director soon recognizes that the paths to God are multiple and individuals describe their journeys with varying images, language, and theological foundations. Norvene Vest reflects Spiritual Directors International's (SDI) mission of "tending the holy around the world and across traditions" in her book title, and offers a collection from some of the world's great spiritual traditions, as well as more recent approaches. Each piece is written by a recognized expert or practitioner in a system. Writers include Tejadhammo, Chapple, Weiss, Cowan, Myers, Plattig, Howard, Mostyn, Mabry, Vest, and Santmire, most of whom are Spiritual Directors International members.
Part I is about global faith traditions: Buddhism, Sufi mysticism, Indian religions in the person of the guru, and Judaism. Part II presents some classic Christian traditions: Ignatian, Carmelite, Benedictine, and the less frequently articulated Evangelical. Finally, "Special Spiritual Perspectives," focuses on contemporary concerns: nature, the poor, institutional direction, "care and feeding" of Gen-Xers, and feminist direction. Bibliography and footnotes provide additional resources for each topic. Several contributors approach their subject by building
on autobiographical foundations: both Benedictine and Sufi writers address the impact on their lives of being participants in each tradition. Some essays are more introductory descriptions of a tradition and its underlying spiritual assumptions, language, and imagery of the spiritual journey. Other essays, namely those on Judaism and the Evangelical Christian path, concentrate on spiritual trends within a tradition that impact the dynamics of direction. Authors integrate their overviews
with a look at practical implications for directors. Though written by experts, the book aims at a broad-based audience. As a result, the text is a valuable resource for those wishing to broaden their insights into
basic concepts of traditions other than Christianity, for those who are participants in spiritual direction training programs and want introductions to some classic paths, and for those who want to reflect on recent developments and social concerns. The text can also help an
individual seeking a language and tradition in which to
express his or her own spiritual experience. A number of themes cross the varied traditions in their understanding of the ministry of spiritual direction: an openness to truth, the need for a transparency of spirit, a commitment to the ongoing nature of spiritual maturation, and an orientation that moves one toward community and the world are recurring elements seen as essential. The essays clarify for readers and directors the diverse ways that people relate to direction, and how culturally
conditioned spiritual practices and ways of articulating God experiences can be. The image of directors being "practitioners who have plunged into the depths" themselves is another consistent thread woven through differing traditions. Given the caliber of writing and content of these essays, one can hope that subsequent volumes including additional spiritual traditions will follow. This volume is the first to bear the
Morehouse- SDI joint imprint.

Joy Milos, CSJ, is Associate Professor of Religious Studies
at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. She also directs
the ecumenical spiritual direction training program,
"Hearing God's Voice," at Gonzaga.

Norvene Vest has done an excellent job of compiling a broad spectrum of people who participate in a variety of types of spiritual direction. It is vital for the spiritual director to have at least a basic understanding of a variety of generations seeking direction. This book offers that very clearly. Post modern directees differ greatly in need and reaction and expectation from moderns and even from their younger counterparts. It is vital to know this, and Vest does a good job of gathering those authors who can explain and clarify what the director must know of new directees before beginning a relationship. Anyone assuming all people come to spiritual direction for the same reason or with the same understandings as themselves needs to read this book.