Product Description

Written to meet the needs of thousands of students and pre-professional singers participating in production workshops and classes in opera and musical theater, Acting for Singers leads singing performers step by step from the studio or classroom through audition and rehearsals to a successful performance. Using a clear, systematic, positive approach, this practical guide explains how to analyze a script or libretto, shows how to develop a character building on material in the score, and gives the singing performer the tools to act believably. More than just a "how-to" acting book, however, Acting for Singers also addresses the problems of concentration, trust, projection, communication, and the self-doubt that often afflicts singers pursuing the goal of believable performance. Part I establishes the basic principles of acting and singing together, and teaches the reader how to improvise as a key tool to explore and develop characters. Part II teaches the singer how to analyze theatrical work for rehearsing and performing. Using concrete examples from Carmen and West Side Story, and imaginative exercises following each chapter, this text teaches all singers how to be effective singing actors.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35893 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 264 pages

About the Author

David Ostwald teaches and directs at the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute. He has taught at SUNY Purchase (where for ten years he headed the Opera Program), The Juilliard School, Queens College, New York, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Customer Reviews

Acting for Singers: Creating Believable Singing Characters
I have been a professional opera singer and voice professor for many decades. This book REALLY gets to the heart of the acting delima which singers' face. The index is very thorough, allowing the singer to find exactly the topic they are looking for easily. The book should be read cover to cover many times if the singer is new to the field of acting. (I find it helpful for each singer to ponder this question: Am I a singer who acts or, an actor who sings, or both.) An opera singer MUST learn to create operatic characters with which the audience can identify. Each Mannerism and gesture will change with each new operatic role one intends to interpret. This book should be a great help for the preparation of singers who aspire to act realistically and who wish to conquor this extremely demanding and rewarding field called OPERA.

How to breathe life and artistry into your characters
David Ostwald's new book, "Acting for Singers," is an important and helpful guide for singers-in-training, for professionals learning new roles, and for seasoned performers who wish to infuse new dramatic life into their repertory. As a former arts administrator for San Francisco Opera and Affiliate Artists, Inc., I feel that Ostwald's book is equally useful for stage directors, conductors, teachers, and coach/accompanists who strive to make their highly collaborative art form appear as seamless as possible. Ostwald covers a number of pertinent topics including the foundations of believable acting, ways to improve concentration, and how to motivate a character's actions. Having judged many auditions over the years, I found the chapter on "Getting the Part" to be especially helpful to young singers who may not know how to dress for the occasion, speak to the judges, or introduce their selections from the stage. The author's "Ten Maxim's of Believable Singing" provide a concise checklist of wisdom gleaned from his years of teaching and directing. Ostwald's analysis of how directors and teachers can help their singers grow and flourish, including the sage advice of "Always be supportive" and "Never humiliate anyone," presents a pithy list that bosses in any business should read and take to heart. The text is lively, clear and well designed, with headings, bulleted points and enough white space to make the book's insights both accessible and memorable. Each chapter contains helpful exercises, summaries or trouble shooting techniques which will enable singers and their colleagues to create superior performances. "Acting for Singers" will likely become an indispensable, dog-eared companion for any singers who wish to breathe live and artistry into their characters.

Perry-Lynn Moffitt

A Must Read for Performers
Although the title is Acting for Singers, actors and directors will benefit as well from Ostwald's excellent analysis of what makes a believable character on stage. The book is full of helpful exercises and explanations of what works on stage. Acting for Singers should be on the bookshelf of every performer.