Listmania!
The Beginning Director's simple bookshelf
By an Amazon.com customer
Sense of Direction: Some Observations on the Art of DirectingSense of Direction: Some Observations on the Art of Directing by William Ball
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $7.72
Straightforward. Jargon free. Immensely invaluable. The best book about directing ever.
True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the ActorTrue and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor by David Mamet
Buy new: $9.20 / Used from: $3.50
Challenges and shakes acting theory at its very core.
Who the Devil Made It: Conversations with Legendary Film DirectorsWho the Devil Made It: Conversations with Legendary Film Directors by Peter Bogdanovich
Buy used from: $22.20
Great insights into the nuts and bolts of story telling. Even though it concentrates on film, there are certain aspects that communicate to the stage director.
The American Century: Art and Culture 1900-1950The American Century: Art and Culture 1900-1950 by Barbara Haskell
Buy used from: $24.43
Beautiful images from the most vibrant part of the 20th century.
The religions of man: By Huston Smith (Perennial library)The religions of man: By Huston Smith (Perennial library) by Huston Smith
Buy used from: $0.01
Invaluable inisights into the philosophies and beliefs of man. Forms opinions and images in the director's mind.
AuditionAudition by Michael Shurtleff
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $0.01
Invaluable and important. Helps define what the director is looking for during casting.
Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to KnowCultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know by E.D. Hirsch Jr.
Buy new: $10.85 / Used from: $0.01
Stresses the importance of being educated as a theatre artist. It is not enough just to know "theatre".
Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical HitsBest of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits
Buy new: $13.98 / Used from: $3.49
Inspirational music for the creative mind. Music that creates images and stories in the mind of the listener.
Improvisation for the Theater 3E: A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques (Drama and Performance Studies)Improvisation for the Theater 3E: A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques (Drama and Performance Studies) by Viola Spolin
Buy new: $15.61 / Used from: $9.80
A great resource for team building and creative story-telling within a cast. Also provides countless excersises that can develop a play.
Merriam Webster's Collegiate ThesaurusMerriam Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus
Buy new: $12.89 / Used from: $0.25
Helps in creating the vocabulary needed to help actors in their journeys.
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition thumb-notched with Win/Mac CD-ROM and Online SubscriptionMerriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition thumb-notched with Win/Mac CD-ROM and Online Subscription by Merriam-Webster
Buy new: $17.79 / Used from: $7.65
Invaluabe for the director as dramaturg.
Acting: The First Six Lessons (Theatre Arts Book)Acting: The First Six Lessons (Theatre Arts Book) by Ric Boleslavsky
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $6.14
The greatest, basic approach to acting. Just skip the second chapter.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to KnowThe New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know by E. D. Hirsch
Buy new: $18.87 / Used from: $13.92
Defines simple knowledge that every human being should know.
History of ArtHistory of Art by Anthony F. Janson
Buy used from: $49.87
A visual history that inspires great stage pictures and human drama.
On the Technique of ActingOn the Technique of Acting by Michael Chekhov
Buy new: $10.50 / Used from: $5.02
Using the imagination as the greatest story telling technique.
On DirectingOn Directing by Harold Clurman
Buy new: $12.00 / Used from: $1.99
One of the theatre's finest explains craft.
The Empty Space: A Book About the Theatre: Deadly, Holy, Rough, ImmediateThe Empty Space: A Book About the Theatre: Deadly, Holy, Rough, Immediate by Peter Brook
Buy new: $9.22 / Used from: $4.26
The greatest modern treatise on theatre theory. A great manifesto!
Directing for the Stage: A Workshop Guide of 42 Creative Training Exercises and ProjectsDirecting for the Stage: A Workshop Guide of 42 Creative Training Exercises and Projects by Terry John Converse
Buy new: $19.72 / Used from: $3.73
Filled with simple excersises. A text book and tool-box at the same time.
Elia Kazan: A LifeElia Kazan: A Life by Elia Kazan
Buy new: $25.04 / Used from: $6.52
America's finest theatre director shares his vibrant and controversial life story. Provides countless invaluable insights along the way.
The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, 2nd EditionThe Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, 2nd Edition by Christopher Vogler
Buy used from: $2.85
Explores the basic structures of mythic story telling. Shows how to arrange events in a captivating way.
The Power of MythThe Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $0.65
Dramatically explains and explores man's need for myth and magic- always a key ingedient in the creating of theatrical performances.