The Young Actor's Handbook (Applause Acting Series)

This is a wonderful book for kids who are interested in acting. I wish I had found it sooner! It is super helpful, professional, educational, and fun! There are great descriptions that are easy for children to understand - things like blocking and the "fourth wall", and excellent explanations of subtext and inner life. The book includes breathing exercises for relaxation and concentration, and some short monologues and scenes for playing around with subtext and intention. It also has some good (and humorous) advice about auditioning. This book is blunt and honest and helpful for the business side of acting, in addition to the artistic one. Personally, my background is in acting, and I particularly appreciated pg. 46 which is about being an artist. I'm happy to share this book with my own budding thespians, and I also think it would be fantastic for school drama clubs and acting classes!

As a person who has been trying to learn a little more about the acting industry, because I haven't done very much acting in the past during my middle school and high school years, this book is great. After reading this book, I feel I was given a very good idea of what the world of acting looks like. As a person that could become a great actor if I wanted to put in the effort, I would definitely keep this book as a great overview of the basic things I need to know about the business world of acting.

I was hoping to find more material I could use in teaching my high school drama class. There is useful material in there that I will use. And since it was a used book, I didn't spend much and don't regret getting the book. It's not quite what I hoped for, but still gives a pretty good overview of acting. It is easy to read.

I studied at The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute and trained in Meisner technique as well. This book is a fantastic way to learn the fundamentals of serious acting for the industry. I like to always be reading something about the craft on my down time and this book does a great job of shedding away the complexity of exercises and explain the very basic things that an actor needs to build a character. The emphasis is on all the right things in my opinion. Even for someone who has trained and acted professionally it is a great refresher.

I gave it as part of a Christmas gift for my cousin that’s 17 and wants to be an actor. He doesn’t have tons of acting experience, he has been in some shorts and taken classes but he’s getting serious about this and wants to go to collage and study acting, this book has been important for him because he had several doubts and he’s been able to get them resolved, it’s helped him understand how to properly fill out the info on a headshot. How to audition better, and stuff like that. He auditioned for a play and got a part and he had put in practice stuff he read. So he’s super happy with it.

The Young Actor's Handbook doesn't try to be the last word on acting. What it attempts and succeeds at, in great measure, is to provide a foundation for young people embarking on what will perhaps be a lifelong journey pursuing a very challenging craft. Through very accessible presentations of information, young performers are introduced to the important basics they will expand upon throughout their careers. With practical exercises they can begin to develop their "chops." From the real-life experiences of the author they gain insight into how the biz really works. An easy read that becomes a handy tool, I recommend this book to young performers whatever the level of their aspirations.

This is the real deal--not a book by some guy sitting behind a desk who thinks he knows about acting. The author has taught acting for many years and is an actor himself. I was fortunate to see Mr. Kruse in action teaching a group of young people using Open Ended Scene Exercises (Chapter 1). The difference in the initial performances vs. the performances after Mr. Kruse’s astute comments to each acting pair was remarkable! He knows what he’s doing. This book is written in a clear, understandable, easy-to-read style that gives actual, concrete examples and suggestions, not just theory. This book is essential for anyone with a budding actor in the family, as well as for schools with theater departments and public libraries in locations where community theater exists.

Book wasn’t what I was expecting. It was pretty short for the price and honestly felt like I didn’t get any information that I couldn’t already get from finding some random actor on YouTube

Was a gift. They said they enjoyed it.

This is a christmas present for a budding young actor. I am sure they will love it. It was delivered in perfect condition.