Applause 

Theatre Book Publishers 

$18.95  

256 pages 

From: 

Dateline: 30th January, 2006 

It is frequently said of books that they can change your life, or, in certain more em phatic cases, that they will change your life. While James B. Nicola makes no such claim for Playing the Audience, if you are in love with theatre this guide, which is ostensibly for actors, could just have that elusive effect. This is far more than just an acting manual for college students and those taking their first steps towards a stage ca reer. 

Nicola is a free-lance stage director, play wright, composer, lyricist, and occasional poet. He writes beautifully and if he ever turns his hand to a novel, will undoubtedly make a success of it. 

He is also clearly a deep thinker and this is where his book proves to be such a revela tion. Using examples from a remarkably wide range of different playwrights and their work, he analyses what it takes to direct, act in and understand various types of theatrical production.  

In this way, not only does he help actors to make the most of their roles but, in addition, any director or audience member, however casual the last might be, will look at what is happening on stage with new eyes and fresh insight. 

As the title suggests, Nicola's work is very much focussed towards the people in front of the stage. As he tells the performers, "The audience is your friend" and he never forgets them as he provides ideas and exercises that will help actors to give of their best.  

He ends well too: "To get the audience to laugh together, cry together, feel together, think together, realize the truth together, hope together, change together - that is the charge of the theater". 

Nicola divides acting into four primary cat egories, the meaning of the play, the stakes for each character within that play, how to operate on stage and the shape of the work, which enables it to tell its story. 

One example that explains much about the appeal of the book is Nicola's exploration of that previously untapped area, silence. He breaks it down into several constituent parts and considers the underlying activities that may be necessary in order for stage silences to become meaningful to those observing. Later he extends this by looking in depth at the nonverbal aspects of acting. 

By contrast, he is also strong on language, this time enlisting help from a single play wright for the book's longest chapter. It al most goes without saying that his role model is Shakespeare, looked at in a dozen or more different plays. 

This book is packed with aphorisms that help readers to understand what it takes to be a successful and convincing actor. In most sections, there will be a one-line sum mary in bold that will also help those revis ing for examinations or desperate for a quick fix before going onto a first night stage.

To choose a couple of exemplars at random: "Never merely say the line; always do some thing with it even when throwing the line away" and "Structure conveys soul" demon strate the style nicely. 

Nicola maintains interest throughout, often using analogies from such variegated sources as surfing, slalom skiing, golf and (in discussing the climax of Hamlet) the bedroom. 

Nicola's technique is first to provide an ana lysis of each area of acting and fleshing out the bare bones that will eventually become a play. He then usually offers a series of exer cises that will enable readers to perform at their peak. 

His last, brief chapter moves on to the re hearsal period, that dreaded opening night and keeping performance fresh during a long run. 

His philosophy might be summed up in his own words. "Let the audience see a living, breathing character who just happens to be so alive and expressive as to be continually revelatory".  

Whatever your interest in theatre, you should buy this book. It will enhance your enjoyment of theatre, bring added interest and meaning and should change or at the very least challenge your existing precon ceptions.  

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From: AMAZON.com: 4.0 out of 5 stars A terrific resource for actors, directors, and playwrights! 

April 1, 2003  

By Anthony's Mom 

(NY, USA) 

Unlike so many acting books and methods that insist that the actor expend energy try ing to erect an imaginary sheet of drywall between herself and the audience, Mr. Nic ola acknowledges the presence of the audi ence, its role in shaping a live production, and explores many ways than an actor can 

consciously interact with and engage an audience while maintaining emotional truth. The book contains numerous exercises for actors to do alone and in ensemble - some are more useful than others, but not one of them is harebrained (which for an acting book, is saying something). This book is also extremely useful for directors and play wrights, as it goes into useful detail about play structure, textual purpose, and direc tion. It is helpful for these three to "read off the same page" for a change, and this is a book ideally suited to that purpose.  

This book is the real deal. No nonsense, no smoke, no mirrors. Destined to become re quired reading in theater departments every where.  

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From: AMAZON.com: 5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book -- it will challenge your concept of acting! 

February 8, 2005  

By K. Cusson 

This book has become a "bible" for me! I have marked & highlighted so much of it that I will probably have to purchase an other copy to be able to actually read it again. It is a definite departure from much of today's thinking that tries to "pretend" that the audience doesn't exist. For those of us who enjoy working in smaller theaters, close to the audience, Mr. Nicola gives some realistic and workable ideas for making an actor's "love-hate" relationship with the audience a very enjoyable and successful ex perience. His discussion of how and why the member of the ensemble or chorus can actu ally make or break a show is a fascinating look at why every member of a cast is so im portant, regardless of how "small" a role seems to be. His analysis of how an audi ence relates to the play is amazing! Mr. Nic ola's discussion of how to make each show in a long run a new opening night will be in credibly helpful to any beginning (and many an advanced) actor. Although the book reads like a textbook it is full of short catchy sen tences that help to bring the concept to mind later. Very useable!!