'In the Moment: Audition Workbook for the Trained Actor' is Released

"Lucky you! You've got an audition. Now what?"

An audition is a truthful clip of a moment lived in a surreal circumstance that must exist unmistakably in the actor's mind, and carry with it truth, physical weight and a presence. No stage, set camera, casting person, director, editor, costume, lighting, or special effect is necessary for a performance to exist, except for the actor and the audience. Actors can work anywhere and in any circumstance. All it takes is knowing how.

More often than not, when students study acting, whether it's in an auspicious master's program or a simple scene class, pupils are encouraged to read the entire play, given time to memorize, rehearse, and otherwise prepare. The costumed performer executes the role on a stage with props.

That's the way they do it in school - but not in film and television! Auditioning for this genre has its own skill set. Usually, an actor has one day to get ready, assess a character and the clothes on his back, has no rehearsal time, and a stranger with whom to read.

Gerry Cousins fashioned her studio as a direct segue into the world of professional film and television - emphasizing craft, focus, preparation, relaxation, and commitment. She stresses individualism and addresses each student's needs specifically and in detail - no single technique. And she's crammed every bit of what she taught in the classroom into her workbook. Step by step, scene by scene, she builds on what went before and what to do next, until the actors are there.

Whether an actor, lawyer, executive, sales and marketing professional or other public speaker, everyone has a voice, and that voice should be heard clearly, honestly, and in the moment.

IN THE MOMENT illustrates the audition process: how to prepare a script, make choices, and understand where the actor is coming from. When it comes down to it, what people see - what they want to see - is not a role or a character, and certainly not a performance. What they want to see is the person! In a large sense, auditioning prepares one for the art of performing in life. A former student at IN THE MOMENT, now an LA Radio Talk Show host, gives the book an A-plus: "Gerry Cousins is my favorite acting teacher because she is 100 percent Real! She may sound demanding, but that is how you will learn to win auditions."

About the Author: Gerry Cousins has been writing for 25 years and founded her own on-camera acting school, IN THE MOMENT, in Studio City, California.

"Public speaking is an important part of life, as well a talent that can make performers a star. As Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage, and all the men and merely players,' We are most pleased to be the publisher," said Robert Fletcher, CEO of Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency.

IN THE MOMENT: AUDITION WORKBOOK FOR THE TRAINED ACTOR (ISBN: 978-1-68181-307-3) is now available for $19.50 and can be ordered through the publisher's website:
http://sbprabooks.com/GerryCousins or at Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com.

WHOLESALERS: This book is distributed by Ingram Books and other wholesale distributors. Contact your representative with the ISBN for purchase. Wholesale purchase for retailers, universities, libraries, and other organizations is also available through the publisher; please email bookorder(at)sbpra(dot)net.

To post a comment, you must register and login.