A Page from my New Book

Chorus Line Marks that Time in my Life

This morning I heard a wonderful interview on NPR. Take a listen.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102977788


It is an interview about a wonderful documentary called Every Little Step about the creating of Chorus Line. It is based on both the video tapes of Michael Bennett and also casting the revival of Chorus Line. I haven't see it yet but just this interview reminded me of what it was like living in NYC and going to see the original Chorus Line. I think most people I know at that time were touched by that performance. Although I never really considered myself a dancer ( I did dance in musicals) because I knew dancers, amazing dancers and that was not me; I related to the desire, the drive of those artists. It truly allowed the audience to understand the pain, agony, joy and love of the artist for the art.

What makes a person willing to go on when the odds are against them, when the reject can be ruthless, when many times family and friends don't understand? Hearing this interview I knew I must see this documentary because I need to be amongst artists who understand, who get it, who don't ask me to explain why I do what I do.

Maybe this is why I am most happy when I am coaching actors both privately and in groups. We all speak a language that most people will never understand. My club of people. People who don't need me to explain the joy of feeling the pain of my character, the exhilaration of find just the right inner thought that makes the character come alive on stage or on the screen. That joy cannot be bought. It must be found and experienced by each artist in their own distinctive way.

Enjoy the journey and I hope and pray you have artist friends to enjoy it with you.

Jeanne

The Right Questions for Actors

I finally wrote the book which is based on 20 years of coaching professional actors. It is called
The Right Questions for Actors. I could have used a hand book, a manual, a tool book to turn to when I needed guidance, when I knew something was missing. This manual is such a book.
I wanted a small manual actors could carry with them and they could turn to when they want to create exciting, believable characters.
If you are interested in purchasing the book, go to my site
www.JeanneHartmanActorsDetective. com

And please write to me on the site. I would love to know what questions particularly helped you solve your acting problems.

Keep searching. You will know better than anyone what you need to find the answers to creating a believable character. A person we will want to watch, a person we will care about.
A person that will affect those who watch him on stage or screen.