An immensely valuable resource book for drama leaders, House of Games is a how-to book for building up drama troupes and keeping them creative. House of Games is sure to take its place alongside the most established drama method texts. Following on from Keith Johnstone’s famous Impro and Augusto Boal’s Games for Actors and Non-Actors, Chris Johnston’s book provides ideas and guidance for drama groups of all kinds.

Sitcom Writers Talk Shop: Behind the Scenes with Carl Reiner, Norman Lear, and Other Geniuses of TV Comedy Behind every great television show is a group of professionals working at the top of their games-but no one is more important than the writers. And while writing comedy, especially good comedy, is serious business-fraught with actor egos, demanding producers, and sleepless nights-it also can result in classic lines of dialogue. Sitcom Writers Talk Shop: Behind the Scenes with Carl Reiner, Norman Lear, and Other Geniuses of TV Comedy is a collection of conversations with the writers responsible for some of the most memorable shows in television comedy. The men and women interviewed here include series creators, show runners, and staff writers whose talent and hard work have generated literally millions of laughs. In addition to Reiner (The Dick Van Dyke Show) and Lear (All in the Family), this book features in-depth interviews with: ·James L. Brooks (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Simpsons) ·Al Jean (The Simpsons, The Critic) ·Leonard Stern (The Honeymooners, Get Smart) ·Treva Silverman (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) ·Ken Estin (Cheers) ·Matt Williams (Roseanne, Home Improvement) ·Dava Savel (Ellen) ·Larry Charles (Seinfeld) ·David Lee (Frasier) ·Phil Rosenthal…

Designed for those already familiar with the basics, The 5 Elements of Improv is a valuable resource for everyone from beginner to pro. The authors’ theatre, teaching, and improvisation backgrounds will help you become well-versed in the 5 Elements that give you the most bang for your onstage buck: First in the “Masters of Improv” series, The 5 Elements of Improv is the perfect introduction to the Defiant Monkey School of Improv.

The Eight Characters of Comedy is the “How-To” guide for actors & writers who want to break into the world of sitcoms. It has become a staple in acting classes, writers’ rooms, casting offices and production sets around the world. Now, in it’s exciting SECOND EDITION, renowned acting coach and bestselling author, Scott Sedita, gives you even MORE advice and exercises for breaking down comedy scripts, writing jokes and delivering them with comedic precision. Plus, you’ll find in-depth REVISED sections on Sitcom History, The Three Pillars of Comedy, Auditioning for Sitcoms, and his acclaimed comedic technique “The Sedita Method!” Most importantly, you will be introduced to his famous sitcom character archetypes, which will help you build your niche in half-hour comedy “The Eight Characters of Comedy!” Who is normally cast as The Logical Smart One? Why do we love The Lovable Loser? Why is The Neurotic a favorite for actors and writers? How do you play The Dumb One smart? Who are the biggest Bitch/Bastards? What drives The Materialistic Ones? Why is The Womanizer/Manizer so popular? How can you realistically write and play someone In Their Own Universe? The Eight Characters of Comedy answers all these questions and more, with…

The Comedy Improv Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to University Improvisational Comedy in Theatre and Performance is a one-stop resource for both improv teachers and students, covering improv history, theory, maxims, exercises, games, and structures. You will learn the necessary skills and techniques needed to become a successful improviser, developing a basic understanding of the history of improvisation and its major influences, structures, and theories. This book also addresses issues associated with being a college improviser – like auditions, rehearsals, performances, and the dynamics of improv groups.

Blake Snyder, one of Hollywood’s most successful screenwriters, delivers a snappy, funny, and frank painting of the backstage of the film industry. Save the cat! refers to one of his infallible theories to make ideas more attractive and any script more satisfactory and, above all, sellable. But, above all, save the cat! shows the tools that every screenwriter is obliged to master if he wants to sell his work.

A straightforward, often humorous workbook approach to comedy writing as creative problem-solving. In it, veteran Hollywood comedy writer John Vorhaus offers his tools of the trade to writers, comics, and anyone else who wants to be funny. Among these indispensable tools are Clash of Context, Tension and Release, The Law of Comic Opposites, The Wildly Inappropriate Response, and The Myth of the Last Great Idea. Readers will learn that comedy = truth and pain (the essence of the comic situation), that fear is the biggest roadblock to comedy (kill the ferocious editor within and rich, useful comic ideas will flow), and much more.