Jen Rudin

I appreciated this book on the performing arts even though it seemed to discourage anyone from becoming an actor except those dedicated by a desire to devote their lives to it. Well formatted, and concisely written this is often very basic information. At times repetitive, this is not for being redundant, but for needed emphasis. Entertainment is it's own world (at least here in LA) and almost everyone knows somebody working in the business. No salacious stories, but some good anecdotes to help contextualize Rudin's counsels. This book is interesting (published in 2014) because its planned marketing campaign includes print, casting blogs, academic outreach, E-books, social media. Sidebars are used well to break up the text and the 12 chapters are specific. This book isn't about acting per se, but about what to do in preparation for an audition. The answer: years of training in obscurity and lots of money traveling to jobs you most likely won't get called back for. Tough business.… (more)