INSIDE THE BOOK

"So you want to tread the boards" covers a hugely extensive variety of topics, ranging from living in London as an actor, temping to pay the bills, and where to turn after drama school training.Iit also includes comprehensive song lists, details on how to interpret lyrics, where to find backing tracks and hundreds of essential internet links.

Written from a Mountview Academy graduate's point of view, 'the performing arts audition guide' relates specifically to this particular mindset and way of thinking, tackling practical and emotional concerns commonly faced by professionals and those aspiring, in a user-friendly manner for all ages.

Confusing minefields, such as how to fund your drama school training and completing your income taxes are made accessible, and pointers for communication with apprehensive parents and friends are supplied from personal experience. Informative and yet entertaining, this clear, no-nonsense, and to the point guide is the perfect source of assistance and inspiration for those seeking to perform professionally.

"I hope my experiences and research will assist fellow and aspiring performers to create work and audition opportunities, as well as remaining financially and emotionally afloat in a difficult and uncertain industry with no rules to follow to guarantee success." Jennifer Reischel

REVIEW CORNER

The BOOK'S FORWARD
BY
OSCAR WINNING COMPOSER

Leslie Bricusse One of the first things I learned as a young writer, venturing for the first time into the awesome and unknown new world of theatre and cinema, was to appreciate not just the talent, but the courage, tenacity and resilience of actors. The first place where writers and actors usually cross paths is at auditions.

I have never enjoyed the audition process, for while I appreciate that it is a necessary and democratic evil, giving anybody who wants it the opportunity to prove themselves the best, there is a built-in cruelty and heartlessness involved that is destined to hurt far more people than it helps. For every actor that gets the job, several hundred don’t.

The quest for excellence, however well intentioned, always creates the dubious by-product of  a massive amount of rejection. It is a long way from the thumbs-down at the Roman Coliseum to today’s equivalent at the London Coliseum, 2000 years later, but the principle is the same. Which explains why I truly despise the current glut of search-for-talent shows on national and international television – from Pop Idol and American Idol to endless 12-week searches for Marias and Josephs and Dannys and Sandys using television to create theatrical hype for what would otherwise be just another revival.

I find them hard to watch, even for a few minutes, because achieving the success of the one winner, necessitates shattering the hopes and dreams of countless others. Mystifying as it all is, it helps to explain why success in the performing arts has always been so sought-after, so glamorous and so elusive, and why so many will suffer anything to achieve it. 

So, how should a young would-be actor prepare him or herself to reach for the seemingly unreachable star? If it were a horse race, the odds would be unbearable. No-one would bet. Climbing Mount Everest backwards would be a breeze by comparison. The only chance would be unimaginable dedication, training and method.

Which brings us to the remarkable Miss Jennifer Reischel, who here appears out of the dark clouds, like an angel of mercy, to offer the wandering aimless hordes of  showbiz wannabes the ultimate theatrical “How-to” book. You’ve heard of Method Acting? This is Method Training. How to stand up and take your first steps. How to walk. How to run. How to talk. Who to know and where to go. And so on.

If theatrical success is Everest, this is how to climb every mountain, negotiate the foothills, head for the peaks, and get to the top. Miss Reischel offers with mind-blowing detail, efficiency and organisation “The Yellow Brick Road Guide How To Succeed In Show Business”.

If you want to be an actor, this is your platinum express card. Don’t leave home without it.

Leslie Bricusse
Saint-Paul de Vence, June 2007

Review by "Theatre Monkey.com"

Acting is your passion, but how to make it your career? This author has been there, done that, (literally) borrowed the "I'm the star and you know it" T-Shirt, and now writes the book. Experienced enough to offer a balanced view, yet still close enough to recall her training days and empathise with readers, Reischel covers just about everything the aspiring thespian may wish to know.

The book mixes practical general and personal advice organised in handily bite-sized sections. General topics like choosing your school, finding funding, the cost of everything from clothing to lessons and living in London are dealt with before moving on to the more personal things. These include audition piece suggestions - play and musical - with tips on how to handle auditions themselves, how to find good tutors and even a little on important matters like tax and visa requirements for working abroad.

Alternative careers both in and allied to the industry also get a mention, and a glossary of theatre terms should prove useful to those who don't know their 'stage right' from left. Most originally, the tricky subject of convincing loved ones that acting really is a suitable a job as any other is covered in depth - and should prove helpful to both auditionee and concerned family members.

Perhaps the only omissions are the darker side of the business. Dealing with the stress of continuous unemployment, obsessive fans (even the least well known have awkward encounters at stage doors), and warning of issues surrounding unwise career choices early on ("I was young, I needed the money" has a nasty way of biting later) might have been useful.

A mention of practical safety tips for travelling home late after a show or visiting unknown audition places might have gone down well in the London section too, but these are minor items in a book which covers practically everything else.

Grounded and sensible advice which, as the writer stresses, isn't prescriptive but assistance from one professional to those who ask is the strength of this publication. Lightened by accounts of her own attractively scatty experiences at auditions, Jennifer Reischel has penned a "must read" for anyone wanting act professionally, and a "must buy" for anyone seeking a gift for the stage-struck this season.