Acting Class: Take a Seat

by Milton Katselas

Jim Carrey, Kyle Chandler, George Clooney, Ted Danson, Kate Hudson, Justina Machado, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tom Selleck are just some of the many celebrated actors who have benefited from the legendary acting teacher Milton Katselas. As the founder of the prestigious Beverly Hills Playhouse, Katselas was regarded by many as one of America’s foremost directors/teachers. Originally available only to students at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, Acting Take a Seat presents the concepts and methods that helped lead a generation of actors to success on stage, in cinema, and on television. In this all-encompassing book, Katselas invites readers to “sit in” on the classes he taught for more than forty years. Acting Class covers in detail three concepts central to the Katselas Acting, Attitude, and Administration. Katselas not only covers techniques and methods, but also includes valuable discussions on the attitudes any artist needs to fulfill their dreams.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theatre

308 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Milton Katselas (1933-2008) worked in Hollywood as an acting teacher for thirty years. A number of well known actors studied under him including Gene Hackman, Alec Baldwin, Tom Selleck and Michelle Pfeiffer. He also directed a number of off broadway productions. He also wrote two books: Dreams into Actions (1996) and Acting Class: Take a Seat.

Katselass has the Checklist of ways to approach a scene to help an actor get the most out of his scene. There are some good points that actors or students of acting might benefit from. There is also some discussion of the methods as they were used in different films and stage plays. Unfortunately the book doesn't stay focused on the lesson plans.

The meat of the book comes in the first hundred pages (of 230) pages. The rest of the book is padded with lecture transcripts (written as scripts, of course) with Katselas cast in the leading role. I didn't like these scripted sections. They came off as a smugly written pep talk for the readers of the book.

If you are an aspiring actor, then Acting Class: Take a Seat might be for you. If you're not skip it.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the required reading in the first acting class I ever took, taught by Judy.

[Mike Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple, pragmatic approach to acting. I love this book.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stellar!

This is the first book on acting I have read. So while I’ve nothing with which to compare it, it is extremely pragmatic, blunt, and thorough.

[Shann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very actionable book for actors, which is refreshing compared to the more philosophical books on acting technique. It’s a pro and a con though, sometimes it feels just a touch cookie-cutter, but at the same time is extremely straightforward and easy to implement if you have some training. If anything, definitely give “The Checklist” section a read and you’ll know pretty quickly if it’s your thing.

[Rae Hamilton-Vargo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly transcripts of lectures and conversations, and he always makes sure to include which jokes his class laughed at, so it doesn't always come across as the best-written book, and there are some jokes and bits that haven't aged well, but overall a really great read for any actor.