An Attitude for Acting: How to Survive (and Thrive) as an Actor - Softcover

This is an intelligent, useful and easy to reference book that sets out to help young (and not so young) actors handle the times when the going gets really tough.

What Swart (coach, psychologist and neuroscientist) and Tidmarsh (director and acting tutor) set out to do, is to enable actors to overcome debilitating negativity and to think and act positively. This is as likely to work for middle career actors as for young actors starting out. Useful case studies thread their way through the book, as well as anecdotes of actors attitudes from Tidmarsh's professional life.

When the writers identify attitudes or emotions that should be avoided or cultivated (there are many this is what the book is about) helpful exercises are always attached to help personal development. There's a terrific section on Anxiety showing positive and valuable aspects we can use. This is followed by an equally good section explaining the negative aspects when anxiety turns into stress. There's a particularly good section, too, on NeuroSynthesis encouraging us to explore our strengths and weaknesses in using our brain power, and how to develop it.

Tidmarsh and Swart have crammed this book full of sage advice, well explained. We may even surmise from reading this book that the act of reading it has advantages greater than the information it contains. --Rod Dungate Reviewsgate.com

Feeling despondent about the acting profession? Been out of work for longer than you care to remember? Starting to resent the injustices of the job and the success of other actors? If so, An Attitude for Acting will inspire you to break out of the cycle of despondency and start to view yourself as a creative and autonomous individual who is valuable and employable.