Right on. Could not agree more. Wasn't that an aggravating read? Mamet certainly knows how to sell stuff, I'll give him that. You just stand at the other end of the scale from the conventional wisdom on something and bark out the opposite. Let the inherent need of humans to challenge systems turn you into a messiah.
What really bugged the shit out of me with this book is the scores of actors that held it up as "finally! the truth! I knew it was a lie that acting was hard!" It's not a lie. It is hard. And what works for some isn't going to work for others, because we humans are weird like that. To diminish the work and ideals of scores of people that have devoted their lives to a craft that the guy obviously disdains is utterly bizarre.
I can only hope I never see a production mounted by a disciple of this book.
Prince Gomolvilas
· 1 year ago
Mamet's claims are frequently so outrageous, so over-the-top, and so whack-job that, after some time now, I've come to the conclusion that it's all partially an act on his part. For example, for an acting teacher to accuse acting teachers of being frauds is either gross and smug naivete or a statement of deeply self-aware irony. I'm not so sure Mamet believes everything he writes--I think his mission is to provoke, which he manages to do time and time again.
Travis Bedard
· 1 year ago
I think you're probably 60-70,000% correct. And he has the chops to make the agitation take. But how do we keep the credulous masses from taking his modest proposals too much to heart?
And y'know? I like being agitated every now and then. I was ranting about acting theory at auditions on Saturday... I can't think of the last time I even really cared.
All Comments
What really bugged the shit out of me with this book is the scores of actors that held it up as "finally! the truth! I knew it was a lie that acting was hard!" It's not a lie. It is hard. And what works for some isn't going to work for others, because we humans are weird like that. To diminish the work and ideals of scores of people that have devoted their lives to a craft that the guy obviously disdains is utterly bizarre.
I can only hope I never see a production mounted by a disciple of this book.
And y'know? I like being agitated every now and then. I was ranting about acting theory at auditions on Saturday... I can't think of the last time I even really cared.