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- 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Much Ado About Nothing
- “I don’t represent anything.” — Liz Phair
- “I don’t really know why, but danger has always been an important thing in my life – to see how far I could lean without falling, how fast I could go without cracking up.” — William Holden
- “Some syllables are swords.” — Metaphysical poet Henry Vaughan
- “To me, music is no joke and it’s not for sale.” — Ian MacKaye
- “All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman and a pretty girl.” — Charlie Chaplin
- “As a cinematographer, I was always attracted to stories that have the potential to be told with as few words as possible.” — Reed Morano
- “Even though I’m writing about very dark material, it still feels like an escape hatch.” — Olivia Laing
- “It’s just one of the mysteries of filmmaking that sometimes you do something that you don’t even think it’s important, then it turns out to be.” — Lili Horvát
- “Ballet taught me to stay close to style and tone. Literature taught me to be concerned about the moral life.” — Joan Acocella
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- sheila on March 2026 Snapshots
- sheila on “I don’t really know why, but danger has always been an important thing in my life – to see how far I could lean without falling, how fast I could go without cracking up.” — William Holden
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- Bryce on The Books: “Nine Stories”- ‘The Laughing Man’ (J.D. Salinger)
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Tag Archives: Actors Studio
The Books: Accidentally on Purpose: Reflections on Life, Acting and the Nine Natural Laws of Creativity, by John Strasberg
Daily Book Excerpt: Theatre Next book on the acting/theatre shelf is the classic Accidentally on Purpose: Reflections on Life, Acting and the Nine Natural Laws of Creativity, by John Strasberg I took an intense acting workshop with John Strasberg, son … Continue reading
The Books: “Marilyn and Me” (Susan Strasberg)
Daily Book Excerpt: Entertainment Biography/Memoir: Marilyn and Me: Sisters, Rivals, Friends, by Susan Strasberg There is much to say here, about the smothering psychodrama of the Strasberg family – and the introduction of Lee Strasberg’s most famous student – Marilyn … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Books
Tagged Actors Studio, entertainment biography, Lee Strasberg, Marilyn Monroe, Susan Strasberg
33 Comments
The Books: “Marilyn: Her Life in Her Own Words : Marilyn Monroe’s Revealing Last Words and Photographs” (George Barris)
Daily Book Excerpt: Entertainment Biography/Memoir: Marilyn: Her Life in Her Own Words: Marilyn Monroe’s Revealing Last Words and Photographs, by George Barris George Barris claims that these were the last photographs of Mariliyn Monroe before she died. Bert Stern claims … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Books
Tagged Actors Studio, entertainment biography, Julia Roberts, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando
4 Comments
The Books: “In the Moment: My Life as an Actor” (Ben Gazzara)
Daily Book Excerpt: Entertainment Biography/Memoir: In the Moment: My Life as an Actor, by Ben Gazzara It’s my favorite type of career. Long-lasting, diverse, a little bit chaotic, not overly managed, with moments of brilliance, moments of just good workmanship … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Books
Tagged Actors Studio, Ben Gazzara, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Elia Kazan, entertainment biography, John Cassavetes, Tennessee Williams
3 Comments
The Books: “Lessons In Becoming Myself” (Ellen Burstyn)
Daily Book Excerpt: Entertainment Biography/Memoir: Lessons in Becoming Myself, by Ellen Burstyn In less than a decade, Ellen Burstyn was nominated 5 times for an Oscar (for The Last Picture Show, The Exorcist (speaking of The Exorcist …), Alice Doesn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Books
Tagged Actors Studio, Ellen Burstyn, entertainment biography, Lee Strasberg
20 Comments
The Books: “Baby Doll” (Carroll Baker)
Daily Book Excerpt: Entertainment Biography/Memoir: Baby Doll: An Autobiography, by Carroll Baker When I was about 12 years old, I first saw East of Eden, around the same time that I saw Dog Day Afternoon, a movie I didn’t really … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Books
Tagged Actors Studio, Al Pacino, Baby Doll, Carroll Baker, Dog Day Afternoon, East of Eden, Eli Wallach, Elia Kazan, entertainment biography, Karl Malden
3 Comments
“Want To See Her?”
a beautiful shot from Marilyn Monroe’s last unfinished film. You know, certain cinematographers said that it was so easy to film her and light her because her skin was naturally reflective. Lots of actresses need makeup to pick up all … Continue reading
Cary Grant in “Affair to Remember”: A Method Performance
This is a re-post of something I wrote a while back. It has to do with the history of acting, of the method acting style, of Stanislavsky’s teachings, and how I think Grant fits into that continuum. It’s very in-depth. … Continue reading
Posted in Actors
Tagged Actors Studio, Anton Chekhov, Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Eleonora Duse, Leo McCarey, Marlon Brando, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro
14 Comments
John Strasberg on Marilyn Monroe: “She Really Looked At Me As If She Saw Me.”
Here’s a quote from John Strasberg, son of the famous acting teacher Lee Strasberg. Monroe studied with Lee Strasberg, and idolized him. The Strasberg family basically adopted her. She was a grown woman, and one of the biggest stars in … Continue reading

