Summary: Reading is an essential activity for actors and different kinds of books help sharpen and work our brains in different and important ways. So what are you reading right now and what is on your reading list? First and foremost, actors should be reading scripts. In a script everything we need to know about the character and his attitudes is buried in the dialogue. So when we read a script we have to get inside the dialogue to understand character, intention, and action. The more scripts we read, the more accustomed we become to seeing beneath the surface of the dialogue, and this is an essential skill for actors. We should be reading memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies of actors, directors, and writers. These books give us insights into these artists’ work that often lead to new understandings about our own work. They also explain how events or world-views influence these artists and lead to their work, which helps us to better understand the influences on our own work. How-to books about acting, writing, and directing inspire us to think about our craft. We might not agree with everything that the writer says but reading and thinking about a topic helps us to clarify our own work. It forces us to question what we do and how we do it. Finally, novels are fun and great to read. Equally important, is that the way that novelists create detailed moments can be inspirational for actors. Instead of creating moments in words, our task is to create the moments in action, to find the details and make them visible on our bodies and in our voices. So reading a well-written novel can give us insights into understanding and creating richly textured characters. Reading will broaden your horizons, get you thinking, and is a great way to learn new things. So get out your books and start reading.
