Thurs, April 21 @ 6.00 P.M: Free Seminar: Casting for Film Directors at The Drama Book Shop

Casting better actors makes better movies, no matter what your budget.

Limited thinking limits choices.

FACT: Over 300 girls were seen for PRECIOUS... in 2009. FACT: After a nationwide search, The Coen Brothers went back to Hollywood and found Hailee Steinfeld for TRUE GRIT. Both Oscar nominated performances.

Casting the right actors will make or break your project. Get it right from the get go.
- See ALL the best actors--including the 'a-listers'--regardless of your budget.
- Who in the casting director’s reject pile do you need to see?
- Where else do you need to look?

Hester Schell, author of Casting Revealed: A Guide for Film Directors, is a master acting teacher, director, and scriptwriter in San Francisco. Her short comedy, JU$T UNDER A MILLION premiered at the Beverly Hills HD Festival, and is currently on the air through HotTV cable in Dallas, Austin and Atlanta. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Directing and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York in 1974. She was tenured professor of Theatre Arts at De Anza College in California, and Adjunct Professor at Notre Dame de Namur University, also in California. Schell has cast numerous low budget features, commercials and industrials and is the CEO of Bay Area Casting News. She currently teaches at Film Acting Bay Area and resides in Half Moon Bay, California.

About the Book:
Casting Revealed: A Guide for Film Directors
by Hester Schell
Michael Wiese Productions, 2011
Paper: $20.95

Want to make a great movie? Get a great cast! Learn where and how to find the best actors, regardless of your budget, and what to do when they are standing in front of you, awaiting your brilliant direction. This comprehensive guide explains every step in the casting process — from filing union paperwork and posting effective audition announcements, to running successful casting sessions and tracking down the agents representing who you want to cast.

“Schell puts the art and process of casting into a clear perspective. This should be required reading for any first-time filmmaker, and even old pros will find this valuable.”--Steve Michelson, Executive Producer, Lobitos Creek Ranch Productions

“There can never be too much good information about the casting process! Read and learn!”--Sarah Kliban, casting director, San Francisco, International Talent Casting: Milk, All About Evil, NBC’s Trauma

“… an excellent resource for directors, producers and new actors. Clear and concise, it steers the reader from common pitfalls when choosing and working with actors. It’s a must-have for anyone embarking on a new film or video. Bravo!”--Nanci Gaglio, award-winning writer and director, co-creator/executive producer: Venus Rising, BBC

Casting Revealed: A Guide for Film Directors
By Hester Schell
Paper. $20.95

POW! (Play Of The Week)

ALMOST AN EVENING: THREE SHORT PLAYS
by Ethan Coen

Are you looking for new monologue? If so, look no further. A scene for class, perhaps? I hope your teacher’s a fan of scenes that are 2 minutes or less. Maybe you're simply a theatre lover who's looking for a fun and easy read. The kind of read you can do on the subway heading into work or digest in that cozy chair at your favorite pub or coffee shop? If that's the case, I present to you Almost An Evening.

If you're a Coen Brother's fan, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this staged work of brother Ethan Coen. The title is very telling of the structure behind these three short one-acts. Philosophical questions are threaded throughout the plots, none of which are resolved by the end. In WAITING, a man finds himself waiting for a thousand years in what appears to be a waiting room. In FOUR BENCHES, a CIA spy contemplates retirement after one civilian's death at a sauna in Texas. And DEBATE, is a play within a play that debates two questions: One, is God loving or angry? And two, was the play within the play good or bad?

It's clear that Mr. Coen's screenwriting talents strongly influence his abilities as a playwright. And that's not a bad thing. Just don't go in expecting conventional theatre. Then again, what is conventional theatre?

Waiting: 4 m, 1 w
Four Benches: 5 m, 1 w
Debate: 7 m, 2 w
Note: All characters are late 20s or older.

Almost an Evening
By Ethan Coen
Paper. $8.95

Fri, Apr 15 @ 5.00 P.M: Jen Grisanti: Mini-Workshop and Book-Signing (FREE) at The Drama Book Shop

Story Line: Finding Gold In Your Life Story

The author, Jen Grisanti, a Story Consultant and former studio executive, will go into how writers can learn to draw from their emotional well and bring their truth into their story. She will go over one of the exercises in the book that is a favorite at her seminars called Log Line For Your Life. Jen believes that your story is the key to your success in your career and in your life.

“Story Line: An honest, soul baring approach to scriptwriting. When you're through reading this book you will have learned as much about yourself as you have about writing scripts. A must read for beginners and veterans alike.” --Jason Filardi, Screenwriter

About the Author:
In January 2008, Jen launched Jen Grisanti Consultancy Inc., a consulting firm dedicated to helping talented writers break into the industry. By drawing on her 12-year experience as a studio executive, when she gave daily notes to executive producers/showrunners, Jen personally guides writers to shape their material, hone their pitches, and focus their careers. Jen has worked with over 300 writers working in television, features and novels. She has had a lot of success getting writers staffed and has had two of her clients sell pilots that both went to series. Jen Grisanti is the Writing Instructor for NBC’s Writers on the Verge, Blogger for The Huffington Post and author of Story Line: Finding Gold In Your Life Story.

About the Book:
Story Line: Finding Gold In Your Life Story is about fictionalizing your truth in your writing. It is for anyone who has a story and wants to learn about the best platform to write it in. It is a writing book for television and feature writers but also a business, life and spiritual book for anyone who has a desire to learn how to add fiction to their truth and bring it to the page.

Story Line: Finding Gold in Your Life Story
by Jennifer Grisanti
Paper. $26.95

Thurs, Apr 14 @ 5.00 P.M: FREUD'S LAST SESSION Book Launch Party (Free) at The Drama Book Shop

Join playwright Mark St. Germain for a wine and cheese party in celebration of the publication of FREUD'S LAST SESSION.

Freud's Last Session
by Mark St. Germain
Paper. $8.95