Blumenfeld's Dictionary of Acting and Show Business

Do you know what a gimbal stage is, or a gaffer? What is the Alexander technique? And what does it mean when a director says, "Back to one!" or "Stop thinking!"? Does a film director want a piece of fruit when he or she asks for a half apple, or says, "Give me a banana!"? Do you know what a soundie is? (No relation to a techie!) All these terms and countless more are defined in the remarkable Blumenfeld's Dictionary of Acting and Show Business. Author Robert Blumenfeld combines his expertise from years of working in show business with meticulous research to present a work that is comprehensive and user-friendly. This complete reference book on the art, craft, and business of entertaining is a must-have for every fan, teacher, student, amateur, and professional. Oh, and a half apple? Well, an "apple box" is an eight-inch high wooden platform an actor stands on to appear taller. (The term dates to the silent film era when an actual fruit crate was used.) A "half-apple" is four inches tall - half the height of an apple box. But when a film director says "Give me a banana," she's telling the actor to walk in front of the camera in a smooth, gentle curve, as if he were tracing the shape of a banana on the floor. (Of course, in vaudeville slang, a "banana" is a comedian, and his sidekick is a "second banana.") All these entries and 4000 more are defined, including slang, idioms, acronyms, historical terms, common expressions, and legal language in Blumenfeld's Dictionary of Acting and Show Business.