The title pretty much says it all: How to Make It In Musicals: The Insider’s Guide To A Career As A Singer-Dancer. Author Michael Allen explores all aspects of training and preparation, based on advice from performers and other show business professionals. Topics include picking the right teachers, determining what kind of dance and voice training you need and developing an acting style for the musical stage. Allen also provides tips on how to audition, find an agent, and how to find job leads for Broadway, regional theater, summer stock, nightclubs, theme parks, cruise ships and other venues seeking young performers. This is a well-organized and practical career manual. [ISBN 0-8230-8815-4, $18.95, Back Stage Books]

Another how-to manual is The Actor In You, by Robert L. Benedetti. To help readers discover their own innate acting abilities, the author shows how to apply the dramatic principles of daily life for the artistic purpose of acting. Balancing theory and practical application, the book presents a 16-step program in three main parts. Part one explains the basic principles of acting using those life experiences. Part two presents creative group-work exercises. Part three offers a step-by-step approach to a role. Benedetti covers acting for both stage and camera and demonstrates an appreciation for a variety of styles, techniques and approaches. [ISBN: 0-2052-6999-0, $26, Allyn & Bacon]

In a very different vein is Stand-Ups, Strumpets And Itinerants, a collection of interviews with prominent performing women, by Alison Oddey. It was not so long ago that acting was considered akin to prostitution—no proper lady ever considered a career on the stage. Oddey takes the old prejudice as a jumping-off point for her entertaining and intelligent interviews with contemporary female actors, performance artists and stand-up comedians of different generations, cultures and perspectives. They explain why they want to perform, what motivates them and how personal history has contributed to their craft. [ISBN 0-312-22909-7, $39.95, St. Martin’s Press]

Similar in format is Dennis Brown’s Actors Talk: Profiles And Stories From The Acting Trade. This collection of interviews conducted with 11 gifted performers of stage and screen includes both men and women: Lillian Gish, Gregory Peck, Danny Kaye, Sterling Hayden, Barry Bostwick, José Ferrer, Stacy Keach, George Rose, Jessica Tandy, Paul Winfield and Beulah Bondi. Their words are illuminating and candid, revealing moments of vulnerability, as well as theatrical triumph. Actors Talk captures each of these artists’ varied experiences, from audition to performance, from failure to success, in a way that makes for fascinating reading, start to finish. [ISBN 0-879-10287-X, $25.00, Limelight Editions]

It is difficult to talk about improvisation and youngsters without mentioning the name of Viola Spolin. Her books on theater games are standard references for many teachers and directors who work with young people. And now her Improvisation For The Theater: A Handbook Of Teaching And Directing Techniques has been published in its third edition. This is an excellent introduction, helping the reader create a strong foundation for exploration of children’s games and play. Spolin’s “Seven Aspects of Spontaneity” provides valuable insight into play and creativity, making it worth the price of the book alone. But there is much more to this 412-page book, including 30 new exercises and more than 200 updated classics. [ISBN 0-8101-4008-X, $15.95, Northwestern University Press]

Theater games are designed for groups, but there is power in the singular as well. Indeed, the one-person play has a long and distinguished history, as well as being one of the most economical forms of theater and a wonderful showcase for an actor, playwright and director—especially when all three are the same person. That’s the idea behind The Power Of One: The Solo Play For Playwrights, Actors And Directors, by Louis E. Catron. Covering various techniques of writing, acting and directing to create a personal theatrical experience, the book examines the “actor/playwright conundrum” and provides tips for solo play performers, directors and playwrights, as well as examples of solo scripts. Catron does an excellent job here, particularly in helping an actor determine if he or she is capable of serving as playwright and director as well, or if a collaborative effort is preferable. [ISBN 0-325-00153-7, $18.95, Heinemann]

Forging a vital link between performing artists and educators is the subject of The Arts Equation, by Bruce D. Taylor. At a time when arts programs are being cut back in public schools, Taylor makes a strong case for greater collaboration between artists, teachers and students. Introducing artists—dancers, singers and actors—into schools not only helps students appreciate the arts, but can lead to programs that involve students directly in performance. Taylor explains how to work within the educational system and school parameters; he also illuminates the basics of lesson plans and touches on other subjects that range from how to arrange artist visits to scenery and lighting basics. The result is both thought-provoking and practical. [ISBN 0-8230-8805-7, $18.95, Back Stage Books].