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From A Midsummer Night's Dream's Puck to Othello's Desdemona, this new edition of Speaking Shakespeare gives you all the necessary tools to bring any of Shakespeare's eclectic characters to life. Patsy Rodenburg uses practical exercises and textual analysis to hone in on your dramatic resonance, breathing and placement in order to unlock your potential for playing these iconic characters. Speeches and scenes such as Mark Antony's'O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth'and the bloody scene in which Macbeth admits to Lady Macbeth that he has'done the deed'are placed in context and discussed in depth.Combining clear practical, textual and imaginative work with a brilliant analysis of scenes and speeches from the whole range of Shakespeare's plays, this is an essential and inspiring guide for anyone working on his plays today. It brings a renewed focus on the language of power, so frequently spoken in the worlds of politicians and company directors, which will give readers insight into the potency of clear, direct communication, specifically in the context of Shakespeare. Each chapter has been revised following the author's 20 additional years of experience as a voice coach and includes techniques necessary for a clear and convincing performance.

Annie Morrison, creator of the Morrison Bone Prop, abandons the notion that language and thought are mainly processed in the left cerebral hemisphere, and coaches the actor to speak from the heart. Through this method, words acquire physical properties, such as weight, texture, colour and kinetic force. Think about Martin Luther King, Mao Zedong or Malala Yousafzai; potent speech impacts external events. And internally, it forms and shapes the world of the speaker. Seeing articulation as a purely mechanical skill is detrimental to an actor's process: it is crucial to understand what language is doing on a biological level. This workbook is invaluable for actors, both professional and in training, and also for voice and speech teachers.

In Mythic Imagination and the Actor, Marissa Chibás draws on over three decades of experience as a Latinx actor, writer, filmmaker, and teacher to offer an approach to acting that embraces collective imagination, archetypal work, and the mythic. The book begins with a comparative analysis between method acting and mythic acting, encouraging actors to push past the limits of singular life experience and move to a realm where imagination and metaphor thrive. In the context of mythic acting, the book explores awareness work, solo performance creation, the power of archetypes, character building exercises, creating a body/text connection, and how to be the detective of your own process. Through this inclusive guide for a new age of diverse performers traversing gender, ability, culture, and race, readers are able to move beyond their limits to a deep engagement with the infinite possibilities of rich imagination. The final chapter empowers and motivates artists to live healthfully within the practice and create a personal artistic vision plan.Written for actors and students of acting, American Drama, and film and theatre studies, Mythic Imagination and the Actor provides practical exercises and prompts to unlock and interpret an actor's deepest creative sources.

It is a book about dying, or, more accurately, about the representation of dying in the theatre. Its chief concern is how actors undertook to translate words and concepts into forms legible and significant to an audience. It deals with the ways in which playwrights wrote about death and attitudes towards death in their cultures. Nevertheless, the emphasis is on the practice of acting. This “death spectacle” runs the gamut. From the Greek tragic stage which was highly selective in determining which deaths it (re)enacted to the elaborately stylized murders and suicides in the Kabuki to the lavish blood-letting of the Elizabethans to the deathbed visitations of the modern era, what was acceptable and/or enjoyable fluctuates wildly.

Style for Actors is an award-winning handbook and the definitive guide to roles in historical drama. Anyone who has ever struggled with capes, fans, swords, doublets and crinolines should make this third edition their constant companion. The past is a foreign country, and this outstanding book is concerned with exploring it from the actor's point of view. Specific guides to each major period give readers a clear map to discover a range from Greek, Elizabethan, Restoration and Georgian theatre to more contemporary stylings, including Futurism, Surrealism and Postmodernism. New material in this edition covers Commedia dell'arte and non-Western forms of theatre, theatrical fusion and developments in musicals and Shakespeare. The book's references, images, resource lists and examples have all been updated to support today's diverse performers. Robert Barton takes great care to present the actor with the roles and genres that will most commonly confront them. Containing a huge resource of nearly 150 exercises, suggestions for scene study and applications not only for theatrical performance but also for stylistic challenges in the reader's own offstage life, this book is an invaluable resource for students and practitioners of acting and drama.

Pourquoi dit-on la cour et le jardin au théâtre? Pourquoi ne porte-t-on pas de vert sur scène? Comment réussir une audition? Jérôme vous dit tout. Il s'y connait, la scène est son domaine. Il y a joué Pyrrhus, Dom Juan et même... une carotte! Mais la scène n'est-elle pas le lieu de tous les faux-semblants, où tout peut arriver, où tout peut déraper? Une plongée originale et inattendue dans l'univers des comédiens.

The Invisible Actor presents the captivating and unique methods of the distinguished Japanese actor and director, Yoshi Oida. While a member of Peter Brook's theatre company in Paris, Yoshi Oida developed a masterful approach to acting that combined the oriental tradition of supreme and studied control with the Western performer's need to characterise and expose depths of emotion. Written with Lorna Marshall, Yoshi Oida explains that once the audience becomes openly aware of the actor's method and becomes too conscious of the actor's artistry, the wonder of performance dies. The audience must never see the actor but only his or her performance. Throughout Lorna Marshall provides contextual commentary on Yoshi Oida's work and methods. In a new foreword to accompany the Bloomsbury Revelations edition, Yoshi Oida revisits the questions that have informed his career as an actor and explores how his skilful approach to acting has shaped the wider contours of his life.

The culmination of an innovative practice research project, Michael Chekhov in the Twenty-First Century: New Pathways draws on historical writings and archival materials to investigate how Chekhov's technique can be used across the disciplines of contemporary performance and applied practice.In contrast to the narrow, actor training-only analysis that dominated 20th-century explorations of the technique, authors Cass Fleming and Tom Cornford, along with contributors Caoimhe McAvinchey, Roanna Mitchell, Daron Oram and Sinéad Rushe, focus on devising, directing and collective creation, dramaturgy and collaborative playwriting, scenography, voice, movement and dance, as well as socially-engaged and therapeutic practices, all of which are at the forefront of international theatre-making.The book collectively offers a thorough and fascinating investigation into new uses of Michael Chekhov's technique, providing practical strategies and principles alongside theoretical discussion.

In The Life of Training, John Matthews offers an accessible and original contribution to the philosophy of training for performance, building on his previous works Training for Performance (2011) and Anatomy of Performance Training (2014). With chapters on the seven characteristics of biological life - reproduction, stimulation, heritability, adaptation, growth, organisation and homeostasis - Matthews combines his unique approach with elements of Hannah Arendt's mature philosophy to reach surprising and essential conclusions about the role time plays in training practices, and about the function of training practices in producing time and its tenses. Ideal for readers seeking to understand the relationship between training practices and human experience, on and off stage, or for teachers looking for a new, innovative approach to performance.

Few actors have had a career as dynamic as that Kathleen Turner's; success has followed her from the television screen to major blockbusters, from indie films to the theater stage. Over her forty-year career, Turner has developed an instinctual knowledge of what it takes to be a successful actor, and, in her conversations with esteemed film professor Dustin Morrow, she shares these lessons with the world. With her iconic wit on full display, Turner dazzles readers with her shrewd insights on the craft of acting and charming anecdotes from her own storied career. Touching on each of her roles, she expounds on the lessons she's learned and describes her journey of discovery in the world of acting. An epic and intense one-on-one master class in acting from the best teacher imaginable, Kathleen Turner on Acting is a must for acting and directing students of every age, established actors and directors, filmmakers, theater pros, and artists of every stripe.

Now in a vibrantly revised second editon, Acting: The Basics remains a practical and theoretical guide to the world of the professional actor, which skilfully combines ideas from a range of practitioners and linking the academy to the industry. Retaining a balance between acting history, a discussion of pioneers and a consideration of the practicalities of acting techniques, the new edition includes a discussion of acting for the screen as well as the practicalities of stage acting, including training, auditioning and rehearsing. With a glossary of terms and useful website suggestions, this is the ideal introduction for anyone wanting to learn more about the practice and history of acting.

This book provides a historical overview and then-and-now comparison of performing for British television drama. By examining changing acting styles from distinct eras of television production – studio realism and location realism - it makes a unique contribution to both television and performance studies, unpacking the various determinants that have combined to influence how performers work in the medium. The book compares the original versions of The Quatermass Experiment(BBC, 1953), Doctor Who (BBC, 1963–89) and Survivors (BBC, 1975–77) with their respective modern-day re-makes, unpacking the effects of the shift from multi-camera studio to single-camera location production. Textual analysis is combined with extensive archival research into production process and reception, alongside interviews with numerous actors and production personnel from more than sixty years of television production.

Does acting matter? David Thomson, one of our most respected and insightful writers on movies and theater, answers this question with intelligence and wit. In this fresh and thought-provoking essay, Thomson tackles this most elusive of subjects, examining the allure of the performing arts for both the artist and the audience member while addressing the paradoxes inherent in acting itself. He reflects on the casting process, on stage versus film acting, and on the cult of celebrity. The art and considerable craft of such gifted artists as Meryl Streep, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Daniel Day-Lewis, and others are scrupulously appraised here, as are notions of “good” and “bad” acting.  Thomson's exploration is at once a meditation on and a celebration of a unique and much beloved, often misunderstood, and occasionally derided art form. He argues that acting not only “matters” but is essential and inescapable, as well as dangerous, chronic, transformative, and exhilarating, be it on the theatrical stage, on the movie screen, or as part of our everyday lives.

Laissez-vous entraîner dans un voyage lyrique au cours de chacun de ces huit monologues'Voici une voix singulière, charpentée et fragile.Voici un coup de poing de tendresse première.Voici une parole de galets et de ronces, polie par le torrent, sanguine sous l'épine.Chaque monologue de Probst est une musique particulière, une partition construite sur le souffle, dans le matériau langagier le plus juste, et certainement le moins complaisant.Il faut du coffre pour faire résonner ces solitudes.Il faut que ça swingue, que ça jazze, que ça balance, que ça mâche et ça décape!Il faut se laisser prendre par cette scansion si personnelle et si fascinante.C'est un hoquet fondateur, aux récurrences jubilatoires.Il y a du Ramuz et du Cendrars dans cette langue.Prendre le pouls de cette écriture, c'est accepter de s'abandonner à l'arythmie du poète.Le théâtre en a tellement besoin!'- Philippe Morand, directeur de la collection Théâtre en camPocheUn ensemble audacieux et captivant où chaque voix a son caractère et une âme à part entièreEXTRAITElle lâche le sac, essuie d'un revers de main son front, tombe assise sur la pierre.De quelle mort ne suis-je pas revenue, pour vivre ainsi d'un équilibre si menacé?Quelle route, quelle interminable route, je ne bouge plus jusqu'au soir, plantée en pleine route, jalon, un de plus fiché dans cette vie baisée de toutes les manières, douces et sournoises et violentes et fermes, par-devant et par-derrière et de tous les côtés, et taillée, cette vie, par les pierres du chemin, et par le soleil traître comme une chèvre efflanquée, vie suée, remplie de soif, c'est-à-dire vide, vide, vide, quelle soif, quelle route, quelle interminable soif, une pastèque, trouverais-je quelque part une pastèque?A PROPOS DE L'AUTEURAuteur dramatique et comédien, Jacques Probst est né à Genève le 1er août 1951. Comédien, a joué dans plus de soixante spectacles, avec une prédilection pour les pièces de Shakespeare, Webster, Beckett, Pinter, H. Muller, Behan, Bond.Il est l'auteur depuis 1969 d'une vingtaine de pièces pour le théâtre, allant du monologue à des pièces de dix, quinze, voire plus de vingt ou encore des pièces de trois, cinq, sept personnages.Ces pièces furent représentées en Suisse, France, Belgique. Il a souvent, et particulièrement pour les monologues, travaillé avec des musiciens. Plusieurs des pièces ont fait l'objet d'enregistrements pour la Radio Suisse Romande. Il a aussi écrit trois scénarios de films.

Originally published in 1968, Jerzy Grotowski's groundbreaking book is available once again. As a record of Grotowski's theatrical experiments, this book is an invaluable resource to students and theater practioners alike.

A practical and theoretical guide to the world of the professional actor, skilfully combining ideas from a range of practitioners and linking the academy to the industry. It covers key areas such as: the development of modern drama and acting processes over the years the approach and legacy of acting pioneers and practitioners from around the world acting techniques and practicalities, including training, auditioning, rehearsing and performing – both for stage and camera Complete with a glossary of terms and useful website suggestions, this is the ideal introduction for anyone wanting to learn more about the practice of acting and the people who have advanced its evolution.

Eighty monologues have been designed and collected in this book that specifically contains relatable, current, and interesting content for younger actors. The monologues are written for performers between the ages of five and 18 and feature works of different lengths and subject matter for both males and females. Each monologue has been thoroughly tested by young actors and used for every type of audition from theater to film. Subtle emphasis and directions are marked to help bring each piece to life, but enough room is left for actors to visualize the scene for themselves and personalize it.

'Style is a journey from tourist to native. It is living in the world of the play, not just visiting it.'- from Chapter One Anyone who has ever struggled with capes, fans, swords, doublets and crinolines should make Style for Actors 2nd Edition their constant companion. Robert Barton has completely updated his award winning handbook for the 21st century with contemporary references and up-to-date illustrations. This is the definitive guide to roles in historical drama. The past is a foreign country, and this outstanding book is concerned with exploring it from the actor's point of view. Specific guides range from Greek, Elizabethan, Restoration and Georgian theatre to more contemporary stylings, including Futurism, Surrealism and Postmodernism. Barton takes great care to present the actor with the roles and genres that will most commonly confront them. His analysis moves from entire genres to specific scenes and characters. A huge resource of nearly 150 practical exercises helps a newfound understanding of style to make the leap from page to performance.

Pour les uns, l'acteur est quelqu'un qui joue sur une scène. Pour d'autres, le théâtre est un texte que l'on étudie en classe. Comme nous l'a expliqué l'homme de théâtre Nicolas Evreinoff, l'essentiel est de ne pas être nous-même afin d'échapper à l'enfermement dans un seul moi, et l'acteur est celui qui décide d'y échapper. L'homme connaît depuis longtemps cette technique physique et mentale, si évidente dans l'enfance, mais pour qu'il puisse l'utiliser efficacement, il fallait qu'elle ait une fonction sociale.

L'acteur est un passeur d'émotion et doit avoir une présence scénique. Il met en jeu son imaginaire et son énergie. La réussite de sa prestation en dépend. Mais les concepts évoqués restent flous et représentent souvent des vues de l'esprit. Pour lever toute ambiguïté, il est indispensable de comprendre ce que ces concepts signifient de manière concrète et dans la pratique. Ainsi l'émotion n'est pas dépendante de la volonté. Aussi, il est nécessaire de comprendre comment l'acteur transmet une émotion.

All books in the Routledge Performance Practitioners series are carefully designed to enable the reader to understand the work of a key practitioner. They provide the first step towards critical understanding and a springboard for further study for students on twentieth century, contemporary theatre and theatre history courses. Michael Chekhov's unique approach to and lasting impact on actor training is only now beginning to be fully appreciated. This volume provides, for the first time, a fully comprehensive introduction to his life and times, his most notable productions, his classic writings and his practical exercises. Franc Chamberlain unravels Chekhov's contributions to modern theatre through: an exploration of his life examination of his major work analysis of Checkhov's key productions reproduction of practical exercises.

This compact, well-illustrated and clearly written book offers an essential guide to the complex and contradictory nature of this master of theatre. Routledge Performance Practitioners are a series of introductory guides to key theatre-makers. These compact, well-illustrated and clearly written books will unravel the contribution of modern theatre's most charismatic innovators. This is the first book to combine: - an overview of Stanislavsky's life history - an assessment of his widely read text, An Actor Prepares - detailed commentary of the key 1998 production of The Seagull - an indispensable set of practical exercises for actors, teachers and directors. As a first step towards critical understanding, and as an initial exploration before going on to further, primary research, Routledge Performance Practitioners are unbeatable value for today's student.

What do the Dead Sea Scrolls and frog overlays have to do with performing Shakespeare? They're both part of Louis Fantasia's approach in Instant Shakespeare. Mr. Fantasia, the first American to direct at the Shakespeare Globe Centre and a distinguished member of the international theatre community, has developed a pragmatic and uniquely American performance technique. Expanded and refined in performances and workshops throughout the world, Instant Shakespeare allows performers, directors, and teachers of all cultures and levels of experience to demystify Shakespeare and perform his texts in ways that are clear, fresh, and unpretentious. Mr. Fantasia's methods are solidly grounded in a rigorous analysis of the text and structure of Shakespeare's plays, and enriched by his insight into Elizabethan performance practices gleaned from his intimate association with the reconstruction of the Globe. Through Instant Shakespeare, novices and professionals alike achieve the textual clarity, nuanced characters, and dynamic actions that drive the most vigorous Shakespearean performances. Mr. Fantasia's respectful but irreverent approach pinpoints the shortcomings of contemporary Shakespeare practice and training, particularly generic and postmodern interpretations, and confronts theatre artists with the importance of conscious personal responsibility for the creative process. Employing analogies from music and architecture, he insists upon the hard and sometimes tedious work that necessarily underlies solid artistic choices. Mr. Fantasia shows how to understand Shakespeare's vocabulary as well as the structure and essential dramatic event of each play. He provides exercise monologues, exercise scenes, and tools for textual analysis; explains correct breathing; and lays out his philosophies of training and performance.

In order to create a living character on the stage, the actor needs more than masterful technique. He must work on the play in a way that will enable him to understand the meaning of each of the roles in it, and the nature of the relations between these roles. Stanislavsky developed his method of working on the play and the role over many years, but because it was constantly being modified and improved, only fragments of the method were ever recorded. Now Irina and Igor Levin have systematized the method, clearly setting forth its principles and demonstrating precisely how they are put to use. Using the complete text of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard and breaking it into individual'events;'they take the reader through each situation in the play, exploring the motivations and feelings of the characters. The reader emerges with a fine understanding of the play and its roles, and with a method that can be used successfully to analyze any drama.'An excellent book, highly useful for actors and directors both in its principles and in its detailed analyses of text and subtext.'—Nicholas Rudall, Court Theatre.