Truthful human behaviour on stage and screen. Definitely not a 'how-to' book! This book articulates the intangible -- how to capture lightning in a jar. It works to develop awareness in order to help the aspiring actor evolve, grow and mature as a performer. Acting is an art that comes from oneself -- no tricks, no special techniques. Every great artist begins as a craftsman then develops into an artist. Each of the 100 plain-speaking lessons in this book is brief and deals with an essential truth. The book is divided into 5 sections: Approach, Fundamentals, Classes and Rehearsals, Performance and Final Lessons. A supplemental work for students and professionals.
The classic text on the craft of Method acting by the founder of The American Laboratory Theatre. After studying at the Moscow Art Theatre under Konstantin Stanislavski, Richard Boleslavsky became one of the most important acting teachers of his or any generation. Bringing Stanislavski’s system to America in the 1920s and 30s, he influenced many of the titans of American drama, from his own students—including Lee Strasburg and Stella Adler—to Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, and many others. In Acting: The First Six Lessons, Boleslavsky presents his acting theory and technique in a series of accessible and engaging dialogues. Widely considered a must-have for any serious actor, Boleslavsky’s work has long helped actors better understand their craft.
(Applause Books). A master actor who's appeared in an enormous number of films, starring with everyone from Nicholson to Kermit the Frog, Michael Caine is uniquely qualified to provide his view of making movies. This revised and expanded edition features great photos, with chapters on: Preparation, In Front of the Camera Before You Shoot, The Take, Characters, Directors, On Being a Star, and much more. "Remarkable material ... A treasure ... I'm not going to be looking at performances quite the same way ... FASCINATING!" Gene Siskel
In her long-awaited book, the legendary acting teacher Stella Adler gives us her extraordinary insights into the work of Henrik Ibsen ("The creation of the modern theater took a genius like Ibsen. . .Miller and Odets, Inge and O'Neill, Williams and Shaw, swallowed the whole of him"), August Strindberg ("He understood and predicted the forces that would break in our lives"), and Anton Chekhov ("Chekhov doesn't want a play, he wants what happens in life. In life, people don't usually kill each other. They talk"). Through the plays of these masters, Adler discusses the arts of playwriting and script interpretation ("There are two aspects of the theater. One belongs to the author and the other to the actor. The actor thinks it all belongs to the author. . .The curtain goes up and all he knows are the lines. . .It is not enough. . .Script interpretation is your profession"). She looks into aspects of society and class, and into our cultural past, as well as the evolution of the modern spirit ("The actor learns from Ibsen what is modern in the modern theater. There are no villains, no heroes. Ibsen understands, more than anything, there is more than one truth"). Stella Adler--daughter of Jacob Adler, who was universally acknowledged to be the greatest actor of the Yiddish theater, and herself a disciple of Stanislavsky--examines the role of the actor and brings to life the plays from which all modern theater derives: Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, The Master Builder, An Enemy of the People, and A Doll's House; Strindberg's Miss Julie and The Father; Chekhov's The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, and Three Sisters ("Masha is the sister who is the mystery. You cannot reach her. You cannot reach the artist. There is no logical way. Keep her in a special pocket of feelings that are complex and different"). Adler discusses the ideas behind these plays and explores the world of the playwrights and the history--both familial and cultural--that informed their work. She illumines not only the dramatic essence of each play but its subtext as well, continually asking questions that deepen one's understanding of the work and of the human spirit. Adler's book, brilliantly edited by Barry Paris, puts her famous lectures into print for the first time.
Acting: The First Six Lessons was first published in 1933 and remains a key text for anyone studying acting today. These dramatic dialogues between teacher and idealistic student explore the field of acting according to one of the original teachers of Stanislavsky’s System in America. This new edition of an essential text is edited by Rhonda Blair and supplemented for the very first time with documents from the American Laboratory Theatre. These collect together a broad range of exciting unpublished material, drawn from Boleslavsky’s pivotal and unprecedented teachings on acting at the American Laboratory Theatre. Included are: "The Creative Theatre Lectures" by Richard Boleslavsky Boleslavsky’s "Lectures from the American Laboratory Theatre" "Acting with Maria Ouspenskaya," four short essays on the work of Ouspenskaya, Boleslavsky’s colleague and fellow actor trainer A new critical introduction and bibliography by the Editor.
Are you just starting in Voiceover? Do you have some experience, but aren't getting booked? Are you a working pro who wants to expand to new areas of VO work? The Art of Voice Acting is a must read if you are serious about a profession in voice over and looking to maximize your efforts for success in the business. Packed with basic acting techniques in The Art of Voice Acting, you will discover * All new scripts * 20 more pages of new and updated information * A completely new chapter of studio stories and 'tricks-of-the-trade' from professional voiceover talent around the world * Updated information for voiceover demos and marketing * A comprehensive index that makes it easy to find what you're looking for * More voice and acting techniques * Contributions from some of the top voice talent in the world * Audio content with the actual audio for every script in the book, http://voiceacting.com/aovaextras/ * PLUS: exercises, demos and more! Written in an accessible and engaging style Alburger shares his experience as a performer, producer, director and performance coach to give you a clear no nonsense introduction to the business and art of voice acting. Audio content and images from the books are available at http://voiceacting.com/aovaextras/
This guide for actors and directors develops a valid method for training performers to act from their core--whether they are cold reading, auditioning, or performing for film or television. This book teaches actors how to achieve and respond to believable and honest emotions before the camera, and it maintains that the key to a successful performance lies in how the actors relate to one another and to the circumstances. Exercises, including script examples, throughout the book give readers an easy resource for practicing the principles outlined. The Art of Film Acting applies a classic stage acting method (Stanislavsky) to the more intimate medium of performing before a camera, teaching readers to experience an emotion rather than to indicate it.
William Esper, one of the leading acting teachers of our time, explains and extends Sanford Meisner's legendary technique, offering a clear, concrete, step-by-step approach to becoming a truly creative actor.Esper worked closely with Meisner for seventeen years and has spent decades developing his famous program for actor's training. The result is a rigorous system of exercises that builds a solid foundation of acting skills from the ground up, and that is flexible enough to be applied to any challenge an actor faces, from soap operas to Shakespeare. Co-writer Damon DiMarco, a former student of Esper's, spent over a year observing his mentor teaching first-year acting students. In this book he recreates that experience for us, allowing us to see how the progression of exercises works in practice. The Actor's Art and Craft vividly demonstrates that good training does not constrain actors' instincts—it frees them to create characters with truthful and compelling inner lives.
