David Schalkwyk offers a sustained reading of Shakespeare's sonnets in relation to his plays. He argues that the language of the sonnets is primarily performative rather than descriptive, and bases this distinction on the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein and J. L. Austin. In a wide-ranging analysis of both the 1609 Quarto of Shakespeare's sonnets and the Petrarchan discourses in a selection of plays, Schalkwyk addresses such issues as embodiment and silencing, interiority and theatricality, inequalities of power, status, gender and desire, both in the published poems and on the stage and in the context of the early modern period. In a provocative discussion of the question of proper names and naming events in the sonnets and plays, the book seeks to reopen the question of the autobiographical nature of Shakespeare's sonnets.

Analyzing the relationship between dramatic action and the controversial art of acting, William Worthen demonstrates that what it means to act, to be an actor, and to communicate through acting embodies both an ethics of acting and a poetics of drama.

Originally published in 1984.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Forty-five complete mime routines for performers of all ages, adaptable to audiences of different types. This book may be used as a class text or a library resource. In addition to the wide variety of routines are technique suggestions and ideas about makeup, props, staging, where and when to perform, and teamwork! Routines for solo and ensemble presentation.

(Applause Books). This book features 67 articles from experts all over the world on the theme of coaching actors for performances in film, broadcast and e-media. Covers a wide variety of topics, from Breathing Principles & Pedagogy to Dialect/Accent Studies to Private Studio Practice.

Chaikin, who directed the celebrated Open Theater in the '60s, kindled an emphasis on communal playmaking whose impact is still evident today. This conversational review of his efforts details his methods and reveals the struggles involved in the creation of some of the most exciting theatre of our time.

A new approach to actor training by a senior teacher, this illustrated manual shows how to use the body to produce rich, varied and truthful performances. The approach, rooted in the Michael Chekhov Technique, integrates ancient Qigong knowledge with somatic psychology and western actor training methods to identify the links between physical shape, emotion and feeling in performance. Supporting and illustrating the text, extensive practical exercises developed through actor training classes provide techniques to tune and adapt the body in preparation for creative work. This book will enhance your understanding of the actor's craft, offering the opportunity to grow and advance your pre-existing skills. Warm ups and sequences of exercises will enable you to implement and fully understand this innovative approach. All of the work can be applied to live and screen performances.

Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors: Monologues for Women aims to provide new and exciting audition and showcase material for actresses of black, African American, South Asian and Middle Eastern heritage. Featuring the work of international contemporary playwrights who have written powerful and diverse roles for a range of actors, the collection is edited by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway. Categorized by age-range, the monologues are collected in groups of characters playable by actresses in their teens, twenties, thirties and forties+, and include work from over 25 top-class dramatists including Sudha Bhuchar, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Marcus Gardley, Mona Mansour and Naomi Wallace. Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors: Monologues for Women is the go-to resource for contemporary monologues and speeches for auditions. Ideal for aspiring and professional actresses, it allows performers to enhance their particular strengths and prepare for roles featuring characters of specific ethnic backgrounds.