The first collection of its kind to bring together scholarly and practitioner perspectives, this book analyses the experiences, skills and techniques of actors when working on television. Featuring eleven chapters by internationally distinguished researchers and actor trainers, this collection examines the acting processes and resulting performances of some of the most acclaimed television actors. Topics include: studio and location realism; actor training for television; actor well-being in the television industry; performance in reality television and British and Irish actors in contemporary US television and film. The book also contains case studies examining the work of Emmy-award-winning actor Viola Davis and the iconic character of Gene Hunt in Life on Mars (BBC, 2006-2007).

First published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor and Francis, an informa company.

A handbook, complete with graded exercises, for teachers and students wanting a practical introduction to Laban's famous system of movement. Rudolf Laban is to movement what Stanislavski is to acting. He devised the first wholly successful system for recording human movement, a system which is increasingly influential in the training of actors and dancers. 'required reading for every young student of the theatre - and a lot of the older ones would reap enormous benefit from it' Murray Melvin

Book of Sides II: Original, Two-Page Scenes for Actors and Directors is the second book in the Book of Sides series by Dave Kost, featuring original, two-page, two-character scenes for use in acting, directing, and auditioning classes. While shorter than the traditional three-to-six-page scenes commonly used in classes, Book of Sides II features longer scenes than the first Book of Sides with greater character development, more reversals, and stronger climaxes. Balanced, structured scenes designed specifically for educational use challenge both actors and directors equally with objectives, obstacles, tactics, and subtext; Two-page length is ideal for high-intensity exercises and faster-paced workshops; Printed in easy-to-read film-script format with plenty of room for notes; Scenes are completely original and unencumbered by copyright, so students may film and post legally on the internet; Universally castable, so all roles can be played by actors of any gender, appearance, skill level, or ethnicity; Accessibly-written for modern students, helping them to focus on the fundamentals of performance and directing; Simple and conducive to performing in a classroom without sets, costumes, or special props. This book was written by an educator for educators and designed for use in the classroom. Never search for scenes again!

Originally published in 1978. Henry Irving achieved an astounding success in Britain and America as an actor; yet he lacked good looks, had spindly legs, and did not have a good voice. He said so himself. Today Irving is regarded as the archetype of the old-time actor, but in his own time he was regarded as a great theatrical innovator. Even Bernard Shaw, who attacked him pitilessly, even unto death, called him 'modern' when he first saw him act. Irving, the man, with his tenacious, obsessive talent, his human limitations and weaknesses, and his ephemeral glory is brought most sympathetically to life in this biography. It is written from contemporary sources, and from criticisms, lampoons, caricatures and gossip columns. If Irving reflected certain aspects of his age, this book underlines the Victorian ethic to which he appealed and the backcloths against which it was set - the extraordinary lavishness of the Lyceum productions and the incredible extravagance of social entertaining. Not the least absorbing aspect of this biography is the fascinating account of the long partnership between Irving and Ellen Terry, still in many respects an enigmatic one, but here portrayed with lively insight into character combined with understanding and deep knowledge of the social and theatrical context of the Victorian age.

THE GOOD AUDITION GUIDES: Helping you select and perform the audition piece that is best suited to your performing skills In this volume of the Good Audition Guides, you'll find fifty fantastic speeches for men, all written since the year 2000, by some of our most exciting dramatic voices. Playwrights featured in Contemporary Monologues for Men include Howard Brenton, Jez Butterworth, Alexi Kaye Campbell, Caryl Churchill, Ariel Dorfman, Ella Hickson, Lucy Kirkwood, Bruce Norris, Jack Thorne and Enda Walsh, and the plays themselves were premiered at the very best theatres across the UK including the National Theatre, the Donmar Warehouse, the Bush and the Young Vic, Manchester Royal Exchange, Birmingham Rep, the Traverse in Edinburgh, and many on the stages of the Royal Court. Drawing on her experience as an actor, director and teacher at several leading drama schools, Trilby James prefaces each speech with a thorough introduction including the vital information you need to place the piece in context (the who, what, when, where and why) and suggestions about how to perform the scene to its maximum effect (including the character's objectives and keywords). Contemporary Monologues for Men also features an introduction on the whole process of selecting and preparing your speech, and approaching the audition itself. The result is the most comprehensive and useful contemporary monologue book now available. 'Sound practical advice for anyone attending an audition... a source of inspiration for teachers and students alike' Teaching Drama Magazine on The Good Audition Guides

The Method Acting Exercises Handbook is a concise and practical guide to the acting exercises originally devised by Lee Strasberg, one of the Method's foremost practitioners. The Method trains the imagination, concentration, senses and emotions to 're-create' - not 'imitate' - logical, believable and truthful behavior on stage and in film. Building on nearly 30 years of teaching internationally and at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York and Los Angeles, Lola Cohen details a series of specific exercises in order to provide clear instruction and guidance to this preeminent form of actor training. By integrating Strasberg's voice with her own tried and tested style of teaching, Cohen demonstrates what can be gained from the exercises, how they can inform and inspire your learning, and how they might be applied to your acting and directing practice. As a companion to The Lee Strasberg Notes (Routledge 2010), a transcription of Strasberg's own teaching, The Method Acting Exercises Handbook offers an unparalleled and updated guide to this world renowned technique.

A treasure trove of advice, support and encouragement that no performer should be without. Honest, witty and direct, The Golden Rules of Acting is every actor's best friend - in handy paperback form. 'When auditioning, rehearsing or in a performance, take a risk - the worst that can happen is that you get embarrassed. You won't die.' Easy to dip into, fully illustrated throughout, and designed to be both instructive and empowering, The Golden Rules of Acting won't tell you how to act - but it will tell you how to be an actor. 'Always remember, the people auditioning you want you to be brilliant. They want you to solve their casting problem.' If you're a working actor, drama-school student, someone who wants to become an actor, or simply someone who has a dream and wants to make it a reality, this book is for you. 'NEVER harmonise when singing 'Happy Birthday' - this has nothing to do with work, it's just all actors do it & it's bloody annoying.' Andy Nyman learnt the golden rules of acting the hard way, through twenty-five years of working in theatre, film and television. On stage, he co-wrote, co-directed and starred in the West End hit Ghost Stories, and won an Olivier Award for Best Entertainment for co-writing and directing Something Wicked This Way Comes with his regular collaborator Derren Brown. His many film appearances include Severance and Frank Oz's Death at a Funeral. 'I absolutely devoured this book. Yes, it's witty but it's also sincere, informative, practical and humble in its truths' Toni Collette 'This little book is a must-read for every aspiring actor and actress, including all established performers - and I have recommended it to many since reading it. It confirms and reaffirms why we are in this profession. Not only does it impart hard-earned knowledge, it does so with a sense of fun, a little mischief, and always with dignity, which (let's face it) can take a daily beating. It's probably the most important book on acting and actors I've ever read; period! Keep it by your bedside at all times!' Liam Neeson OBE 'Christians have the Bible, now actors have this book. At last, everyone is happy' Simon Pegg 'Andy's distilled guidebook is smart, hilarious, and just might get you work!' Neil Patrick Harris 'Like having a friend in your pocket! Supremely practical, wise, reassuring, inspiring and funny - chockful of good humour and good sense' Keeley Hawes 'Honest, uplifting, expert advice from a genius of the craft' Riz Ahmed 'Like its author, this little book is packed full of wit, wisdom and good things' Matthew Macfadyen 'When I was starting out, wanting to read about how to unlock the mysteries of working in the theatre, I could only turn to Stanislavski. But now, you lucky young people (and indeed people of all ages), there is Nyman. One-tenth the length, a hundred times funnier and crammed with practical wisdom... read it and in every sense, you'll have a head start' Trevor Nunn 'A wonderful insight into the secrets of success that will help anyone achieve their dreams' Richard Wiseman (author, 59 Seconds: Think a little, change a lot)

Secrets of Acting Shakespeare isn't a book that gently instructs. It is a passionate, yes-you-can guide designed to prove that anybody can act Shakespeare. Patrick Tucker's classic manual encourages trained and amateur actors alike to look to the original practices of the Elizabethan theatre for inspiration. He explores the 'cue scripts' used by actors, who knew only their own lines, to demonstrate the extraordinary way that these plays work by ear. This updated second edition includes: A section dedicated to the modes of address 'thee' and 'you' A brand new chapter on Original Practices and cue scripts An expanded genealogical chart, showing the interrelations of 92 different characters from the history plays A new discussion of Elizabethan acting spaces - balconies, gates, ramparts and even backstage areas Secrets of Acting Shakespeare is a must-read for actors intrigued by the 'Original Approach' to acting Shakespeare, or for anyone curious about how the Elizabethan theater worked.

Secrets of Acting Shakespeare isn't a book that gently instructs. It is a passionate, yes-you-can guide designed to prove that anybody can act Shakespeare. Patrick Tucker's classic manual encourages trained and amateur actors alike to look to the original practices of the Elizabethan theatre for inspiration. He explores the 'cue scripts' used by actors, who knew only their own lines, to demonstrate the extraordinary way that these plays work by ear. This updated second edition includes: A section dedicated to the modes of address 'thee' and 'you' A brand new chapter on Original Practices and cue scripts An expanded genealogical chart, showing the interrelations of 92 different characters from the history plays A new discussion of Elizabethan acting spaces - balconies, gates, ramparts and even backstage areas Secrets of Acting Shakespeare is a must-read for actors intrigued by the 'Original Approach' to acting Shakespeare, or for anyone curious about how the Elizabethan theater worked.

Includes 110-minute DVD
A unique new approach to the understanding and training of the actor's voice.
Structured as a series of practical workshops, the book leads you, session by session, through the foundations of release and relaxation, breath and voice support. Later sessions concentrate on developing your stamina and muscularity, deep resonance, and your ability to create and sustain extreme vocal states.
The book will help you to develop a voice that is utterly integrated with your body, breath, mind and emotion - and, therefore, with any character or text you are working on.
Accompanying the book is a 110-minute DVD, showing many of the exercises and sessions in action, and featuring full-length workouts and warm-ups which you can join in with, to help you prepare your own voice.
The result is a systematic and rigorous course to train and improve one of your most important instruments as an actor. It will prove essential reading (and viewing) for students, training actors, working professionals - and their teachers and coaches.
"A great cause for celebration... a trustworthy and highly instructive companion to the work that takes place in the studio." Jane Boston, Head of the International Centre for Voice

The Routledge Companion to Jacques Lecoq presents a thorough overview and analysis of Jacques Lecoq's life, work and philosophy of theatre. Through an exemplary collection of specially commissioned chapters from leading writers, specialists and practitioners, it draws together writings and reflections on his pedagogy, his practice, and his influence on the wider theatrical environment. It is a comprehensive guide to the work and legacy of one of the major figures of Western theatre in the second half of the twentieth century. In a four-part structure over fifty chapters, the book examines: The historical, artistic and social context out of which Lecoq's work and pedagogy arose, and its relation to such figures as Jacques Copeau, Antonin Artaud, Jean-Louis Barrault, and Dario Fo. Core themes of Lecoq's International School of Theatre, such as movement, play, improvisation, masks, language, comedy, and tragedy, investigated by former teachers and graduates of the School. The significance and value of his pedagogical approaches in the context of contemporary theatre practices. The diaspora of performance practice from the School, from the perspective of many of the most prominent artists themselves. This is an important and authoritative guide for anyone interested in Lecoq's work.

Playing Bit Parts in Shakespeare is a unique survey of the small supporting roles - such as foils, feeds, attendants and messengers - that feature in Shakespeare's plays. Exploring such issues as how bit players should conduct themselves within a scene, and how blank verse or prose may be spoken to bring out the complexities of character-definition, Playing Bit Parts in Shakespeare brings a wealth of insights to the dynamic of scenic construction in Shakespeare's dramaturgy. M.M. Mahood explores the different functions of minimal characters, from clearing the stage to epitomizing the overall effect of the comedy or tragedy, and looks at how they can extend the audience's knowledge of the social world of the play. She goes on to describe the entire corpus of minimal roles in a selection of six plays: * Richard III * The Tempest * King Lear * Antony & Cleopatra * Measure for Measure * Julius Caesar This new edition comes enhanced with a new Appendix, 'Who Says What', especially designed to aid directors in making decisions about the speaking parts of the minimal characters. It also comes complete with an index of characters (including line references) as well as a detailed general index. An invaluable aid for directors and actors in the rehearsal room, this perceptive and informative volume is equally of interest to students studying and writing about Shakespeare's plays.

Written by a team of legal experts on copyright, this user-friendly, comprehensive guide is the essential reference tool for everyone in the world of museums and galleries whose work brings them into contact with copyright-related questions. It addresses relevant issues from a practical perspective and answers questions such as: What is copyright? How long does copyright last? How can you make money from copyright? What are the consequences of unauthorized use? A Guide to Copyright for Museums and Galleries shows that when properly handled, copyright can provide opportunities for museums and galleries to achieve their core objectives. This is an essential text for all museums and galleries.

Acts and apparitions examines how new performance practices from the 1990s to the present day have been driven by questions of the real and the ensuing political implications of the concept's rapidly disintegrating authority. This book departs significantly from existing scholarship on contemporary performance in its rejection of the dramatic/postdramatic binary and its interrogation of previous applications of Derridean poststructuralism to theatrical representation and notions of the real. It offers new perspectives on the political analysis of contemporary theatre and performance across a wide range of models from Forced Entertainment and the Wooster Group, to Roland Schimmelpfennig and Howard Barker; from verbatim theatre to audio tours and the interactive performances of Ontroerend Goed. -- .

Actors of colour need the best speeches to demonstrate their skills and hone their craft. Roberta Uno has carefully selected monologues that represent African-American, Native American, Latino, and Asian-American identities. Each monologue comes with an introduction and notes on the characters and stage directions to set the scene for the actor. This new edition now includes more of the most exciting and accomplished playwrights to have emerged over the 15 years since the Monologues for Actors of Color books were first published, from new, cutting edge talent to Pulitzer winners.

Voice and Speech for Musical Theatre is the first book to combine traditional actor vocal training with musical theatre training, offering support and guidance for performers seeking to train their spoken voice specifically for singing and performing in musical theatre. Performers in musical theatre are working harder than ever. The shifting and extreme nature of the modern musical theatre repertoire requires performers capable of mastering musicianship, singing and dancing while at the same time providing convincing and clear performances as actors. Voice and Speech for Musical Theatre will help train musical theatre performers in the longer modes of voice needed to create convincing and moving performances. Ideal for the triple-threat performer, Voice and Speech for Musical Theatre features exercises for performers, tips for teachers and online video resources, allowing for a focused and outcome-oriented training of vocal techniques for musical theatre performers.

How can teachers incorporate drama into the curriculum? What drama activities are especially successful? How do teachers know when students are learning in, through and about drama? Teachers who are new to drama, or those wishing to refresh their knowledge and ideas, should find practical answers and guidance in this text. The book introduces the work of Cecily O'Neill to demonstrate the entry points to drama lessons, the pre-texts, and how educators need to introduce lessons with challenging material. He then uses the work of David Booth to highlight one aspect of drama - storydrama - and how it can be used as an effective learning medium across the curriculum.

The Art of Unarmed Stage Combat is a guide to the principles and techniques of theatrical violence, combining detailed discussions of the mechanics of stage fighting with the nuances of acting decisions to make fighting styles reflect character and story. Expert Fight Director Robert Najarian offers never-before-published games and exercises that allows actors to develop the skills and concepts for performing violence for stage and screen. This title utilizes a unique system of training techniques that result in stage violence that is both physically engaging for the performer, while remaining viscerally engaging for the audience. This book is written for the actor and fight director.

Elizabeth Taylor's electrifying performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The milkshake scene in There Will be Blood. Leonardo DiCaprio's turn as Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? What makes these performances so special? Eloquently written and engagingly laid out, Murray Pomerance answers the tough question as to what makes an exceptional, or virtuosic performance. Pomerance intensively explores virtuosic performance in film, ranging from classical works through to contemporary production, and gives serious consideration to structural problems of dramatization and production, actorial methods and tricks, and contingencies that befall performers giving stand-out moments. Looking at more than 40 aspects of the virtuosic act, and using an approach based in careful meditation and discursion, Virtuoso moves through such themes as showing off, effacement, self-consciousness, performative collapse, spontaneity, acting as dream, acting and femininity, virtuosity and torture, secrecy, improvisation, virtuosic silence, and others; giving special attention to the labors of such figures as Fred Astaire, Johnny Depp, Marlene Dietrich, Basil Rathbone, Christopher Plummer, Leonardo DiCaprio, Alice Brady, Ethel Waters, James Mason, and dozens more. Numerous scenic virtuosities are examined in depth, from films as far-ranging as Singin' in the Rain and The Bridge on the River Kwai, and My Man Godfrey. As the first book about virtuosity in film performance, Virtuoso offers exciting new angles from which to view film both classical and contemporary.

"The Student Actor Prepares" is a practical, interactive approach to a student actor's journey. Each chapter includes acting principles, their importance to the process, and workbook entries for emotional work, script analysis, and applications to the study of theater. Topics cover a brief history of the art of acting and how the study of acting can be an advantage in numerous occupations; an actor's discovery of emotional work; movement and mime practices for the actor; vocal practices for the actor; solo improvisational study; script analysis for the individual actor; rehearsal tips; monologue work; original solo work; audition information; working with an acting partner or in a production; acting resources; and research topics.

Creating Solo Performance is an innovative toolbox of exercises and challenges focused on providing you - the performer - with engaging and inspiring ways to explore and develop your idea both on the page and in the performance space. The creation of a solo show may be the most rewarding, liberating and stressful challenge you will take on in your career. This book acts as your silent collaborator as you develop your performance, by helpfully arranging exercises under the following headings: Beginnings Creating character Generating material Using your performance space Technology Endings Collaboration Exercises can be explored in sequence, at random or according to your specific needs and interests as a performer. By enabling you to create a bespoke formula that best applies to your specific subject, area of interest, style and discipline, this book will become an indispensable resource as you produce your solo show.