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.

Adolphe Appia swept away the foundations of traditional theatre and set the agenda for the development of theatrical practice this century. In Adolphe Appia: Texts on Theatre, Richard Beacham brings together for the first time selections from all his major writings. The publication of these essays, many of which have long been unavailable in English, represents a significant addition to our understanding of the development of theatrical art. It will be an invaluable sourcebook for theatre students and welcomed as an important contribution to the literature of the modern stage.

Voice: Onstage and Off is a comprehensive guide to the process of building, mastering, and fine-tuning the voice for performance. Every aspect of vocal work is covered, from the initial speech impulse and the creation of sound, right through to refining the final product in different types of performance. This highly adaptable course of study empowers performers of all levels to combine and evolve their onstage and offstage voices.

The gap between theory and practice in rehearsal is wide. many actors and directors apply theories without fully understanding them, and most accounts of rehearsal techniques fail to put the methods in context.
Systems of Rehearsal is the first systematic appraisal of the three principal paradigms in which virtually all theatre work is conducted today - those developed by Stanislavsky, Brecht and Grotowski. The author compares each system ot the work of the contemporary director who, says Mitter, is the Great Imitator of each of them: Peter Brook. The result is the most comprehensive introduction to modern theatre available.

eBook available with sample pages: 020313169X

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.

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.

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.

If, as an actor, your body is your 'instrument' - and the only way you can express the internal impulses of the character you're playing - what happens when the body-mind, 'psychophysical' connection is lost? Andrei Droznin, Russia's foremost teacher of physical actor training, calls this loss the 'desomatization' of the human body, and argues that these connections urgently need to be restored for full expressivity. This is a genuinely unique book which links theory to practice by a man who has worked at the very top of Russian theatre; a movement specialist who has taught at the Moscow Art Theatre as well as drama schools all over the world. Beautifully translated by Natasha Fedorova, this volume will excite and inspire a new generation of English-language readers.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. -- .

(Applause Acting Series). It is virtually impossible to discuss modern acting or actor training without first mentioning the Russian thoerist and director Konstantin Stanislavsky. Complete in one volume, Mel Gordon explores the actor training systems of Stanislavsky and his two most important disciples, Evgeni Vakhtangov and Michael Chekhov, tracing the major teachings and refinements over the first 50 years of use by actors. Gordon reconstructs the actual exercises taught at the Moscow Art Theatre and various Russian acting studios, and he clears away the myths and confusion about the practical use of Stanislavsky's System. This volume contains: The Stanislavsky System First Studio Exercises 1912-1916; Vakhtangov as Rebel and Theoretician Exercises 1919-1921; Michael Chekhov Exercises 1919-1952; and Stanislavsky's Fourth Period Theory of Physical Actions, 1934-1938.

This is a unique anthology of monologues specifically suited to the competitive situation of auditioning for plays and contests. Includes an introduction to the actor with helpful suggestions for selection of monologues as well as audition tips and a resource appendix.

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.

This is a comprehensive workbook for actors, covering the key characteristics and profiles of a wide range of African accents of English. Its unique approach not only addresses the methods and processes by which to go about learning an accent, but also looks in detail at each example. This lets the reader plot their own route through the learning process and tailor not only their working methods but also their own personal idiolect. Full breakdowns of each accent cover: an introduction giving a brief history of the accent, its ethnic background, and its language of origin preparatory warm-up exercises specific to each accent a directory of research materials including documentaries, plays, films and online resources key characteristics such as melody, stress, pace and pitch descriptions of physical articulation in the tongue, lips, jaw, palate and pharynx practice sentences, phoneme tables and worksheets for solo study. African Accents is accompanied by a website at www.routledge.com/cw/mcguire with an extensive online database of audio samples for each accent. The book and audio resources guide actors to develop their own authentic accents, rather than simply to mimic native speakers. This process allows the actor to personalize an accent, and to integrate it into the creation of character rather than to play the accent on top of character.

A 'fast-forward' acting course covering all the essential techniques an actor needs to know and use - with a suite of exercises to put each technique into practice. John Abbott's The Acting Book offers various ways to analyse a text and to create character, using not only the established processes of Stanislavsky and Meisner, but also new ones developed by the author over many years of teaching drama students. It also sets out a wide range of rehearsal techniques and improvisations, and it brims over with inventive practical exercises designed to stimulate the actor's imagination and build confidence. The book will be invaluable to student actors as an accompaniment to their training, to established actors who wish to refresh their technique, and to drama teachers at every level. 'Abbott knows what he's talking about and has a gift for expressing himself in straightforward, clutter-free language' The Stage on Improvisation in Rehearsal

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. -- .

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.