Why Acting Matters

Why Acting Matters PDF Author: David Thomson
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300213697
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 191

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Book Description
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.

Why Acting Matters

Why Acting Matters PDF Author: David Thomson
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300213697
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 191

Get Book Here

Book Description
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.

Acting That Matters

Acting That Matters PDF Author: Barry Pineo
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1621531007
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
An invaluable resource for anyone wanting his or her acting to matter, this groundbreaking guide defies most modern acting methods by rejecting emotion as an acting tool. With the advice in this book, actors will see beyond the prevailing "objective-obstacle" approach and look primarily to the text the playwright provides. Actors learn how to dissect a text for key words and phrases, as well as how to score a script, find proper tempo and rhythm, modulate volume and intensity, use theatrical stillness effectively, find beat actions, listen to their acting partners, and much more. Expert tips are also provided for auditioning, cold reading, and taking direction.

The Invisible Actor

The Invisible Actor PDF Author: Yoshi Oida
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1350148288
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 123

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Book Description
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.

Acting in Film

Acting in Film PDF Author: Michael Caine
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN: 1476842752
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
(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

The Method

The Method PDF Author: Isaac Butler
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1635574781
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 545

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Book Description
National Book Critics Circle Award Winner, Nonfiction NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2022 BY THE NEW YORKER, TIME MAGAZINE, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, VOX, SALON, LIT HUB, AND VANITY FAIR “Entertaining and illuminating.”--The New Yorker * “Compulsively readable.”--New York Times * “Delicious, humane, probing.”--Vulture * “The best and most important book about acting I've ever read.”--Nathan Lane The critically acclaimed cultural history of Method acting-an ebullient account of creative discovery and the birth of classic Hollywood. On stage and screen, we know a great performance when we see it. But how do actors draw from their bodies and minds to turn their selves into art? What is the craft of being an authentic fake? More than a century ago, amid tsarist Russia's crushing repression, one of the most talented actors ever, Konstantin Stanislavski, asked these very questions, reached deep into himself, and emerged with an answer. How his “system” remade itself into the Method and forever transformed American theater and film is an unlikely saga that has never before been fully told. Now, critic and theater director Isaac Butler chronicles the history of the Method in a narrative that transports readers from Moscow to New York to Los Angeles, from The Seagull to A Streetcar Named Desire to Raging Bull. He traces how a cohort of American mavericks--including Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg, and the storied Group Theatre--refashioned Stanislavski's ideas for a Depression-plagued nation that had yet to find its place as an artistic powerhouse. The Group's feuds and rivalries would, in turn, shape generations of actors who enabled Hollywood to become the global dream-factory it is today. Some of these performers the Method would uplift; others, it would destroy. Long after its midcentury heyday, the Method lives on as one of the most influential--and misunderstood--ideas in American culture. Studded with marquee names--from Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, and Elia Kazan, to James Baldwin, Ellen Burstyn, and Dustin Hoffman--The Method is a spirited history of ideas and a must-read for any fan of Broadway or American film.

How to Stop Acting

How to Stop Acting PDF Author: Harold Guskin
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 0571199992
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 209

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Book Description
Guskin is an "acting doctor" whose clients include Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, James Gandolfini, Bridget Fonda, and dozens more. Now Guskin reveals the insights and techniques that have worked wonders for beginners as well as stars.

Planning Matter

Planning Matter PDF Author: Robert A. Beauregard
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022629742X
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 263

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Book Description
City and regional planners talk constantly about the things of the world—from highway interchanges and retention ponds to zoning documents and conference rooms—yet most seem to have a poor understanding of the materiality of the world in which they’re immersed. Too often planners treat built forms, weather patterns, plants, animals, or regulatory technologies as passively awaiting commands rather than actively involved in the workings of cities and regions. In the ambitious and provocative Planning Matter, Robert A. Beauregard sets out to offer a new materialist perspective on planning practice that reveals the many ways in which the nonhuman things of the world mediate what planners say and do. Drawing on actor-network theory and science and technology studies, Beauregard lays out a framework that acknowledges the inevitable insufficiency of our representations of reality while also engaging more holistically with the world in all of its diversity—including human and nonhuman actors alike.

Acting as a Business, Fifth Edition

Acting as a Business, Fifth Edition PDF Author: Brian O'Neil
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0345807073
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
The essential handbook for actors—a modern classic—in a newly updated edition. Since its original publication, Acting as a Business has earned a reputation as an indispensable tool for working and aspiring actors. Avoiding the usual advice about persistence and luck, Brian O’Neil provides clear-cut guidelines that will give actors a solid knowledge of the business behind their art. It’s packed with practical information—on everything from what to say in a cover letter to where to stand when performing in an agent’s office—including: -- Tactics for getting an agent, including preparing for the interview -- How to research who will be casting what—and whether there is a role for you—well in advance -- Examples of correspondence to agents and casting directors for both beginning and advanced professionals -- A detailed analysis of the current trend of paying to meet industry personnel -- How to communicate effectively with an agent or personal manager -- Creative ways to use the internet and social media O’Neil has updated Acting as a Business to keep up with the latest show-business trends, making this fifth edition a reference no actor should be without

The Best Book on Acting

The Best Book on Acting PDF Author: Daniel Jordano
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781500107468
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
How to Become a Better Actor Instantly Without Killing Yourself with "The Method"! Discover the the psychological secrets of "The Life Acting System" If you are an actor, you've probably done your fair share of pointless exercises in classes: "Hold the imaginary teacup. Feel the warmth of the tea. Can you smell it? Can you smell it?" ...or you may have had your fill of "gurus" who may direct scenes, but don't give actors any understanding of how to get where they need to get--on their own! If you are not a trained actor, this book will help you to STOP THINKING and START DOING! It cuts through all the b.s., is mercifully short, but yet will help you get to the core questions that every actor should answer. Based on 50 plus years of psychological research, I make the case for what I call "Life Acting." A very simple, behavior-based approach that can be as effective with a toddler as it can be with a veteran wanting to go as deep as possible. That's why it's humbly titled "The Best Book on Acting." You wont be disappointed. You will become a better actor because 1. You won't be scraping your psyche with an internal focus to present something that has nothing to do with the material. 2. You won't be overly focused on emotion, (often pushing and unrealistic) but on the INTENT of the character. 3. You will be more focused, more colorful, more memorable and interesting because you know how to make crystal clear choices which lead to impacting the audience! 4. You won't be "in your head" in performance, trying to juggle the balls of technique, emotion and connection. You will be "doing"! 5. You will understand the crucial difference between Homework, Rehearsal, and Performance. This book might reboot your whole way of building a character. It will be faster, more precise and more interesting. The questions for Homework can be broken down to such a basic level that a small child can use them and be effective!

Playing the Mask

Playing the Mask PDF Author: John Wright
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781854595805
Category : Acting
Languages : en
Pages : 293

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Book Description
This book is a wonderfully accessible introduction to a fresh and innovative acting technique for actors, theatre-makers and teachers to use in training and rehearsal. A mask releases the actor to be playful, and playfulness generates ideas, finds meaning, develops characterisation - and is infinitely more fun than traditional training.Rather than a dry guide to making masked theatre, it is about, for instance, playing Lady Macbeth in Red Nose, or Hamlet in the mask of The Victim, The Ogre or The Fool, or even Romeo and Juliet in grotesque half-masks... All in the name of liberating your creativity and, ultimately, improving your performance.Extensively illustrated with a rich variety of masks, this inventive and pragmatic book is full of invaluable games and exercises drawn from the author's own workshops, his experience as co-founder of both Trestle and Told by an Idiot, and his pioneering mask and clown work in many professional productions.