Product Description

Here for the first time, the theories, training exercises and productions of fourteen directors are analyzed in one volume; with each analysis by a leading expert. This book is invaluable for students, academics, practitioners and teachers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #78198 in Books
• Published on: 1999-12-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Review
'A uniquely valuable introduction to the life, principles, and practices of fourteen of the most important figures in twentieth century actor training.' - Phillip Zarilli, Director, actor trainer and actor

From the Back Cover
Actor training is arguably the most unique phenomenon of twentieth century theatre making. Here, for the first time, the theories, training exercises, and productions of fourteen of the centurys key theatre practitioners are analysed in a single volume.
The practitioners included are
Stella Adler
Eugenio Barba

Bertolt Brecht
Peter Brook

Joseph Chaikin
Michael Chekhov

Jacques Copeau
Jerzy Grotowski

Joan Littlewood
Sanford Meisner

Vsevelod Meyerhold
Wlodzimierz Staniewski

Konstantin Stanislavsky
Lee Strasberg

Each chapter provides a unique account of specific training exercises and an analysis of their relationship to the practitioners theoretical and aesthetic concerns.
With detailed accounts of the principles, exercises and their application to many of the landmark productions of the past hundered years, this book will be invaluable to students, teachers, practitioners and academics alike.

About the Author
Clive Barker, Sharon M. Carnicke, Franc Chamberlain, Alison Hodge, Dorinda Hulton, David Krasner, Robert Leach, Lorna Marshall, John Rudlin, Peter Thomson, Ian Watson, David Williams, Lisa Wolford

Customer Reviews

The best introduction to actor training in a single volume!
In 'Twentieth Century Actor Training' Alison Hodge manages to draw together the different methods of fourteen of this century's greatest theatre practitioners, from Stanislavski to Wlodzimierz Staniewski. This book is a must for all students of theatre studies or any other performance related studies. The book comprises of fourteen chapters, all by different authors. Each chapter is broken down into three basic sections, a potted history of the life of each practitioner, a breakdown of the key elements that they used in actor training, including many examples, and finally a history of how these principles were used in performance. The text is divided into manageable sections with several photographs of historical productions some helping to explain and demonstrate the method in practice (such as Meyerhold's 'biomechanics'). Considering the content and breadth of this book I consider it extremely good value and well worth adding to the bookcase of anybody who is interested in this 'unique phenomenon'.