Product Description

'A small jewel of a book, a knowledgeable introduction to both Stanislavski's personal development and to the content and range of his writings' Theatre Journal ' shows the System to be a practical process - drama school students and actors will be grateful for it' Times Educational Supplement 'A carefully documented study of peak interest and value to every serious student of acting theory' Choice The Stanislavski 'system' is still the only comprehensive method of actor training we possess. His theories can be hard to grasp and many academic books are impenetrable on the subject. This is a concise book for students that presents a readable introduction to the life and work of Stanislavski. It shows the slow growth of the 'system', from its roots in the tradition of Russian realism, to the various phases it went through until the final emergence of the Method of Physical Action in the years before his death. It also provides a short account of the writing, publication and translation of Stanislavski's books on acting. In this edition, Jean Benedetti makes several important updates in the light of new material and new translations becoming available.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #109253 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

About the Author
Jean Benedetti is a leading authority on Stanislavski. A former Principal of Rose Bruford College, his publications include, Stanislavski and the Actor, The Moscow Art Theatre Letters, Stanislavski A Life in Art, The Art of the Actor, and two new Stanislavski translations, An Actor's Work on Himself Parts 1 & 2, and My Life in Art.

Customer Reviews

Simple People and the Traffic Lights
What Benedetti actually does is to show the struggle of the artist Stanislavkii in exploring, investigating and creating a seed to post generations. Benedetti's opus is the most precise and reliable source of the life and work of Konstantin Stanislavskii. It betrays an incredible author's passion in searching for precise information onto Russian archives, journals, interviews and whatever concerns the life of the theatre practitioner. This book erases all the preconceptions about Stanislavskii's System of work and his life. Beneditti's book deserves as many translations as possible, for the sake of elucidating teachers, actors and students who still refer only to the triology 'An Actor Prepares', 'Building a Character' and 'Creating a Role' without being aware of the existence of a big volume such as 'The Work of the Actor on Himself'(which Benedetti comments by and large). Whereas Benedetti reports that Stanislavskii was impressed with the traffic lights in New York City (1992), it is feasable to state that this genius would be gratefull to the Benedetti's traffic lights clarifying us from a different corner than the North America 'The Method'. Thank you, Jean. Your opus belongs to the theatre history as one serious account or, as if you prefer, a bright traffic light.