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Practice & Practitioners

Games for Actors and Non-Actors

Augusto Boal

'Boal's analysis of the art of the Actor makes Games for Actors and Non-Actors compulsory reading.' - Plays and Players

 'This is a useful handbook for those who want to explore Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed and as such is greatly to be welcomed. Boal's work deserves and demands emulation.' - Theatre Research International

Games for Actors and Non-Actors is the classic and best-selling book by the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, Augusto Boal. It sets out the principles and practice of Boal's revolutionary method,
showing how theatre can be used to transform and liberate everyone — actors and non-actors alike! This thoroughly updated and substantially revised second edition includes:

August 2002: 246x174: 336pp: illus. 23 b+w photographs Hb: 0-415-26761-7: Pb: 0-415-26708-0:

Legislative Theatre

Using Performance to Make Politics

Augusto Boal, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Legislative Theatre is an attempt to use Boal's method of 'Forum Theatre' within a political system to create a truer form of democracy. It is an extraordinary experiment in the potential of theatre to affect social change. This book includes:

1998: 246x189: 272pp: illus. 3 line figures Hb: 0-415.18240-9: Pb: 0-415-18241-7:

Hamlet and the Baker's Son

My Life in Theatre and Politics

Augusto Boal

Hamlet and the Baker's Son is the autobiography of Augusto Boal, inventor of the internationally renowned Forum Theatre system, the 'Theatre of the Oppressed' and author of Games for Actors and Non-Actors
and Legislative Theatre.

From his early days in Brazil's political theatre movement to his recent experiments with theatre as a democratic political process, Boal's story is a moving and memorable one. He has devised a unique way of using the stage to empower the disempowered, and has taken his methods everywhere from the favelas of Rio to the rehearsal studios of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

2001: 234x156: 384pp Hb: 0-415-22988-X: Pb: 0-415-22989-8:

Playing Boal

Theatre, Therapy and Activism

Edited by Mady Schutzman and Jan Cohen-Cruz

1993: 256pp Hb: 0-415-08607-8: £70.00 Pb: 0-415-08608-6: eB: 0-203-41971-5:

The Rainbow of Desire

The Boal Method of Theatre and Therapy

Augusto Boal - translated by Adrian Jackson

1994: 216x138: 224pp Pb: 0-415-10349-5:

Hidden Territories

The Theatre of Gardzienice

Wlodzimierz Staniewski with Alison Hodge

'Under the inspired leadership of Wlodzimierz Staniewski ... the Gardzienice group ... are, in my view, one of the few essential theatre companies working anywhere in the world today.' - Susan Sontag

'One of the world's premiere experimental theatre companies' - Richard Scheduler, New York

Wlodzimierz Staniewski's Gardzienice Theatre has established an unparalleled reputation for a sensual and complex performance aesthetic. The work is inspired by the expressive traditions of indigenous culture and the musicality of the natural environment. This is the first full-length articulation by Staniewski himself of his director's philosophy and rigorous practice. In this magnificent book and remarkable accompanying CD-ROM, Staniewski, with editor Alison Hodge, gives a fascinating insight into his company's principles and techniques. The CD-ROM provides:


This publication is a landmark for the documentation and appreciation of contemporary performance. It will be an exciting addition to any theatre-lover's bookshelf.

For full contents, sample chapter and CD-ROM video stills, visit: www.artsarena.com/artsarena/books/performance/gardzienice.asp

November 2003: 216x138: I60pp: illus. 29 b+w Photographs CD-ROM includes 68 minute video

Hb and CD.ROM: 0-415-26297-6:
Pb and CD-ROM: 0-415-26298-4:

Dodin and the Maly Drama Theatre

Process to Performance

Maria Shevtsova, Goldsmiths College, London, UK

'A moving and inspiring account ... I can think of no more important book for the theatre at the beginning of this uncertain century' - From Simon Callow's Foreword
This is the first full-length study of internationally-acclaimed theatre company, the Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg, and its director, Lev Dodin. Shevtsova illuminates Dodin's directorial processes and the company's actor training, devising and rehearsal methods, interweaving detailed analysis of the Maly's main productions. She demonstrates the far-reaching impact of Dodin's work, and gives unparalleled access to the company's practice. Including a foreword by Simon Callow, Dodin and the Maly Drama Theatre provides both a valuable methodological model for actor training and a unique insight into the journeys taken from studio to stage.

February 2004: 234x156: 256pp Hb: 0-415-33461-6: Pb: 0-415-33462-4:

The Intercultural Performance Handbook

John Martin

The Intercultural Performance Handbook opens up a new world of technique for performers. The first ever full-length, fully illustrated manual for practitioners, it provides:

John Martin explains the definition and development of intercultural performance from the perspective of an experienced practitioner. He provides exercises, practical advice and a clear training process for the inquiring actor or director. This book is a process of discovery, carefully written so as to develop understanding and move towards empowerment for the adventurous theatre-maker.

October 2003: 246x 174: 168pp Hb: 0-415-28187-3: Pb: 0-415-28188-1:

Acting

The First Six Lessons

Richard Boleslaysky

'Profound and to the point. Both beginners and established actors who take their work seriously will find stimulation in this book.' - Sir Alec Guinness

This classic work on acting is one of the very few that stands beside Stanislaysky as a must have for all acting students and professionals. Richard Boleslaysky's Acting: The First Six Lessons is a treasure-box of wise observation about the art of acting, all wrapped up in six charming dialogues between a teacher and a student. Generations of actors have been enriched by Boleslaysky's witty and acute picture of the actor's craft. These six 'lessons' - miniature dramas about concentration and memory of emotion – distill the challenge facing every actor. For this reissue the text has been entirely reset and the book jacketed in a contemporary design. An essential work on the short shelf of any acting student.

April 2003: 234x156: 134pp Hb: 0-87830-000-7:

 

Secrets of Screen Acting

Patrick Tucker

Updated for a new decade of screen performance possibilities, Secrets of Screen Acting is a magician's box of acting tricks for today's performer. Containing over fifty acting exercises, this book leads the reader step-by-step through the elements of effective screen acting.
November 2003: 234x156: 256pp: illus. 57 line drawings and 26 photographs
Pb: 0-87830-177-1:

 

Dreamwork for Actors

Janet Sonenberg, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

Working with a Jungian analyst, Janet Sonenberg has re-interpreted the ancient practice of 'incubating dreams'; in this technique, the actor seeds the dream with materials of the play and then uses the
resulting dream. Acting calls upon inner powers and perceptions, but most of all it calls upon the actor's imagination. This revolutionary book offers an entirely new technique for exploring the imagination. Drawing upon her experience as actor and director, Sonenberg shows what dreamwork can do. The result is a new tool with which actors can explore their psyches and enrich their performances.

May 2003: 216x 138: 160pp Hb: 0-87830-165-8: Pb: 0-87830-166-6:

 

Corsets and Crinolines

Norah Waugh

Corsets and Crinolines is a study of the changing shapes of women's dress and how these were produced, how simple laced bodices became corsets of cane, whale-bone and steel, while padding at shoulders and hips gave way to the structures of farthingales, hoops and bustles. Added are contemporary tailors and dressmakers accounts, illustrations, index, a glossary of terms and materials, appendices on the repair and manufacture of corsets and crinolines.

January 2004: 276x213: 176pp Pb: 0-87830526-2:

 

39 Microlectures

In Proximity of Performance

Matthew Goulish, Collaborative Member of Goat Island Performance Group and School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA

39 Microlectures: In Proximity of Performance is a collection of miniature stories, parables, musings and thinkpieces on the nature of reading, writing, art, collaboration, performance, life, death, the universe and everything.

2000: 216x172: 224pp Hb: 0-415-21392-4: Pb: 0-415-21393-2: e3: 0-203-13733-7:

To the Actor

Michael Chekhov and edited by Mala Powers

'To the Actor is by far the best book that I have read on the subject of acting. Actors, directors, writers and critics will be grateful for it.' - Gregory Peck

'You have to teach yourself to act but Michael Chekhov will give you the necessary tools - and for me, Psychological Gesture and Centers are extremely valuable. They work like a charm. I've used them all along and still do.' - Clint Eastwood

How does an actor learn to:

These are essential techniques for every actor, and Michael Chekhov's classic work To the Actor explains, clearly and concisely, how to develop them. Chekhov's simple and practical method - successfully used by professional actors all over the world - trains the actor's imagination and body to fulfil its potential. This handbook for actors (and directors) has been revised and expanded by Mala Powers. It includes: a previously unpublished chapter on 'Psychological Gesture', translated into English by the celebrated director Andrei Malaev; Babel, a new biographical overview by Mala Powers; and a foreword by Simon Callow.

May 2002: 234x156: 288pp: illus. 20 line drawings Hb: 0-415-25875-8: Pb: 0-415-25876-6:

The Actor's Way

Erik Exe Christoffersen

1993: 234x156: 240pp: illus. 40 b/w photographs Hb: 0-415-08795-3: Pb: 0.415-087961:

Actors on Guard

A Practical Guide for the Use of the Rapier and Dagger for Stage and Screen

Dale Anthony Girard

2002: 246x189: 4SOpp: illus. 271 b+w illustrations Hb: 0-87830-057-0: Pb: 0-87830-058-9:

American Dialects

A Manual for Actors, Directors, and Writers

Lewis Herman and Marguerite Shalett Herman

1997: 234x156: 320pp Pb: 0-87830-049-X:

At Work with Grotowski on Physical Actions

Thomas Richards

With a Preface and the Essay 'From the Theatre Company to Art as Vehicle' by Jerzy Grotowski

1995: 216x138: 152pp Hb: 0-415-12491-3: Pb: 0-415-12492-1: Eb: 0-203-36023-0:

Audition Success

An Olympic Sports Psychologist Teaches Performing Artists How to Win

Don Greene, Juilliard School of Music, USA

Audition Success presents a groundbreaking method that has already made Greene one of the US' leading trainers. Using real life examples from the careers of two performers, Audition Success will help performers understand what prevents them from nailing an audition and give them the tools to reach their goals.

2001: 198x138: 160pp Pb: 0-87830-121-6: Published in collaboration with in/VA

The Bodies That Were Not Ours

and Other Writings

Coco Fusco, Columbia University, USA

The Bodies That Were Not Ours is an exhilarating collection of writings by an unique artist. Coco Fusco's volume is a vibrant and original sketchbook of essays, journalism, scripts, interviews, and images. They focus on what the political history of colonialism means for Fusco herself and other artists who share this legacy.

2001: 246x174: 284pp: illus. 30 b+w photographs and 12 page colour insert Hb: 0-415-25173-7: Pb: 0-415-25174-5:

Collaborative Theatre

Le Theatre du Soleil

Edited by David Williams

1999: 234x156: 280pp: illus. 10 b+w photographs Hb: 0-415-08605-1: Pb: 0-415-08606-X:

Body Voice Imagination

A Training for the Actor

David Zinder, Tel Aviv University, Israel

Drawing upon the proven methods of David Zinder's workshops and acting classes, Body Voice Imagination teaches a set of skills that enable the actor to be ready to perform at his or her highest level of creativity. Organized with a practitioners' theoretical and aesthetic concerns in mind, the exercises in this volume build on the link between technique and inspiration, providing a practical overview of Zinder's 'Logic of Training' that lends from the bases of physical awareness, to advanced non-vocal and vocal imagery improvisations, to the fundamentals of the Chekhov school of acting.

October 2002: 234x156: 256pp: illus. 34 b+w photographs Hb: 0-87830-150-X: Pb: 0-87830-151-8:

Certain Fragments

Texts and Writings on Performance

Tim Etchells, Forced Entertainment Theatre Company, UK

Certain Fragments is an extraordinary exploration of what lies at the heart of contemporary theatre. Written by the artistic director of Forced Entertainment, acknowledged to be 'Britain's most brilliant experimental theatre company' (The Guardian), Certain Fragments investigates the processes of creating performance, the role of writing in an interdisciplinary theatre, and the influence of the city on contemporary art practice.

2000: 234x156: 232pp: illus. 53 b+w photographs Hb: 0-415-17382-5: Pb: 0-415-17383-3: Eb: 0-203-44963-0:

Commedia Dell'Arte - A Handbook for Troupes

John Rudlin, Centre Selavy, France and Olly Crick, Herefordshire College of Art and
Design, UK

A companion to John Rudlin's best-selling Commedia dell'Arte: A Handbook for Actors, this book covers both the history and professional practice of commedia dell'arte companies from 1568 to the present day. Indispensable for both the beginner and the professional, it contains historical and contemporary company case histories, details on company organisation, and tips on practical stagecraft.

2001: 234x156: 272pp Hb: 0-415-20408-9: Pb: 0-415-20409-7: eB: 0-203-18173-5:

A Director Prepares

Seven Essays on Art and Theatre

Anne Bogart, Columbia University, USA

A Director Prepares is a thought-provoking examination of the challenges of making theatre. In it, Anne Bogart speaks candidly and with wisdom of the courage required to create 'art with great presence'. Each chapter tackles one of the seven major areas Bogart has identified as both potential partner and potential obstacle to art-making: Violence, Memory, Terror, Eroticism, Stereotype, Embarrassment, and Resistance.

2001: 197x126: 168pp Hb: 0-415-23831-5: Pb: 0-415-23832-3: Eb: 0-203-16554-3:

Commedia Dell'Arte: An Actor's Handbook

John Rudlin

1994: 234x156: 296pp: illus. 25 b+w photographs Pb: 0-415-04770-6: eB: 0-203-40819-5:

Dangerous Border Crossers

The Artist Talks Back

Guillermo Gomez-Pena, Performance Artist, San Francisco, USA

'A cross between Oscar Wilde and Lenny Bruce, witty and gritty and brilliant, Gomez-Pena stretches language to the breaking point, coining words and code shifting at will. Anyone interested in contemporary performance theory should read this book. For the rest of us, it is a cultural roller-coaster ride with decidedly satirical seat belts.' - Publishers Weekly

2000: 246x174: 304pp: illus. 41 b+w photographs
Hb: 0-415-18236-0: Pb: 0-415-18237-9: Eb: 0-203-36068-0:

Devising Theatre

A Practical and Theoretical Handbook

Alison Oddey
1996: 234x156: 272pp: illus. 18 b+w photographs Pb: 0-415-04900-8:

Directors in Rehearsal

A Hidden World

Susan Cole

1992: 246x174: 352pp Pb: 0-87830-019-8:

Feminist Theatre Practice: A Handbook

Elaine Aston

1999: 216x138: 232pp Hb: 0-415-13924-4: Pb: 0-415-13925-2:

How to Direct a Musical

David Young

1995: 216x138: 200pp Hb: 0-87830-052-X:

New Playwriting Strategies

A Language-Based Approach to Playwriting

Paul C. Castagno, University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, USA

'Revolutionary in its consideration of technique, approach and product, this new text on the art of writing for the theatre is densely packed with a revised poetics for a growing generation of writers.' - Neil Eckersley, Manchester on Stage

2001: 227x150: 192pp Hb: 0-87830-135-6: Pb: 0-87830-136-4:

Performance Success

Performing Your Best Under Pressure

Don Greene, Juilliard School of Music, USA

Performance anxiety is taboo. The pressures of performing music are so intense, so daunting, that few in the business dare even broach the topic. This book will put your nerves at rest with advice on the best techniques for performing well in any environment.


January 2002: 228x152: 160pp Pb: 0-87830-122-4:

Playing Bit Parts in Shakespeare

M.M. Mahood

1998: 216x138: 296pp Pb: 0-415-18242-5: eB: 0-203-04928-4:

Pronouncing Shakespeare's Words

A Guide from A to Zounds

Dale Coye, College of New Jersey, USA

More than just a simple pronouncing dictionary, this guide looks at scansion, displays alternative pronunciations in different centuries and geographical areas, and provides a simple pronunciation guide requiring no knowledge of lexicographic symbols.

November 2002: 234x156: 352pp Pb: 0-415-94182-2:

Screen Acting

Edited by Alan Lovell and Peter Kramer

1999: 234x156: 200pp Hb: 0-415-18293-X: Pb: 0-415-18294-8:

Secrets of Acting Shakespeare

Patrick Tucker

2001: 216x138: 224pp Hb: 0-87830-148-8: Pb: 0-87830-095-3:

Stanislavski in Rehearsal

The Final Years

Vasily Osipovich Toporkov

1998: 234x156: 224pp Pb: 0-87830-091-0:

The Singing and Acting Handbook

Games and Exercises for the Performer

Thomas de Mallet Burgess, Cincinnati University, USA and Nicholas Skilbeck, Musical Director of Cats, Cameron Mackintosh Company, UK

'At last! A book for anyone interested in integrating acting and singing for all musical styles. Practical and imaginative ideas and exercises which are also fun. An enormous help for both the performer and teacher.' - Mary Hammond, West End vocal coach and Head of Musical Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music

Using games, exercises and discussion, The Singing and Acting Handbook takes a stimulating approach to the demands made upon today's performers, and will equip both the experienced professional and the student to take full advantage of rehearsal and performance. With advice on approaches to learning music, interpreting scores and building characters, it provides a long-awaited innovative resource for performers, directors, workshop leaders and teachers.

1999: 246x174: 224pp Hb: 0-415-16657-8: Pb: 0-415-16658-6:

Speech for the Stage

Evangeline Machlin

1993: 234x156: 248pp: illus. 5 b+w photographs and 6 line drawings Pb: 0-87830-015-5:

Stanislavski On Opera

Constantin Stanislavski and Pavel Rumyantsev Translated by Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood

1987: 234x156: 374pp: illus. 15 b+w photographs, 3 line drawings, and 12 musical examples Pb: 0-87830-552-1:

Stanislavski's Legacy

Konstantin Stanislavski

1987: 234x156: 209pp Pb: 0-87830-127-5:

Street Theatre and Other Outdoor Performance

Bim Mason

1992: 216x138: 232pp: illus. 19 b+w photographs Pb: 0-415-07050-3:

A Year With the Producers

Jeffry Denman, Actor, USA

In this delightful book based on his almost daily notes, Jeffry Denman tells the story of a year in one performer's life, from his job in the final days of Cats to a small but promising part in the Mel Brooks smash. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft, Susan Stroman, Gary Beach, and Roger Bart are all here in Jeffry Denman's story.

March 2002: 216x138: 192pp: illus. 20 b+w photographs Pb: 0-87830-154-2: