2nd Edition

To the Actor On the Technique of Acting

Edited By Mala Powers, Michael Chekhov Copyright 2002
    288 Pages
    by Routledge

    286 Pages
    by Routledge

    How does an actor learn to:
    * Call up emotion?
    * Develop a character?
    * Strengthen awareness?
    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 It includes: a previously unpublished chapter on 'Psychological Gesture', translated into English by the celebrated director Andrei Malaev - Babel; a new biographical overview by Mala Powers; and a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.

    Chapter 1 The Actor's Body and Psychology; Chapter 2 Imagination and Incorporation of Images; Chapter 3 Improvisation and Ensemble; Chapter 4 The Atmosphere and Individual Feelings; Chapter 5 The Psychological Gesture; Chapter 6 Character and Characterization; Chapter 7 Creative Individuality; Chapter 8 Composition of the Performance; Chapter 9 Different Types Of Performances; Chapter 10 How to Approach the Part; Chapter 11 Concluding Notes; Chapter 12 Examples for Improvisation;

    Biography

    Michael Chekhov

    'Its greatest virtue is not so much that you can't put it down but that you have to put it down - in order to try it out.' - Research in Drama Education

    '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

    'There's this need to continue growth; to expand. For me, Chekhov's system is the most complete.' - Robert Davi, interviewed on the set of his TV series, 'The Profiler'