Allyn & Bacon

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Basic Acting: The Modular Process
Harrop Epstein, Professional Director & Actor Trainer, Los Angeles
John D. Harrop, Late, Professional Actor & Director, Los Angeles

ISBN-10: 0205183387
ISBN-13: 9780205183388

Publisher: Allyn & Bacon
Copyright: 1996
Format: Paper; 304 pp
Published: 12/08/1995

Suggested retail price: $76.60
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  • Basic Acting: The Modular Process not only introduces students to the exciting world of acting in a step-by-step and practical way, but also prepares students with the theme of the 21st Century: the "new multiculturalism." Epstein and Harrop have developed a systematic method of teaching acting which is "action-based." This pragmatic and flexible acting approach has been embraced by gay, African American, and feminist theatre.

Written by two noted actors, directors, and teachers, Basic Acting: The Modular Process is a prequel to Acting with Style, Second Edition, 1990, Allyn & Bacon. As a beginning text, the process is clear and very specific in theory and application. The authors have created a “MAP” or a series of interchangeable modules of action which has shaped the careers of such diverse actors as Harry Hamlin, Denzel Washington, Anna Deavere Smith, and Annette Bening. This text interrelates all that has been taught in the 20th century and focuses it on the 21st century — from Stanislavski, Brecht, and Spolin to Grotowski and Artaud. It also includes improvisation from Keith Johnstone; "theories of creativity" from Edward De Bono; physicalized psychology from Rudolf Laban; psychological reality from Stanislavski; and game theory from Viola Spolin. Epstein and Harrop ask students to prepare for the demands of the new multicultural dramaturgy of the 21st century by using this new methodology known as the Modular Acting Process.

  • Distinguished authorship: as two of the leading scholars of acting in the theatre, Harrop and Epstein bring their unique perspective to the future of acting.
  • Emphasizes a multicultural approach to acting.
  • First text to respond to the variegated nature of life today in which actors can act with different masks in different situations.
  • Comprehensive overview of the acting process is introduced in each chapter to give students a theoretical framework, thus combining theory and practice.
  • Extremely accessible text combines over 125 exercises which details how to progress from the first acting class to acting in a scene performance.
  • Only text to teach acting from the premise of action, body, mask, and from the assumption that culture encompasses gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
  • First text to break the acting process down into comprehensive and experiential units.
  • Demonstrates practical application of the process through example in Section III.
  • Section III is a combination of exercises to develop rehearsal technique and process.
  • Section IV focuses on MAP rehearsals, preparation, analysis of preparation, and scene analysis.
  • A wide array of pedagogy: learning objectives, case studies, worked problems, practical guidelines to use the MAP approach process in every chapter, and various experiential exercises.
  • Contains a list of suggested plays for scene study.
  • Only acting book which combines and processes the most workable and practical aspects of many different approaches and synthesizes them into one cogent process.
  • First acting text to train actors for the 21st Century.



Acknowledgments.


Prologue.


I. The Map.

On the Acting Process.

On the Map Process.

Notes to the Player.

Notes to the Trainer.



II. Map Modules.

Shaping the Action.

First Triad: Shaping Action Release Shape Flow

Playing the Action.

Second Triad: Playing Action Transformations Patterns Endowments

Structuring the Action.

Third Triad: Structuring Action Status Targets Hurdles

Performing the Action.

Fourth Triad: Performing Action

Masks Language Set Sequence



III. Map Classes.

Map Classes.

Session I: Flow Session II: Release Session III: Patterns Session IV: Transformations Session V: Balance Session VI: Status in Action Session VII: Scoring Session VIII: Bridging the Text Session IX: Monologue Text Session X: Approaching a Scene Session XI: Syncing Session XII: Style



IV. Map Rehearsals.

Map Rehearsals.

Preparation Analysis of Preparation Scene Analysis Rehearsals 1-5



Coda.


Guide to Exercises.


Some Suggested Plays for Scenes.

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Pearson Higher Education offers special pricing when you choose to package your text with other student resources. If you're interested in creating a cost-saving package for your students contact your Pearson Higher Education representative.


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