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The Actor at Work, 9/E
Robert Benedetti, California Institute of the Arts

ISBN-10: 0205418503
ISBN-13: 9780205418503

Publisher: Allyn & Bacon
Copyright: 2005
Format: Cloth; 256 pp
Published: 03/19/2004

Suggested retail price: $95.60
Not available for purchase at this time.

The Actor at Work is the standard in its field, consistently providing students with a comprehensive yet simple look into the techniques and demands of acting.

For more than thirty years, the highly acclaimed The Actor at Work has offered students a thorough look at the underlying principles of the acting process. Centered on the concept of action, The Actor at Work covers all the major skills of the actor, including voice, speech, movement, analysis and role-playing. Using many ideas from contemporary psychology and various physical and spiritual disciplines, this text helps students uncover and develop the actors within themselves, as it encourages self-discovery through participatory activities and exercises.

  • Combines Stanislavski's “Method” with techniques drawn from contemporary psychology to teach students a broad range of approaches to the acting process.
  • Stresses the sense of purpose, personal discipline, and the ethics of acting.
  • Introduces the basics of acting for the camera, an area of growing interest to students today.
  • Contains an appendix of sample scenes that can be used as exercise material for students and an appendix of useful plays for students' further reading and practice.
  • Divides speech and voice material into two distinct chapters to provide additional focus on each of these important topics.

  • Contains a new Glossary of Acting Terms that explains the terms introduced in the text, as well as many other common terms used in stage and film acting.
  • A new Chapter 22 on blocking provides a comprehensive view of the techniques of staging and the demands of various performance environments from the actor's point of view.
  • Includes a sample scene from Luis Valdez's “Zoot Suit” to give students a simple and appropriate text from which to guide their learning (Appendix).
  • Integrates new and improved exercises to encourage students' personal growth and guide them toward self-discovery.

All chapters conclude with “Summary.”

List of Exercises.


Preface to the Ninth Edition

I. PREPARING YOURSELF.

1. The Actor in You.

The Skills of the Actor.

Observation

Acting and Your Personal Growth.

Discipline.

2. The Creative State.

Tension and Excessive Effort.

Restful Alertness.

Experiencing Wholeness.

Relaxation.

The Here and Now.

3. Centering and Moving.

Your Relationship to Gravity.

The Pure Center and the Voice.

The Actor's Use of Center.

Grounding.

Your Changing Relationship to Gravity.

Phrasing Movement.

4. Gesture.

Communication through Gesture.

The Genesis of Gesture.

Implied Gestures in the Text.

5. Voice.

The Voice and Emotion.

The Source of the Voice.

The Cycle of Energy.

Tone Production.

The Voice and Inner Dynamic.

The Voice and Attitude.

Using Your Own Voice.

6. Speech.

The Process of Speech.

Nasal Sounds.

Oral Sounds: Vowels and Diphthongs.

Oral Sounds: Consonants.

Projection.

Speech, Context, and Character.

Further Training of Body and Voice.

7. Working with Others.

The Bodily Center and Relationship.

Commitment, Support, and Communication.

Transaction and Teamwork.

II. ACTION.

8. The Flow and Shape of Dramatic Action.

Action and Reaction: The Life of the Scene.

The Shape of Drama.

Drama and Conflict.

9. Action for the Actor.

Action According to Stanislavski.

Action in Life.

Internal and External Action.

Believability.

Indicating.

10. Action and the Acting Process.

Public Solitude.

Dual Consciousness.

Action and Emotion.

Action and Character.

Personalization and the Magic If.

The Acting Process.

11. Needs, Actions and Objectives.

Wants and Needs.

Actions and Objectives.

Defining Productive Objectives.

Connecting Action with Others.

Spontaneity.

12. Playable Actions.

Defining Playable Actions.

Units of Action.

The Given Circumstances.

13. Beats and Scenes.

Analyzing Beats.

Scene Structure.

The Score of the Role

14. Through-Line and Superobjective.

The Superobjective.

III. CHARACTER.

15. The Function and Elements of Character.

Dramatic Function.

Functional and Likeness Traits.

Categories of Character Traits.

Physical Traits.

Social Traits.

Psychological Traits.

Moral Traits.

Economy of Characterization.

A Character Checklist.

16. The Character's Mind.

The Instroke of Reaction.

Choice.

Automatic Actions.

Direct and Indirect Action.

Not Doing: Suppression.

17. The Character's Language.

Word Choice: Text and Subtext.

Rhythm.

Melody.

Imagery.

18. The Character's Body.

Personality in the Body.

The Character's Center.

The Flow of Bodily Energy.

Physique and Personality.

Body Alignment and Character.

19. The Character's Emotion.

From Action to Emotion: Working from the Outside In.

From Thought to Emotion: Working from the Inside Out.

Emotional Recall and Substitution.

The Role of Emotion in Performance.

IV. THE WORKING PROCESS.

20. Finding the Content.

General Auditions.

Specific Auditions.

Preparation and Homework.

Early Read-Throughs.

Getting Up and Off Book.

Exploring the Action.

Establishing the Score.

21. Developing the Form: Scale and Blocking.

Getting Up and Off Book

The Stage.

Directions on Stage.

The Scale of Performance.

The Groundplan and Setting.

Blocking.

Justifying the Blocking.

22. The Rehearsal Process III: Preparing to Open.

Shaping and Pacing the Performance.

Making Final Adjustments.

Technical and Dress Rehearsals.

Growth after Opening.

23. The Actor at Work.

Supporting Each Other.

Free and Open Communication.

You and Your Director.

The Fear of Failure.

The Desire for Success.

Your Sense of Purpose.

Afterword: Transformation.

Appendix A: Sample Scenes.

Cheers.

Zoot Suit.

Appendix B: Useful Plays.

Appendix C: An Action Checklist.

Bibliography.

Notes.

Glossary of Acting Terms.

Index.

    The Actor at Work presents experiential exercises designed to help students develop a complete understanding of the physical, vocal, analytical, and ethical aspects of acting.

    For more than thirty years, Robert Benedetti's highly acclaimed The Actor at Work has offered students a thorough focus on the underlying principles of the acting process.

  • 0205318886The Actor at Work, 8/E
    Benedetti
    © 2001 | Allyn & Bacon | Cloth; 256 pages | Instock
    ISBN-10: 0205318886 | ISBN-13: 9780205318889
    Brief Description

    This edition marks the 40th Anniversary of this classic and comprehensive introduction to acting. With this new edition, Benedetti continues to provide students with wide-ranging insight into the techniques and demands of acting today. Centered on the concept of action, The Actor at Work covers all the major skills of the actor, including voice, speech, movement, analysis and role-playing. Using many ideas from contemporary psychology and various physical and spiritual disciplines, this text helps students uncover and develop the actors within themselves, as it encourages self-discovery through participatory activities and exercises.

  • 0205542077The Actor at Work, 10/E
    Benedetti
    © 2009 | Allyn & Bacon | Cloth; 224 pages | Instock
    ISBN-10: 0205542077 | ISBN-13: 9780205542079
    Brief Description | Buy from myPearsonStore

Reviewer Praise for Benedetti's The Actor at Work

“As I have been going over this text again and again attempting to make some sort of meager offering to make it better, I have fallen in love with this text all over again.”
Rick D. Anderson, Kirkwood Community College

“I feel that Robert Benedetti's book is an excellent overview of all principles required for the beginning actor.”
William Gelber, Texas Tech University

“I have always considered Benedetti's textbook to be an excellent resource for any teacher of acting.”
Lori Horvik, North Dakota State University

“This is a book with the potential to transform the novice actor.”
Matt Tomlanovich, Southern Methodist University

“Benedetti's language is just sophisticated enough to make the subject matter feel important and yet it's not so complex or abstract that it becomes tiresome or overwhelming.”

“I think it is the best text on the market for non-majors that manages to be sophisticated enough for majors.”
Rebecca Hilliker, University of Wyoming

“Benedetti's exercises are challenging and fun, and don't ask more from the student than they are comfortable doing.”
Nancy Silva, American River College

“In my opinion The Actor at Work remains the best acting text on the market. Having examined numerous other acting texts, I continue to be amazed at the clarity, substance, and quality of Benedetti's text.”
George Sorensen, Texas Tech University

“The exercises are terrific and support the text very well. I am amazed at how quickly my students respond to the exercises and 'catch on' to the intent.”
William Hutson, Creighton University

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