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Acting: An Introduction to the Art and Craft of Playing
Paul Kassel, State University of New York - New Paltz

ISBN-10: 0205440029
ISBN-13: 9780205440023

Publisher: Allyn & Bacon
Copyright: 2007
Format: Cloth; 224 pp
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Suggested retail price: $63.00
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Acting: An Introduction to the Art and Craft of Playing discusses both the theory and practice of acting while placing the actor center stage as the crucial artist in the theatre.

 

This text examines the underlying issues of acting and describes potential approaches to meet these challenges.  Practical, experiential examples of applying the vocabulary are provided, but the book is not overloaded with exercises. The text identifies and clearly states the four fundamental actions and four basic tasks that form the basis for acting, focusing the student's energy for playing physically, vocally, imaginatively, and emotionally.  Topically organized chapters examine the underlying processes and theories of the acting process through an open and descriptive approach and provide clear and concrete exercises to facilitate student development and understanding. 

  • Provides a descriptive rather than prescriptive approach to the acting process, helping students develop and explore their understanding.
  • Features two intermissions, “The Theatrical Illusion” and “An Actor’s Warm-Up,” at the conclusion of Part One, providing a theoretical and practical summary that prepares students for working on the stage.
  • Includes practical, experiential exercises throughout to facilitate student’s development of skills and understanding of how the acting process works.
  • Provides analytical tools such as outlines for text analysis, structural analysis (play and scene structure) and character analysis to help students feel empowered to make their own choices regarding how, with what kind of material, and with whom they may work.
  • Examines the role of emotion in the acting process, offering an effective and concrete discussion of how to utilize natural feelings that may arise in the process and the controversies surrounding some common ideas in the field.
  • Contains references to Web-based and traditional text resources throughout the book to support and expand upon the ideas and exercises in each chapter and to help students further explore each topic.

Index of Exercises

 

Preface to the Teacher/Coach

            Acknowledgments

 

Preface to Student Players

            Two Terms to Consider

 

I. PREPARATION FOR PLAYING

1. Acting and Performing

Who We Are and How We Function

            Acting and Performing

            Art and Theater

            Acting

The Practice of Practice

Improvisation

2. The Creative Environment

            Commitment

            Risk

            Breath

3. Ki: Energy for Playing

            The Four Ki-Posts

            Intention

II. THE TOOLS FOR PLAYING

            Workouts and Warm-ups

4. Body: The Actor’s First Tool

Human Motion

            The Body at Play

            Fitness

            Yoga

            Laban Movement

5. Voice: The Actor’s Second Tool

Origin of Human Speech

            Developing Your Voice

            The Active Voice

            Breathing

            Sounding

            Vocal Range

            Articulating

6. Imagination: The Actor’s Third Tool

The Nature of Imagination

            The Active Imagination

            Using the Imagination

            As If…

7. Feelings: The Actor’s Fourth Tool

The Nature of Feelings

            Sensations

            Emotions

            Feeling Exercises

            Cooling Down

8. The Names of Action

Acting Is Doing

            The Fundamental Actions

 

Intermission #1: The Theatrical Illusion

 

            The Willingness to Believe

            Theatrical Illusion of Time

 

Intermission #2:  A Warm-up

III. PLAYING

9. The Basic Tasks

            The Basic Tasks

            Relationships

            Status

            Sample Open Scene 

10. Playing in Plays

            From Impulse to Text

            The Play (text)

Dramatic Structure

            Conventions

Realism

Play Analysis

Scene Analysis

Analyzing Text

            The Promptscript

11. Playing Character

            Character

            Character Analysis

12. Playing the Field

Stage Technique

            Four Questions for the Space

            The Impulse to Move

            Seven Guidelines for Playing the Field

            Playing the Proscenium Field

            Planes

            Crosses

            Body Positions

Costumes, Lights, and Sound

            Costume

            Light

            Sound

13. You the Player, You the Artist

The Rehearsal Process

            Read-throughs

            Homework

            Rehearsing

            Run-throughs

            Tech

            Opening Night

Playing Well with Others

            The Student-Teacher Relationship

            The Actor-Director Relationship

Curtain Call–The Spirit of Play

            Presence

            Postscript

Appendix

Action List (Push, Pull, Hold, Release–from and to)

Task List (Attract, Repel, Sustain, Free)

Sample Entrance Lines

Sample Exit Lines

 

Selected Bibliography

 

            Acting

            Movement

            Voice

            Theory and Analysis

            Background

 

Index

 

Acting: An Introduction to the Art and Craft of Playing discusses both the theory and practice of acting while placing the actor center stage as the crucial artist in the theatre.

 

This text examines the underlying issues of acting and describes potential approaches to meet these challenges.  Practical, experiential examples of applying the vocabulary are provided, but the book is not overloaded with exercises. The text identifies and clearly states the four fundamental actions and four basic tasks that form the basis for acting, focusing the student's energy for playing physically, vocally, imaginatively, and emotionally.  Topically organized chapters examine the underlying processes and theories of the acting process through an open and descriptive approach and provide clear and concrete exercises to facilitate student development and understanding.

 

Features

 

  • Provides a descriptive rather than prescriptive approach to the acting process, helping students develop and explore their understanding.

 

  • Features two intermissions, “The Theatrical Illusion” and “A Warm-up,” at the conclusion of Part Two, providing a theoretical and practical summary that prepares students for working on the stage.

 

  • Includes practical, experiential exercises throughout to facilitate students’ development of skills and understanding of how the acting process works.

 

  • Provides analytical tools–such as outlines for text analysis, structural analysis (play and scene structure), and character analysis–to help students feel empowered to make their own choices regarding how, with what kind of material, and with whom they may work.

 

  • Examines the role of emotion in the acting process, providing an effective and concrete discussion of how to utilize natural feelings that may arise in the process and of the controversies surrounding some common ideas in the field.

 

  • Includes references to Web-based and traditional text resources throughout the book to support and expand on the ideas and exercises in each chapter and to help students further explore each topic.

 

 

Praise for Acting

 

Clearly, this writer is crafted and knows the “work.” Beautifully realized, and extremely useable. . . .

 

–George Maguire, Solano Community College

 

 

I like how simple, readable, and friendly the author seems. . . . So many acting books seem to draw attention to the author or system of learning. This text puts the emphasis on acting and performers.

 

–Marc Powers, University of South Florida

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