The Actor at Work
9th Edition
Published on 3. June 2004
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-0-205-41850-3 (ISBN)
Description
For more than thirty years, the highly acclaimed The Actor at Work has offered readers 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 readers uncover and develop the actors within themselves, as it encourages self-discovery through participatory activities and exercises.
More details
Edition
9th edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Pearson Education (US)
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 155 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
490 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-205-41850-3 (9780205418503)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Robert Benedetti
Actor at Work, The
Book
02/2008
10th Edition
Pearson
€202.36
Article not available for order
Previous edition
Robert Benedetti
The Actor at Work
Book
05/2001
8th Edition
Pearson
€62.15
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Content
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.
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.