
Exploring Character Through Structural Metaphor
A Guide for Actors and Directors
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 29. January 2024
Book
Hardback
92 pages
978-1-032-37605-9 (ISBN)
Description
Exploring Character Through Structural Metaphor will help performers discover new and valuable insights into the characters they play.
Grounded in a contemporary approach to understanding and applying the power of metaphor, it offers a practical guide for both actors and directors. This book introduces the idea of metaphor as a way of thinking rather than simply as clever comparison or figurative language. It demonstrates limitations of ways metaphor has traditionally been used in character development and presents a method for applying structural metaphor to discover rich, in-depth character insights. For directors, the model can serve as an option for guiding character analysis that is less individualistic and actor-specific and more wholistic and cast-inclusive, promoting stronger overall performance unity and production cohesion. In addition to offering a clear, followable guide for character analysis, the authors draw on personal experience to vividly demonstrate how applying this method for character analysis could impact performance and production.
This book will be a useful addition to an actor's or director's set of character development resources.
Grounded in a contemporary approach to understanding and applying the power of metaphor, it offers a practical guide for both actors and directors. This book introduces the idea of metaphor as a way of thinking rather than simply as clever comparison or figurative language. It demonstrates limitations of ways metaphor has traditionally been used in character development and presents a method for applying structural metaphor to discover rich, in-depth character insights. For directors, the model can serve as an option for guiding character analysis that is less individualistic and actor-specific and more wholistic and cast-inclusive, promoting stronger overall performance unity and production cohesion. In addition to offering a clear, followable guide for character analysis, the authors draw on personal experience to vividly demonstrate how applying this method for character analysis could impact performance and production.
This book will be a useful addition to an actor's or director's set of character development resources.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Academic and General
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 9 mm
Weight
268 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-37605-9 (9781032376059)
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
Additional editions

John Gribas | Angeline Underwood
Exploring Character Through Structural Metaphor
A Guide for Actors and Directors
Book
06/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€35.60
Shipment within 10-20 days

John Gribas | Angeline Underwood
Exploring Character Through Structural Metaphor
A Guide for Actors and Directors
E-Book
01/2024
1st Edition
Taylor & Francis
€31.49
Available for download

John Gribas | Angeline Underwood
Exploring Character Through Structural Metaphor
A Guide for Actors and Directors
E-Book
01/2024
1st Edition
Taylor & Francis
€31.49
Available for download
Persons
John Gribas is Professor and Associate Dean for Fine Arts and Humanities at Idaho State University, USA.
Angeline Underwood has decades of experience as an actor and director. She earned both an MA in Theatre and an MA in Communication from Idaho State University, USA.
Angeline Underwood has decades of experience as an actor and director. She earned both an MA in Theatre and an MA in Communication from Idaho State University, USA.
Content
Section I
About Metaphors
1. How we actually understand metaphor
2. Metaphor as a way of thinking
3. Structural metaphor
Section II
Mataphor as a tool for character analysis
4. Character analysis and limitations of ontological metaphor
5. Using structural metaphor for character analysis
Section III
Applying the method
6. How this might have worked for Angeline in The Zoo Story
7. How this worked for Angeline in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Index
About Metaphors
1. How we actually understand metaphor
2. Metaphor as a way of thinking
3. Structural metaphor
Section II
Mataphor as a tool for character analysis
4. Character analysis and limitations of ontological metaphor
5. Using structural metaphor for character analysis
Section III
Applying the method
6. How this might have worked for Angeline in The Zoo Story
7. How this worked for Angeline in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Index