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Working with Actors: Meisner Technique for Directors and Actors
by Stephen BaylyWorking with Actors provides the key to unlocking the honest, dynamic performance every actor has within them. It offers a well-articulated formulation of the Meisner Technique easy for directors and actors to use within a working context.Through setting out an accessible training programme for practitioners working across stage and screen, this book establishes a clear-cut route to building a three-dimensional character in an organic, non-intellectual fashion, based squarely on the character's objectives.Few books in this field venture out of the training studio, while in this book - alongside offering an intense and concentrated Meisner training programme - the focus is more on the 'pay-off': the collaborative act of developing the role and how that plays out in rehearsal and performance.Beyond that, the books uniquely offers:> a new modality for script reading, analysis and rehearsal through which the character is born in relation to other characters;> a prioritisation of the key skills for coming alive in the moment – listening and putting one's attention wholly on the other character/actor;> a historical perspective on how Meisner's methods have evolved and why they provide the basis of truthful acting;> for directors, a format for analysis of the complete work based on Stanislavskian principles;> for actors, complementary methods, such as Uta Hagen's 'endowment', to enhance the 'reality of doing'
Working with Children in Contemporary Performance: Ethics, Agency and Affect
by Sarah AustinThis book outlines how an innovative ‘rights-based’ model of contemporary performance practice can be used when working with children and young people.This model, framed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), challenges the idea of children as vulnerable and in need of protection, argues for the recognition of the child’s voice, and champions the creativity of children in performance. Sarah Austin draws on rich research and practitioner experience to analyse Youth Arts pedagogies, inclusive theatre practice, models of participation, the symbolic potential of the child in performance, and the work of contemporary theatre practitioners making work with children for adult audiences. The combined practical and written research reflected in this book offers a new, nuanced understanding of children as cultural agents, raising the prospect of a creative process that foregrounds deeper considerations of the strengths and capacities of children.This book would primarily appeal to scholars of theatre and performance studies, specifically those working in the field of applied theatre and theatre for children and young people. Additionally, the practice-based elements of the book are likely to appeal to theatre professionals working in youth arts or theatre for young audiences or associated fields.
Working with Children in Contemporary Performance: Ethics, Agency and Affect
by Sarah AustinThis book outlines how an innovative ‘rights-based’ model of contemporary performance practice can be used when working with children and young people.This model, framed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), challenges the idea of children as vulnerable and in need of protection, argues for the recognition of the child’s voice, and champions the creativity of children in performance. Sarah Austin draws on rich research and practitioner experience to analyse Youth Arts pedagogies, inclusive theatre practice, models of participation, the symbolic potential of the child in performance, and the work of contemporary theatre practitioners making work with children for adult audiences. The combined practical and written research reflected in this book offers a new, nuanced understanding of children as cultural agents, raising the prospect of a creative process that foregrounds deeper considerations of the strengths and capacities of children.This book would primarily appeal to scholars of theatre and performance studies, specifically those working in the field of applied theatre and theatre for children and young people. Additionally, the practice-based elements of the book are likely to appeal to theatre professionals working in youth arts or theatre for young audiences or associated fields.
Writing Choreography: Textualities of and beyond Dance
by Leena Rouhiainen Kirsi Heimonen Rebecca Hilton Chrysa ParkinsonA new contribution to studies in choreography, Writing Choreography: Textualities of and beyond Dance focuses upon language and writing-based approaches to choreographing from the perspectives of artists and researchers active in the Nordic and Oceanic contexts.Through the contributions of 15 dance–artists, choreographers, dramaturges, writers, interdisciplinary artists and artist–researchers, the volume highlights diverse textual choreographic processes and outcomes arguing for their relevance to present-day practices of expanded choreography. The anthology introduces some Western trends related to utilizing writing, text and language in choreographic processes. In its focus on art-making processes, it likewise offers insight into how performance can be transcribed into writing, how practices of writing choreograph and how choreography can be a process of writing with. Readers, such as dancers, choreographers, students in higher education of these fields as well as researchers in choreography, gain understanding about different experimental forms of writing forwarded by diverse choreographers and how writing is the motional organisation of images, signs, words and texts. The volume presents a new strand in expanded choreography and acts as inspiration for its continued evolution that engenders new adaptations between language, writing and choreography.Ideal for students, scholars and researchers of choreography and dance studies.
Writing Choreography: Textualities of and beyond Dance
by Leena Rouhiainen Kirsi Heimonen Rebecca Hilton Chrysa ParkinsonA new contribution to studies in choreography, Writing Choreography: Textualities of and beyond Dance focuses upon language and writing-based approaches to choreographing from the perspectives of artists and researchers active in the Nordic and Oceanic contexts.Through the contributions of 15 dance–artists, choreographers, dramaturges, writers, interdisciplinary artists and artist–researchers, the volume highlights diverse textual choreographic processes and outcomes arguing for their relevance to present-day practices of expanded choreography. The anthology introduces some Western trends related to utilizing writing, text and language in choreographic processes. In its focus on art-making processes, it likewise offers insight into how performance can be transcribed into writing, how practices of writing choreograph and how choreography can be a process of writing with. Readers, such as dancers, choreographers, students in higher education of these fields as well as researchers in choreography, gain understanding about different experimental forms of writing forwarded by diverse choreographers and how writing is the motional organisation of images, signs, words and texts. The volume presents a new strand in expanded choreography and acts as inspiration for its continued evolution that engenders new adaptations between language, writing and choreography.Ideal for students, scholars and researchers of choreography and dance studies.
Xueqin and Xakespeare: Reading The Story of the Stone through Hamlet (Routledge Studies in Comparative Literature)
by Judith ForsythThis monograph offers a detailed consideration of the five-volume novel written by Cao Xueqin and translated into English as The Story of the Stone, when read through William Shakespeare’s drama Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, A Tragedy in Five Acts. The book builds on the superlative David Hawkes/John Minford English language translation, which is inspired by resonances between the English Shakespearean literary heritage and the dynasties-old Chinese literary tradition inherited by Cao Xueqin. The Introduction sets out the potential for the significant cultural exchange between these two great literary works, each an inexhaustible inspiration of artistic and scholarly re-interpretation. Two chapters bring into consideration two universal literary themes: patriarchy – filial obedience and family honour, and tragic romantic love. These chapters are structured so that a key episode in Hamlet provides the initial perspective, which is then carried through to an episode in The Story of the Stone which offers points of complementarity: in-depth interpretation draws on inter-textual, historical and contemporary contexts referenced from the immense body of scholarly research which has accumulated around these iconic works. The third chapter proposes a new reading of the problematic ‘shrew’ character in the novel, Wang Xi-feng, through tracing the similarities of the structure of the narration of her life and death with a Shakespearean five-act tragedy.
Xueqin and Xakespeare: Reading The Story of the Stone through Hamlet (Routledge Studies in Comparative Literature)
by Judith ForsythThis monograph offers a detailed consideration of the five-volume novel written by Cao Xueqin and translated into English as The Story of the Stone, when read through William Shakespeare’s drama Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, A Tragedy in Five Acts. The book builds on the superlative David Hawkes/John Minford English language translation, which is inspired by resonances between the English Shakespearean literary heritage and the dynasties-old Chinese literary tradition inherited by Cao Xueqin. The Introduction sets out the potential for the significant cultural exchange between these two great literary works, each an inexhaustible inspiration of artistic and scholarly re-interpretation. Two chapters bring into consideration two universal literary themes: patriarchy – filial obedience and family honour, and tragic romantic love. These chapters are structured so that a key episode in Hamlet provides the initial perspective, which is then carried through to an episode in The Story of the Stone which offers points of complementarity: in-depth interpretation draws on inter-textual, historical and contemporary contexts referenced from the immense body of scholarly research which has accumulated around these iconic works. The third chapter proposes a new reading of the problematic ‘shrew’ character in the novel, Wang Xi-feng, through tracing the similarities of the structure of the narration of her life and death with a Shakespearean five-act tragedy.
Yankee Doodle Dandy: George M. Cohan and the Broadway Stage (Broadway Legacies)
by Elizabeth T. CraftPlaywright, composer, actor, director, and producer George M. Cohan looms large in musical theater legend. Remembered today for classic tunes like "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Give My Regards to Broadway," he has been called "the father of musical comedy," and his statue stands in the heart of the New York theater district. Cohan's early twentieth-century shows and songs captured the spirit of an era when staggering social change gave new urgency to efforts to define Americanism. He was an Irish American who had the audacity to represent himself as the Yankee Doodle emblem of the nation, a vaudevillian who had the nerve to unapologetically climb the ranks and package his lower-brow style as Broadway. In Yankee Doodle Dandy, the first book on Cohan in fifty years, author Elizabeth T. Craft situates Cohan as a central figure of his day. Examining his multifaceted contributions and the various sociocultural identities he came to embody, Craft shows how Cohan and his works indelibly shaped the American cultural landscape. Informative and engaging, this book offers rich reading for Broadway musical aficionados as well as scholars of musical theater and American cultural history.
YOU ARE GOING TO DIE and THIS IS NOT CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT (Modern Plays)
by Adam Scott-RowleyExistential Figure silently screams. Everything is wiped clean.The fabric of reality starts to fall apart.Grieving Figure finds themself on a hillside.Eyes staring back from the darkness.A dual edition of actor, writer and theatre practitioner Adam Scott-Rowley's most impactful works to date.Performed entirely naked, YOU ARE GOING TO DIE is a nail-biting descent into existential anxiety as humanity stares down the proverbial toilet. A surreal meditation on annihilation that rests on the knife edge between physical theatre and performance art. Ideograms and archetypal forms offer a shared purge illuminating the darkest corners of the human psyche while revealing compassion and humour in the most unlikely of places.THIS IS NOT CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT is a brutally intense and darkly comic piece that unveils the bizarre, compulsive and eccentric nature of humanity. Thunderous and fiercely grotesque, this piece utilises Adam Scott-Rowley's practice of The Sensitised Theatre to create a sharp political comment on contemporary society.This edition was published to coincide with YOU ARE GOING TO DIE playing at Southwark Playhouse, London, in April 2024 produced by The Production Exchange.
You Wouldnt Want To Be Married To Henry Viii!
by Fiona Macdonald David AntramDivorced, beheaded, and died. Divorced, beheaded, survived! Uncover the secret lives of Henry VIII's ill-fated wives and what life was like as a Tudor queen. Henry VIII has asked for your hand in marriage, but marrying the King was no easy option. Henry VIII was a powerful, ruthless leader, with a track history of beheadings, adultery and scandal. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Tudor court, this book explores Henry and his many wives - what went right, what went wrong, and what ultimately became of them all. With information on the church's break with Rome and the roles of key figures, such as Wolsey and Cranmer, this treacherous guide is the perfect curriculum companion to the Tudor period. The ever-popular You Wouldn't Want to Be series transports readers to the grisliest times and places in history, perfect for reluctant readers. The first-person narrative approach puts children in the shoes of some of the most unfortunate people ever to have lived.
Zwischen Provinz und Staatstheater: Die Institution des Stadttheaters am Beispiel der Augsburger Bühne zwischen 1877 und 2018 (Theater #167)
by Christine Holl-EnzlerBühnen unter der Trägerschaft einer Stadt bilden die überwiegende Grundlage der Theaterstätten im deutschsprachigen Raum. Am Beispiel des Theaters in Augsburg widmet sich Christine Holl-Enzler erstmals einer umfassenden Erörterung der Institution des Stadttheaters. Gleichzeitig geht sie der Frage nach, ob das Stadttheater als Provinzbühne verstanden wird und nimmt außerdem dessen kulturelle Bedeutung für die Stadtgesellschaft in den Blick. Durch das spezielle Verständnis, das Theater als Institution zu begreifen, bieten sich neue Erkenntnisse für Bühnen in der Provinz, denen der Sprung in den Rang eines Staatstheaters gelingen kann.
Giving Voice: The Power of Theatre for Positive Change (ISSN)
by Carol J. MaplesThis book is a practical guide for using the power of theatre to address issues of oppression in areas such as race, ethnicity, LGBTQ+, gender, and sexual harassment.Giving Voice charts a roadmap for the process of establishing a troupe, including auditioning members, utilizing authentic source material, directing rehearsals, guiding mindful growth among troupe members, and facilitating an inclusive forum environment. Rooted in Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Opressed and using the nationally recognized Missouri State University’s Giving Voice troupe as a model, this book provides guidance for customizing the program’s principles to meet the needs of your school, community, organization, or business. Giving Voice forums bring professional development to a new level. Applications include diversity and cultural awareness training in educational settings for students, staff, faculty, and administrators, as well as those in non-profit and for-profit organizations.This book provides a powerful and proven approach to creating a truly inclusive climate. It is a guidebook for accessible use in the secondary and university setting in theatre and performance studies. It has also been shown to be effective for businesses and other organizations.
Giving Voice: The Power of Theatre for Positive Change (ISSN)
by Carol J. MaplesThis book is a practical guide for using the power of theatre to address issues of oppression in areas such as race, ethnicity, LGBTQ+, gender, and sexual harassment.Giving Voice charts a roadmap for the process of establishing a troupe, including auditioning members, utilizing authentic source material, directing rehearsals, guiding mindful growth among troupe members, and facilitating an inclusive forum environment. Rooted in Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Opressed and using the nationally recognized Missouri State University’s Giving Voice troupe as a model, this book provides guidance for customizing the program’s principles to meet the needs of your school, community, organization, or business. Giving Voice forums bring professional development to a new level. Applications include diversity and cultural awareness training in educational settings for students, staff, faculty, and administrators, as well as those in non-profit and for-profit organizations.This book provides a powerful and proven approach to creating a truly inclusive climate. It is a guidebook for accessible use in the secondary and university setting in theatre and performance studies. It has also been shown to be effective for businesses and other organizations.
Girl Culture in the Middle Ages and Renaissance: Performance and Pedagogy
by Deanne WilliamsDeanne Williams offers the very first study of the medieval and early modern girl actor. Whereas previous histories of the actress begin with the Restoration, this book demonstrates that the girl is actually a well-documented category of performer and a key participant in the drama of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It explores evidence of the girl actor in archival records of payment, eyewitness accounts, stage directions, paintings, and in the plays and masques that were explicitly composed for girls, and, in some cases, by them.Contradicting previous scholarly assumptions about the early modern stage as male-dominated, this evidence reveals girls' participation in medieval religious drama, Tudor civic pageants and royal entries, Elizabethan country house entertainments, and Stuart court and household masques. This book situates its historical study of the girl actor within the wider contexts of 'girl culture', including girls as singers, translators and authors. By examining the impact of the girl actor on constructions of girlhood in the work of Shakespeare – whose girl characters register and evoke the power of the performing girl – Girl Culture in the Middle Ages and Renaissance argues that girls' dramatic, musical and literary performances actively shaped medieval and early modern culture. It shows how the active presence and participation of girls shaped medieval and Renaissance culture, and it reveals how some of its best-known literary and dramatic texts address, represent, and reflect upon girl children, not as an imagined ideal, but as a lived reality.