Training of the American Actor

325 Pages·2006·1.77 MB·English

by  Arthur Bartow

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TRAINING OF
THE AMERICAN ACTOR
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TRAINING OF
THE AMERICAN ACTOR
Edited by Arthur Bartow
theatre communications group
new york
2006
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Training of the American Actor is copyright © 2006 by Arthur Bartow
Each chapter is under copyright by the individual author
The Preface and Introduction are copyright © 2006 by Arthur Bartow
Training of the American Actor is published by Theatre Communications Group,
Inc., 520 Eighth Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10018-4156
All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine,
radio or television reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or
by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publisher. All rights including, but not limited to, professional, amateur,
recording, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and televi-
sion broadcasting, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are expressly
reserved. Particular emphasis is placed on the question of readings and all uses of
this book by educational institutions, permission for which must be secured from
the publisher.
Epigraphs (p. vii): Hume Cronyn, as quoted in “Hume Cronyn, Compelling Actor
of Stage and Screen, Dies at 91,” Marilyn Berger, New York Times, Obituaries,
June 16, 2003; Emile Zola, as quoted from “Naturalism in the Theatre,” Albert
Bermel, trans., in The Theory of the Modern Stage,Eric Bentley, ed., Applause
Theatre Books, New York, 2000.
Excerpt from American Beautycourtesy of Paramount Pictures. American Beauty
©by Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.
This publication is made possible in partwith public funds from the New York
State Council on the Arts, a State Agency.
TCG books are exclusively distributed to the book trade by Consortium Book
Sales and Distribution.
libraryof congress cataloging-in-publication data
Training of the American actor /
edited by Arthur Bartow.— 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
eISBN 978-1-55936-619-9
1. Method (Acting) I. Bartow,Arthur.
PN2062.T73 2006
792.02’8—dc22
2006007809
Art and cover design by John H Howard
Text design and composition by Lisa Govan
First Edition, September 2006
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T
othe friends and colleagues who agreed to contribute these chap-
ters about their lifework on the faith that they would be published,
in gratitude for their profound dedication to passing on these tech-
niques to future generations of actors:
Robert Bella
Per Brahe
Fritz Ertl
Victoria Hart
Tom Oppenheim
Mary Overlie
Carol Rosenfeld
Louis Scheeder
Anna Strasberg
Stephen Wangh
To TCG and Terry Nemeth for publishing these ideas.
To the person who encourages me, Judith.
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The actor’s technique is that personal
and veryprivate means by which
you get the best out of yourself.
—hume cronyn
There is a logical succession to the formulas,
to methods of thought and expression.
Thus, arttakes the same strides as humanity.
—emile zola
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CONTENTS
Preface
xi
Acknowledgments
xiii
Introduction
xv
strasberg’s method and the ascendancy of american acting
Louis Scheeder
3
lee strasberg technique
Anna Strasberg
17
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stella adler technique
Tom Oppenheim
29
meisner technique: teaching the work of sanford meisner
Victoria Hart
51
beyond michael chekhov technique:
continuing the exploration through the mask
Per Brahe
97
uta hagen’s technique
Carol Rosenfeld
127
acting with the wisdom of our bodies:
aphysical approach to acting inspired by jerzy grotowski
Stephen Wangh
169
the six viewpoints
Mary Overlie
187
practical aesthetics: an overview
Robert Bella
223
interdisciplinary training: directing for actors
Fritz Ertl
251
neo-classical training
Louis Scheeder
269
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