Acting is Believing, A Basic Method (Fourth Edition)

Arts & Photography

McGaw, Charles

Performing Arts

HOLT. RINEHART AND WINSTON

Appropriate for any course in which students learn the basic principles of stage performance and acting, the seventh edition of this classic text builds on the strengths of the previous editions. Drawing on a wide range of dramatic materials, the author uses the Stanislavski method of acting as unifying concept in the book.

Acting Is Believing a Basic Method Edition

International Thomson Publishing

Emphasizing that "an actor must believe to make his audience believe," ACTING IS BELIEVING remains one of the classic texts in the field of acting. Charles McGaw's and Larry D. Clark's earlier editions influenced generations of actors, and the book has been completely updated by Kenneth Stilson with the hope of inspiring today's future professionals. The Ninth Edition has an expanded theoretical grounding, while providing numerous new and revised exercises to help today's acting student apply the key concepts of a Stanislavski-based training program as interpreted through the eyes of twenty-first century artists.

Acting is Believing

Stilson, Kenneth L.

Clark, Larry D.

Humor & Entertainment

Wadsworth Publishing

Did you know that "an actor must believe to make his audience believe?" This is the key concept behind ACTING IS BELIEVING. Authors Charles McGaw and Larry D. Clark have influenced thousands of actors, and Kenneth Stilson's update which includes new exercises and updated scripts bring modern relevance to the text. Inside, you'll learn the Stanislavski method and how to perfect using it, along with hundreds of other tips to help you be the flawless actor you are meant to be.

Cengage Learning'

Acting Is Believing

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Did you know that "an actor must believe to make his audience believe?" This is the key concept behind ACTING IS BELIEVING. Authors Charles McGaw and Larry D. Clark have influenced thousands of actors, and this Twelfth Edition has been completely updated by Kenneth Stilson to inspire today's future acting professionals. New exercises keep the content current and relevant. You'll learn the Stanislavski System and how to perfect using it, and benefit from hundreds of other tips that help you become the flawless actor you are meant to be. The final chapter, "Getting the Job," will help you find a job in the acting industry by discussing the latest approaches to auditioning and marketing.

Clark, Larry

Stilson, Kenneth

Although the materials in this book are organized in such a way as to make them practical for classroom use, they are intended for any reader who is interested in a basic approach to the art of acting; and though the book has been written with the stage actor in mind, the methods described may be used as well by the actor in any other field. The basic approach to acting is the same for the proscenium stage, theatre-in-the-round, motion pictures, television, and radio. The differences lie in the differing technical adjustments required by these various mediums. The approach here presented is based, to a considerable extent, on the methods of Stanislavski. The borrowings have been recognized throughout, and the debt to Stanislavski and to certain of his followers is gratefully acknowledged. In no sense, however, does the book pretend to be an interpretation of the Stanislavski “system.” It attempts only to draw upon some aspects of the system which have proved to be practical in helping beginning actors to develop an effective technique for bringing a character into existence on the stage. In some instances the vocabulary of Stanislavski's translators has been employed. Other terms have been used wherever they seemed to have greater clarity. Stanislavski's influence has been admittedly great, but the extent of that influence on the modern theatre is difficult to determine. It would seem that his principal contribution consists, not in his having originated a “system,” but rather in his detailed analysis and careful setting down of the attitudes and techniques which have been used more or less consciously by fine actors in all periods of theatrical history. Such knowledge as one can obtain of the working methods of great actors of the past indicates that they have always made imaginative use of their own experiences and that they have always striven for truth and a sense of reality in their performances. Furthermore, a study of all of the writings of Stanislavski gives ample evidence of his awareness that an actor's characterization must be theatrically effective as well as truthfully conceived. This book is based upon the following assumptions: 1), Although genius in acting may be a quality that defies analysis, the art as it is generally practiced consists of certain basic skills that may be mastered to some degree by anyone who sincerely wants to do so. 2) Mastery of those skills is much harder and more demanding work than most would-be actors realize. 3) The aspiring actor must recognize that, although rehearsals and performances before an audience are vitally important to his growth, he must also develop his skills through individual practice and effort. Only in this way can he succeed in his aim of becoming a creative artist. Part I, The Actor and Himself, is intended to help the young actor to develop himself individually. Part II, The Actor and the Play, is intended to help the actor to use his individual creative skills to express the meaning of the play as it has been conceived by the dramatist. Part III, The Actor and the Production, is designed to help the actor in his relations with the director and to aid him in making the necessary adjustments to the technical elements of a theatrical production. The exercises throughout have been taken directly from modern and classic plays so that the actor may always understand the applicability of the theory he is attempting to put into practice.

Acting Is Believing: A Basic Method For Beginners

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

2014 Reprint of 1955 First Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition. Not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. This teacher-author's method of suggesting exercises and projects for the actor provides a definite and practical procedure of working. His use of examples from fine plays illustrates his convictions, and the quotations from many talented theatre workers reinforce and illuminate in a helpful way his theme. Before publication of this book, the only available exposition of the Stanislavski method was Stanislavski's own-admittedly complex and often diffuse in its presentations. McGaw draws upon aspects of this method which have proven to be practical in helping beginning actors to develop an effective technique for bringing character to life on the state. The book is a successful blending of technique and theory, and includes exercise material, illustrations on stage directions and a complete glossary of theatrical terms. Reprinted many times, this is a reprint of the original edition as first published in 1955.

Computers & Technology

Programming

Martino Fine Books

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