Actor Training Reader

Mark Evans is Professor of Theatre Training and Associate Dean at Coventry University. He researches actor training and theatre education. He has published books on movement training for actors and on the work of Jacques Copeau, written several articles on theatre training, and is an Associate Editor for the Theatre, Dance and Performance Training journal published by Routledge.

• Introduction Mark Evans, Coventry University, UK.PrologueJacques Copeau: Rudlin, J. & Paul, N. (eds.) (1990) Copeau: Texts on TheatreKonstantin Stanislavsky: Stanislavski, C. (1980) My Life in ArtPurposeThe Purpose of Actor TrainingIan Watson, Rutgers University, USA.Extracts:Mike Alfreds: Alfreds, M. (2007) Different Every Night: Freeing the ActorEugenio Barba: Barba, E. (1979) The Floating IslandsAugusto Boal: Boal, A. (1995) The Rainbow of Desire: The Boal method of theatre and therapyMichael Chekhov: Chekhov, M. (1985) Lessons for the Professional ActorEdward Gordon Craig: Craig, E. G. (1983) Craig On TheatreJerzy Grotowski: Grotowski, J. (1997) 'Performer', in Schechner, R. & Wolford, L. (eds.) (1997) The Grotowski Sourcebook,Jacques Lecoq: Lecoq, J. (2000) The Moving Body: Teaching creative theatreYoshi Oida: Oida, Y. & Marshall, L. (1997) The Invisible ActorKonstantin Stanislavsky: Stanislavski, K. (2008) An Actor’s Work TechniqueTraining the Actor’s Voice and BodyJonathan Pitches, University of Leeds, UK.Extracts:Antonin Artaud: Artaud, A. (1970) The Theatre and its DoubleEugenio Barba: Barba, B. (1986) Beyond the Floating IslandsAugusto Boal: Boal, A. (2002) Games for Actors and Non-ActorsMoshe Feldenkrais: Feldenkrais, M. & Schechner, R. (1966) ‘Image, Movement, and Actor: Restoration of Potentiality - A discussion of the Feldenkrais Method and Acting, Self-Expression and the Theater’Dario Fo and Franca Rame: Fo, D. & Rame, F. (1983) Theatre Workshops at the Riverside StudiosJerzy Grotowski: Grotowski, J. (1969) Towards a Poor TheatreRudolf Laban: McCaw, D. (ed.) The Laban SourcebookJacques Lecoq: Lecoq, J. (2006) Theatre of movement and gestureKristin Linklater: Linklater, K. (1976) Freeing the Natural VoiceVsevolod Meyerhold: Bruan, E. (1969) Meyerhold on TheatreMichel Saint-Denis: Saint-Denis, M. (1982) Training for the TheatreTadashi Suzuki: Suzuki, T. (1986) The Way of Acting: The theatre writings of Tadashi SuzukiYevgeny Vakhtangov: Malaev-Babel, A. (ed.) (2011) The Vakhtangov SourcebookPhillip Zarrilli: Zarrilli, P. (2009) Psychophysical Acting: An Intercultural approach after StanislavskiCharacter and CompositionThe Self and the Fictive Other in Creation, Rehearsal and PerformanceBella Merlin, University of California, Riverside, USA.Extracts:Stella Adler: Adler, S. The Art of Acting (2000) Eugenio Barba: Barba, E. (2010) On Directing and Dramaturgy: Burning the HouseAnne Bogart and Tina Landau: Bogart, A. & Landau, T. (2005) The Viewpoints BookBertolt Brecht: Willett, J. (ed.) (1978) Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an AestheticMichael Chekhov: Chekhov, M. (2002) To The ActorDario Fo: Fo, D. (1991) The Tricks of the TradeJacques Lecoq: Lecoq, J. (2000) The Moving BodySanford Meisner: Meisner, S. & Longwell, D. (1987) Sanford Meisner on ActingOdin: Christoffersen, E. E. (1993) The Actor’s Way,Open Theatre: Pasolli, R. (1972) A book on the Open TheatreKonstantion Stanislavsky: Stanislavski, K. (2008) An Actor’s WorkPresencePresence, Physicality, Play and CommunionDick McCaw, Royal Holloway University, UK.Extracts:Peter Brook: Brook, P. (1993) There Are No Secrets: Thoughts on Acting and TheatreJoseph Chaikin: Chaikin, J. (1991) The Presence of the ActorJacques Copeau: Rudlin, J. & Paul, N. (eds.) (1990) Copeau: Texts on TheatrePhilippe Gaulier: Gaulier, P. (2006) The Tormentor: le jeu, light, theatreKeith Johnstone: Johnstone, K. (1981) Impro: Improvisation and the TheatreJacques Lecoq: Lecoq, J. (2006) Theatre of Movement and GestureJoan Littlewood: 'Working with Joan: Theatre Workshop actors talking to Tom Milne and Clive Goodwin' Ariane Mnouchkine: extracts from: Féral, J., Mnouchkine, A. & Husemoller, A. (1989) ‘Building up the Muscle: An Interview with Ariane Mnouchkine’Wlodzimierz Staniewski: Staniewski, W. with Hodge, A. (2004) Hidden Territories: the theatre of gardzieniceRuth Zaporah: Zaporah, R. (1995) Action Theater: The improvisation of presenceEpilogueYoshi Oida: Oida, Y. & Marshall, L. (1997) The Invisible ActorAfterword Mark Evans, Coventry University, UK

'There’s plenty here for any serious student needing to get to grips with the theory and would make an excellent accessible starting point for anyone hungry for information but as yet not quite ready for any single practitioner’s complete oeuvre.' - Susan Elkin, The Stage