Böcker i Performance Books-serien

"He taught us to be artists" Steven Berkoff. Jacques Lecoq, one of the most inspirational theatre teachers of our age and founder of the International Theatre School, Paris shares his philosophy of performance, improvization, masks, movement and gesture.

How has the work and legacy of Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed been interpreted and practised around the world? What does it look like in different working contexts? This book provides an accessible introduction to the political and artistic principles Boal's techniques are founded on, tracking exemplary practice from around the globe.Using detailed contemporary case histories, theatre artist, scholar and activist Ali Campbell demonstrates how the underlying principles of Boal's practice are today enacted in the work of - among others - an urban network (Theatre of the Oppressed NYC); a rural and developmental theatre organisation (Jana Sanskriti, West Bengal); Boal's original company CTO Rio (Brazil); and a theatre-based group led by learning-disabled adults in the UK (The Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company). The book concludes with a series of conversations between Campbell and international exponents of the work, envisioning futures for the Theatre of the Oppressed in the shifting political, educational and artistic contexts of the twenty-first century.

Dance composition is an important part of dance education because it is the discipline that translates ideas into dances. Revised, redesigned and expanded, and now with a new DVD, this seminal book explores essential guidelines and thus contributes to a greater understanding of dance composition as a discipline.

A classic work for actors and students on understanding and playing Shakespeare. In the first half of the book, Barton attempts an objective analysis of how Shakespeare's text actually works; in the second half he concentrates on the more subjective areas such as irony and ambiguity, passion and coolness.

Drawing on examples from his clients' work and his own, Harold Guskin presents acting as a constantly evolving exploration rather than as a progression toward a fixed goal. He also offers sound and original advice on adapting to the particular demands of television and film.

"A selection of Brecht's principal writings for directors and theatre practitioners"--Page 4 of cover.

A thorough study of contemporary dramaturgical practices which draws on many examples from the work of leading theatre practitioners from the UK, Europe and North America. It maps the various ways in which a dramaturg may work in the theatre-making process and provides a theoretical framework to aid the reader in their own practice.

In this volume, Litz Pisk examines the emotional and psychological impulses that motivate an actor in their role on the stage. Her theory is illuminated by her comments on specific texts and the relationship between meaning and movement. It is also a practical manual for keeping the body fit.

Welfare State International, the Cumbrian theatre company, creates celebratory art and theatre, from carnivals, lantern processions and rites of passage, to flags, banners and pyrotechnics. This mixture of personal stories, instructions, poems and sketches is a practical guide to their production.

Amidst the turmoil of political revolution, the stage directors of twentieth-century Russia rewrote the rules of theatre making. From realism to the avant-garde, politics to postmodernism, and revolution to repression, these practitioners shaped perceptions of theatre direction across the world. This edited volume introduces students and practitioners alike to the innovations of Russia's directors, from Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vsevolod Meyerhold to Anatoly Efros, Oleg Efremov and Genrietta Ianovskaia. Strongly practical in its approach, Russian Theatre in Practice: The Director's Guide equips readers with an understanding of the varying approaches of each director, as well as the opportunity to participate and explore their ideas in practice. The full range of the director's role is covered, including work on text, rehearsal technique, space and proxemics, audience theory and characterization. Each chapter focuses on one director, exploring their historical context, and combining an examination of their directing theory and technique with practical exercises for use in classroom or rehearsal settings. Through their ground-breaking ideas and techniques, Russia's directors still demand our attention, and in this volume they come to life as a powerful resource for today's theatre makers.

This book offers a wealth of resources, critical overviews and detailed analysis of Ivo van Hove's internationally acclaimed work as the foremost director of theatre, opera and musicals in our time. Stunning production photos capture the power of van Hove's directorial vision, his innovative use of theatrical spaces, and the arresting stage images that have made his productions so popular among audiences worldwide over the last 30 years. Van Hove's own contribution to the book, which includes a foreword, interview and his director's notes for some of his most popular shows, makes this book a unique resource for students, scholars and for his fans across the different art forms in which he works. An informative introduction provides an overview of van Hove's unique approach to directing, while five sections, individually curated by experts in the respective fields of Shakespeare, classical theatre, modern theatre, opera, musicals, film, and international festival curatorship, offer readers a combination of critical insight and short excerpts by van Hove's collaborators, the actors in the ensemble companies van Hove works with in Amsterdam and New York, and by arts critics and reviewers.

A practical workbook on the creative process of acting and actor training from that blends two major approaches to actor training - the improvisational method, and the "Stanislavski System".

Yoshi Oida infuses his acting and directing with the artistry of Oriental traditions and a mastery of Western forms. In this study of the art of acting he shares his unique experience and range of expertise. An Actor's Tricks offers a meticulous scrutiny of the actor's preparation for performance.

Although already an accomplished artist, Vasili Toporkov was forced to retrain as an actor under Stanislavski's rigorous guidance. This is Toporkov's account of this learning process, offering an insight into Stanislavski's legendary "system".