Tackling Text [and subtext]: A Step-by-Step Guide for Actors

by Barbara Houseman

Overview

This is an intensely practical handbook for students, actors, and teachers on how to cope with text, character, and situation. Barbara Houseman’s method is to state a precept and devise an exercise to explore it. The result is a book with a practical exercise on almost every page.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781854597991
Publisher:	Theatre Communications Group
Publication date:	09/01/2008
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Barbara Houseman has more than 25 years experience in the theatre. In 1991 she joined the voice department at RSC, becoming Associate Director at the Young Vic six years later. As a freelance she has done voice and text work on several high-profile shows and conducted workshops all over the world.

Table of Contents

Foreword Daniel Radcliffe ix

Preface Kenneth Branagh xi

Acknowledgements xiii

Part 1 Introduction and Basics

Why Read This Book?: How This Book Can Help You 3

Where Do I Start?: The Basics 9

Are There Any Golden Rules?: The Three Connections 31

Part 2 Text

What Do I Say and How Do I Say It?: Handling Modern Text 35

And How the Hell Do I Say This?: Handling Classical Text 71

Part 3 Subtext

Who Am I?: Building Your Character 154

Where Am I and When?: Establishing Time and Place 175

What Do I Want?: Identifying Your Character's Objectives 183

What's Been Going on Before?: Fleshing Out the Back Story 191

What's Going on Now?: Exploring the Internal Dynamics of a Scene 195

Part 4 Helpful Extras

How Do I Stop Sabotaging Myself?: Dealing with the Inner Critic 237

How Do I Share the Work Truthfully?: Transferring from Rehearsal to Performance 243

How Do I Convince Them?: Handling Auditions and Castings 252

What Do I Do When ...?: Troubleshooting 260

Conclusion 277

Appendices

And What About ...?: Extra Notes on Classical Text 281

And Where Will I Find That?: The Exercise Finder 303

Endnotes 311

Index 313