Theatre in Practice: A Student's Handbook

by Nick O'Brien

Overview

Theatre in Practice, third edition, is an accessible and wide-ranging exploration of the central practices and key practitioners covered on the various syllabi at A level, IB, and at undergraduate level.

Exploring Stanislavski, Brecht, Artaud, Lecoq, Berkoff, Bogart, Mitchell and Craig, as well as work from innovative theatre companies such as Tamasha, Sh!T Theatre, Complicite, Gecko and The Paper Birds, it combines an informal, unpretentious tone with a wealth of practical exercises. Revised and updated to include some of the latest practices in theatre, this new edition offers a step-by-step approach to developing key skills such as devising, improvising, rehearsing mono/duologues and directing plays.

New for this edition are chapters from Nick O'Brien and Mikhaela Mahony on key female and global majority practitioners; a chapter offering a unique insight into the acting practice of award-winning actress Indira Varma; and updated information throughout.

Written by specialists with extensive experience at post-16 and undergraduate level, Theatre in Practice is a thorough and imaginative resource that speaks directly to students and teachers. This book offers students a range of exercises to experience and explore key practitioners enabling them to understand theatre how it should be understood: through practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032420820
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/21/2024
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	382
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.69(h) x (d)

About the Author

Nick O’Brien trained as an actor and director for four years under Sam Kogan, who was a pupil of Maria Knebel, one of Stanislavski’s pupils in Moscow. He has a postgraduate certificate in education from Keele University, UK. Nick founded and runs The Stanislavski Experience, delivering workshops and teacher training in the UK and abroad. Nick wrote Stanislavski in Practice, also published by Routledge and created the Stanislavski in Practice films.

Annie Sutton is a collaborative director and practitioner who trained with Desmond Jones in Mime and Physical Theatre, at École Jacques Lecoq and has a postgraduate certificate in education in film and drama. Annie is the lead Lecoq and Berkoff practitioner at The Stanislavski Experience.

Mikhaela Mahony received her bachelor of arts degree from Barnard College, New York City, and a master of fine arts degree from Columbia University, New York City, under the tutelage of Brian Kulick and Anne Bogart. Mikhaela is a Brooklyn-based director working in theatre, opera, and film, and a proud member of New York’s Ensemble Studio Theatre.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Key Practitioners

Chapter 1 Stanislavski

Chapter 2 Brecht

Chapter 3 Artaud

Chapter 4 Lecoq to Complicite

Chapter 5 Berkoff

Chapter 6 Bogart

Chapter 7 Mitchell

Chapter 8 Tamasha

Chapter 9 Gecko

Skills you will need

Chapter 10 Rehearsing a monologue / duologue: Steps to Creating a Character

Chapter 11 Acting with Indira Varma

Chapter 12 Devising theatre using The Paper Birds, Sh!t Theatre and Edward Gordon Craig

Chapter 13 Improvising with a Practitioner

Chapter 14 Directing a Play

Afterword

Glossary of terms used

Index

Editorial Reviews

‘I have loved using Theatre in Practice – I have found it really useful and a fantastic resource.’ – Tim Wagg, Head of Drama, Abbott Beyne School, UK

‘…a helpful textbook for pre-vocational students taking A Level, BTecs or the International Baccalaureate at school or college… In Theatre in Practice: A Student’s Handbook, Nick O’Brien and Annie Sutton take the reader systematically through the four key practitioners…It is all very practical and every page has side boxes containing additional snippets of information, boxed text and short sections so there is nothing dense, heavy, or over theoretical about any of it. The photographs are helpful too and I learned a large number of new-to-me technical terms from the glossary. I think this book could work very well to support the student as an adjunct to what’s happening in class – a course textbook, if you like.’ – Susan Elkin, The Stage

From the Publisher