To Act Is to Do: Six Classes for Teachers and Actors Based on the Uta Hagen Technique

by Richard Alan Nichols

Overview

To Act Is to Do by RICHARD ALAN NICHOLS, who studied as a scholarship student for five years with Uta Hagen at the HB Studio in New York, is the ultimate guide for both actors and teachers.

In six informative and interactive class sessions, Nichols details twenty exercises designed to solve most acting problems that arise while working on plays. Also included are eighteen evaluations of work (scenes, monologues, and Hagen exercises) presented by Nichols' students, with each evaluation serving as a model for teachers to follow in order to assist actors in learning how to assess their own work in an honest way.

This unique exploration—the personal journey of one actor’s lifelong quest to perfect his craft while in pursuit of becoming a player—will help all actors develop the discipline necessary to fine-tune their acting instruments and discover new behaviors in themselves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781946358066
Publisher:	39 West Press
Publication date:	01/09/2018
Pages:	180
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

RICHARD ALAN NICHOLS is an actor, teacher, and director. He studied acting as a scholarship student for five years with Uta Hagen at the HB Studio in New York and has taught acting at Washington University, Park University, Avila University, and Rockhurst University. In 1985 he created his own studio, The Actor's Craft Studio, where he instructs beginning, intermediate, and advanced actors. Nichols' stage credits include: Nonno in The Night of the Iguana (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre), the title role in The Giver (The Coterie), Moris in Permanent Collection (Unicorn Theatre), Morrie in Tuesdays with Morrie (American Heartland Theatre), Harry in The Sum of Us (Actors & Artists Against AIDS), Dorn in The Seagull (Missouri Repertory Theatre), and many more. His film credits include: James Ivory's Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, Steven Soderbergh's King of the Hill, and the TV movie They've Taken Our Children. Nichols has directed Jesus on Toast (KC Fringe Festival), You Can't Take It With You (Rockhurst University), Anna in the Tropics (Johnson County CC), Reckless (Unicorn Theatre), The Woolgatherer (Park University), and many more. He is the author of two plays: Land and Detours. Nichols resides with his partner, set and costume designer Atif Rome, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Table of Contents

Foreword: The Magic Beyond the Screen Door xi

Prologue: My Life in Pursuit of Becoming a Player 3
Class and Rehearsal Procedures 22
Guide to the Uta Hagen Acting Exercises 39
Class One: Understanding Objectives 48
Class Two: Personalizing Objectives 59
Class Three: Playing Actions 73
Class Four: Physical Actions 90
Class Five: Character as Self 102
Class Six: Transference 115
Working with Students with Disabilities 130
Additional Exercises 135
Epilogue: The Performance 147

Acknowledgments 155
List of Exercises 157
List of Evaluations 159
Index 161
About the Author 165

Editorial Reviews

"In To Act Is to Do, Richard Alan Nichols reconnects me with the craft of acting and feeds my curiosity, as he does in class. Anyone who experiences his guidance and attention can’t help but benefit from it.” −Kathleen Warfel, professional actor

“As an actor and acting coach, I practice the techniques Richard Alan Nichols presents in this book. For the last thirty years, they have been-and still are-vital tools as I pursue my career!” −Nancy Marcy, Teaching Artist for The Coterie

From the Publisher