Will Power: How to Act Shakespeare in 21 Days

by John Basil

Overview

“Actor, director, producer, and teacher Basil (cofounder, American Globe Theatre) offers a three-week course that demystifies the English playwright and prepares actors to play Shakespearean roles with confidence. ...his practical instructions should benefit both students and working actors.” –Library Journal, starred review

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781557836663
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/01/2006
Series:	Applause Books
Pages:	374
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.84(d)

About the Author

JOHN BASIL is the producing artistic director of the American Globe Theatre, an award-winning theatre company in New York City. As a teacher and active proponent of the First Folio approach to Shakespearean acting and directing, Basil's Playing Shakespeare Series has enlightened and inspired actors and college students across the nation. He lives in New York City.

STEPHANIE GUNNING is an author and publishing consultant in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

Little is stranger to many actors than William Shakespeare. In his first book, actor, director, producer, and teacher Basil (cofounder, American Globe Theatre) offers a three-week course that demystifies the English playwright and prepares actors to play Shakespearean roles with confidence. Dividing his course into four phases, Basil uses Phase 1 (days one-eight) to teach the discovery and exploitation of such Shakespearean acting clues as capitalization, punctuation, parts of speech, and repetition. Phase 2 (days nine-12) advises actors to put aside scripts and investigate a text's emotional depths by physicalizing lines, defining unfamiliar words, and more. In Phase 3 (days 13-17), actors learn to add subtlety by varying pace, focus, and delivery; identify a character's psychological roles; and use humor. Phase 4 (days 18-21) applies Stanislavskian, or "method," techniques by teaching actors how to establish a character's circumstances and motivations. Day 22 sums up and reinforces. While assuming knowledge of basic acting techniques, Basil is reassuring and enthusiastic, and his practical instructions should benefit both students and working actors. An outstanding addition to a crowded field and an essential purchase for both academic and public theater collections. M.C. Duhig, Carnegie Lib. of Pittsburgh Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal