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The Actor and the Target [Paperback]

Declan Donnellan (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)


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Paperback, December 1, 2002 --  

Book Description

December 1, 2002

Declan Donnellan's fresh and radical approach to acting takes a scalpel to the heart of actor's persistent fears from . . . "I don't know what I'm doing" through "I don't know who I am" to "I don't know what I'm playing." The Actor and the Target has already been hailed by the press in Russia where it is already published:

"Practically and modestly written, Declan Donnellan's book helps actors to release their talent to be free on stage. However Donnellan's path leads to wider perspectives, his book is rooted in modern theatre, modern psychology and, above all, modern reality. Written with grace and elegance, The Actor and the Target will be thoroughly enjoyed not only by the actors of the new millennium, but also by those of us who see the stage from the dark auditorium."-Izvestia

"Donnellan's directing style is immediately recognizable in his book, drenched in its spirit of artistic and personal freedom. Unpretentious, straightforward, and pierced with acute insight."-Kommersant

Clearly and systematically laid out and full of firm and unambiguous precepts, this book will become a bible for actors in the 21st century.

Declan Donnellan is the first Director of the Royal Shakespeare Academy and is best known for his work with Check By Jowl, including As You Like It, and the recent production of Homebody/Kabul in New York. As Associate Director of the National Theatre his pro-ductions included Fuente Ovejuna, Sweeney Todd, and Angels in America. Abroad, his work abroad includes Le Cid for the Avignon Festival, The Winter's Tale for the Maly Theatre in St. Petersbourg and Puskin's Boris Godunuv for the Moscow Theatre confederation. He has received awards in London, Paris, New York, and Moscow.



Editorial Reviews

About the Author

British theatre director Declan Donnellan is the first Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company Academy and is best known for his work with Cheek by Jowl (including their acclaimed all-male As You Like It) and on Tony Kushner's Homebody/Kabul. As Associate Director of the National Theatre his productions included Fuenteovejuna, Sweeney Todd and Angels in America.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Theatre Communications Group (December 1, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1559362197
  • ISBN-13: 978-1559362191
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #434,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Unblock the Moment, February 3, 2010
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This is not a "how-to" book for the novice, inexperienced actor, but if you do have any experience or training the book is invaluable. I have been an acting teacher for 40 years, and this is the best book on the subject of actor empowerment and living in the moment that I have seen in a couple of decades. The book is a "must read" for any actor, and belongs in a very short list of most important books on the subject.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Actor and the Target, March 22, 2009
By 
Jane Brody (The Theatre School, Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Donnellan truly seems to have inhabited actor's psyches and analyzed their difficulties. He has come up with an understandable and liberating way for actors to think about their work. This is one of the finest understandings of the actor's process that I have read in many years. I first encountered it in its original edition and have been using it to teach more advanced actors ever since. It builds upon the work of Stanislavski, Jung, Adler, Shurtleff, Spolin, Meisner, and the rest of the Greats but its focus is on the actor's internal struggles to realize these ideas. Bravo, I would never teach without this at my side.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Right on Target, December 23, 2011
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This review is from: The Actor and the Target (Paperback)
This book is different. If you are a young actor struggling with understanding playing action, sense memory, substitutions, or if none of these things are part of your process, then don't buy this book.... YET! Instead look into Uta Hagen's book, Respect for Acting, or perhaps even Robert Cohen's book, Acting One.

This book assumes that the reader has been trained in modern acting theory, that the actor reading it has understanding of how to play and build a character, and yet still struggles (as we all do) with forms of "block". The author often uses the phrases/teachings of other acting teachers to point out that it is in fact the framing of some of these "tools" that leads to block. Not that the other theorist's ideas are incorrect, but rather that each actor needs to frame his/her process differently, and that the "target" dictates more of the game than we often think. Little of this is plainly stated in the book, much of it is implied, and if the reader hasn't the breadth of experience much of the potential firepower in this text may be missed. Each time you read it you will see another layer.

It's a fantastic book for any actor trying to re-evaluate, or sharpen his/her process. It is loaded with truth.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Acting is a mystery, and so is theatre. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
blocked actor, first stressed syllable, invisible work, stakes rise, fain deny, uncomfortable choice, message exercise, invisible mind, unconscious control, balcony scene
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Lady Capulet
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