To the Actor: On the Technique of Acting [Hardcover]

Michael Chekhov (Author), Nicolai Remisoff (Illustrator), Yul Brynner (Preface)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0060107553 | ISBN-13: 978-0060107550 | Publication Date: June 1953

Michael Chekhov's classic work To the Actor has been revised and expanded by Mala Powers to explain, clearly and concisely, the essential techniques for every actor from developing a character to strengthen awareness.

Chekhov's simple and practical method – successfully used by professional actors all over the world – trains the actor's imagination and body to fulfill its potential.

To the Actor includes a previously unpublished chapter on 'Psychological Gesture', translated into English by the celebrated director Andrei Malaev - Babel; a new biographical overview by Mala Powers; and a foreword by Simon Callow.

This book is a vital text for actors and directors including acting and theatre history students.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Its greatest virtue is not so much that you can't put it down but that you have to put it down – in order to try it out.' – Research in Drama Education

'To the Actor is by far the best book that I have read on the subject of acting. Actors, directors, writers and critics will be grateful for it.' – Gregory Peck

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 201 pages
• Publisher: Harper & Row (June 1953)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060107553
• ISBN-13: 978-0060107550
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,996,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book On Acting, September 3, 2003

By 

Eric J. Ramey "Eric Ramey" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To the Actor (Paperback)

Michael Chekhov was considered by many to be the greatest actor of the 20th century. Famous for his ability to create fantastic, and even grotesque, characterization with immense inner life. He left audiences stunned. Many well established Actors, directors and teachers have commented on the influence the Chekhov technique has had on them. Including Stella Adler, Lee Strassberg, Sanford Meisner, Gregory Peck, Harold Clurman, Anthony Quinn, Clint Eastwood, Jack Nickolson, Anthony Hopkins, Marilyn Monroe, Yul Bryner, Elia Kazan, and the list goes on. Many of these individuals where even taught by him. Stanislavsky himself called Michael Chekhov his greatest pupil. The Chekhov Technique is founded on each actors own creative individuality. Looking beyond the limitations of using your own experiences to call forth truth. He moves into the realm of the Imagination. From psycho-physical movement based work to expressing universal ideas in emotionally truthfull behavior. This book covers it all in a free, creative and nurturing way. It covers the use of atmospheres, quality of movement, objectives (aka: actions, intentions, verbs), calling forth emotion with ease, imaginary center and imaginary body, images, behavior, psychological gesture (as applied to the overall character, individual scenes, objectives, atmospheres, and moments), radiating and receiving, working off your partner, working off the audience, working with the director, improvisation, ensemble, styles from clown to tragedy, and much more. Everything in this book is both practical and fun to apply to the art of acting. Finally to the actor is available in it's entirety. If your an actor, director or teacher, it should be required reading. If your just someone interested in what's involved in the actor's craft, this book will show you the point of view of one of the greatest actor's in history. Highly Recommended.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Alternative to the Method, February 19, 2005

By 

C. Stallard - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To the Actor (Paperback)

Some of the techniques I learned from "Respect for Acting" by Uta Hagen were causing me serious problems in my acting. I was trying to balance too many notions in my head at once, and it was compounding anxiety and tension, and hampering my awareness on stage.

This book gave me a lot of useful replacements for those cumbersome method techniques. Imagination is ultra-important and this book teaches you how to develop it. Chekhov will teach you how to find true honesty from your imagination, and how to connect your physical body with your imaginative powers.

This is a brilliant man, who devoted his life to finding and sharing a hopeful approach to acting. Stanislavsky openly regarded his great talent, and told him he had a great responsibility to try to share what he knew with future generations. He took that to heart and now we have this book.

I only give it 4 stars, because I believe that a quest for an acting technique is personal, and this can't be the solution for everyone, nor was it the complete boxed-up solution for me. If you have had problems with "The Method" give this a shot, though.

Check out his other book, "On the Technique of Acting." It provides some useful complimentary information.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular!, April 8, 2010

By 

B. K. Parker "R. G. Karokor" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: To the Actor (Paperback)

Thank you so much! The book is absolutely amazing! A classic! It's also in as good, if not better, condition than advertised. Probably the most used book by actors in the world, and I can see why. The techniques, especially "psychological gesture", have been admired an used by the best... Jack Nicholson, Anthony Quinn, Gregory Peck, Johnny Depp, Anthony Hopkins, Marilyn Monroe, and Clint Eastwood... just to name a few. Again, thank you so much.