Actors on Acting: The Theories, Techniques, and Practices of the World's Great Actors, Told in Thir Own Words (Paperback)

~ Toby Cole (Editor), Helen Krich Chinoy (Editor) "The histrionic tradition of the western world originated in Greece during the sixth century B.C. when the first significant step toward dramatic impersonation was taken..." (more)
Key Phrases: histrionic theory, del grande attore, mimetic emotion, New York, Lady Macbeth, Moscow Art Theatre (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Redesigned with a contemporary new cover, this is a comprehensive consideration of all aspects of the actor's art and craft, as told by the theater's greatest practitioners, from ancient Greece to the 20th century.

From the Inside Flap

Redesigned with a contemporary new cover, this is a comprehensive consideration of all aspects of the actor's art and craft, as told by the theater's greatest practitioners, from ancient Greece to the 20th century.

Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 4 edition (September 26, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 051788478X
• ISBN-13: 978-0517884782
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #196,006 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good primer, May 24, 2000

By	Marc Silberschatz (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This book offers a wide variety of information on various acting styles and techniques. It provides the reader with a virtual history of acting. Though there is much information, much of it is not practical. Much of the information is in the form of exerpts from other books. There is no way to practically apply the information given in "Actors on Acting" without reading the entire book that the article being read comes from. This is more difficult because many of the actors quoted do not have books available. This book however is an excellent primer. A person begining to explore the craft of acting can find styles they would like to explore in greater depth without buying an entire book on that particular style. I recomend this book for anyone who is begining their study of the craft of acting.

3.0 out of 5 stars A Decent Book, Must Have Interest in Acting, September 29, 2009

By	J. Rossi (Staten Island, NY, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Although this book is a vast collection of writings, it serves a relatively narrow interest for anyone who does not have a direct interest in the theater. It's been useful to me in that I've read two chapters for my acting class (which was taken simply to fulfill a requirement), and I was able to complete a very well-informed and organized report based on what I read in the book. However, I do not see myself using this book in the future except as perhaps a reference book when I'm asked about one particular famous actor/actress or another. But then, I could also buy the Encyclopaedia Britannica Britannica Encyclopedia (Encyclopaedia) and get a quick reference instead of several pages of things that I will not really care about again in the foreseeable future. Cost, however, prevents me from doing so.

4.0 out of 5 stars not new, September 11, 2009

By	el guapo mas feo - See all my reviews

i ordered a new book and got a used book. It was highlighted with markers. Not happy with the that.