The Invisible Actor (Performance Books) [Paperback]

Lorna Marshall (Author), Yoshi Oida (Author)

Book Description

Series: Performance Books | Publication Date: February 7, 2002

Yoshi Oida is completely unique. A Japanese actor and director who has
worked mainly in the West as a member of Peter Brook's theatre company
in Paris, he blends the oriental tradition of supreme and studied
control with the Western performer's need to characterise and expose
depths of emotion.

In
this practical and captivating study of the actor's art written with
Lorna Marshall, Yoshi Oida explains that once the audience becomes
openly aware of the actor's method and becomes too conscious of the
actor's artistry, the wonder of performance dies. The audience must
never see the actor but only his or her performance. Throughout Lorna
Marshall provides a running commentary on Yoshi Oida's work and methods
which help you understand the achievement of this singular theatrical
artist.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Invisible Actor ... offers a series of specific theatrical exercises. Some of these will be familiar to those who have studied yoga or t'ai chi, but Oida gives his lessons an appealing, personal context. The suggested activities are woven together with wise and charming anecdotes.... -- The Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review, Irene Oppenheim --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Lorna Marshall
teaches physical acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London,
and works internationally as a director and performance consultant in
opera, circus and theatre. Her previous books include The Body Speaks and An Actor Adrift (also with Yoshi Oida).

Yoshi Oida,
a Japanese actor and director, has worked mainly in the West as a
member of Peter Brook's theatre company in Paris where he became a
leading member and trainer. His books include An Actor Adrift and The Invisible Actor.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Methuen Drama (February 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0413696103
• ISBN-13: 978-0413696106
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #489,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The book under my pillow, July 13, 2000

By 

M. paul kirby (Paris, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Invisible Actor (Performance Books) (Paperback)

Yoshi Oida, brillant Japanese actor (seen in "The Pillow Book") and stage director has given us a manual for acting. In it however, are many other invaluable techniques for living and for being.

I'm a professional singing actor, and these techniques and exercises for standing, walking, seeing, breathing, etc. are principles that I grasped immediately but think about practically every day. A must-own for singers, actors, dancers and stage animals of all kinds. I give this four stars not because it doesn't deserve the five-star rating, but because I would to think that there are maybe only 2 or 3 five-star books in the history of the world, and I would prefer not knowing what they are.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The unseen actor is the best, June 4, 2000

By 

Sternenkreis.de (Frankreich) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Invisible Actor (Theatre Arts (Routledge Paperback)) (Paperback)

A wonderful book that reaches the essence of acting and goes to the core of the craft on a very physical way by trying to build a body that can make place to any character or role one wants to act. Full with exercices. But don't expect a book that tells you how the business works - this is about the craft!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Becoming the work, June 19, 2001

By 

Algernon D'Ammassa (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Invisible Actor (Theatre Arts (Routledge Paperback)) (Paperback)

Thanks to Lorna Marshall, these ruminations on the actor's art are organized and brought together with discussions of method so that it is conversational and discursive, yet still coherent. Yoshi Oida discusses eastern techniques for the western artist, putting western ideas about acting into relief and offering useful tools. Some may find discussions of technique only whet the appetite for what the book does not offer - a more systematic approach to working on character, text, and partner work. The book serves more for inspiration than training, though Oida does make many practical suggestions for warming up and preparing for the work. Oida has the background and experience - especially his work with Peter Brook's truly international theatre - to transcend east and west; and his love for the craft of acting, for precision as well as freedom, make this required reading for acting students and teachers.