Customer Reviews

The Invisible Actor (Theatre Arts (Routledge Paperback))

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

I am a professional actor/dancer/physical theatre performer person and this book is an incredible help. Yoshi breaks down the whole act of being on stage into very small, manageable parts: preparing, standing, walking, breathing, etc. It encourages the actor to take time to sense every moment on stage, to let oneself become invisible in the character. An inspiring read.

The book was a required read for an acting class and it has provent to be just what I needed to gain vaulable insights that help to hone the craft.. good book for anyone interested in theater,a goood read.

Yoshi Oida has a wonderful book here and Lorna Marshal's helpful commentary explains the extra nuances that a western audience may not be as familiar with. Oida's approach to performance has much to do with cultivating presence on stage. At first glance the techniques he describes they may seem odd or esoteric, but they do assist with getting the actor "out of the head" and into the moment. They require dedicated practice, sustained focus, and widened awareness.

On the whole, Oida's style is distinctly "eastern" and he references the Japanese theatre traditions of Kabuki and Noh to help explain concepts. In the most general comparison I can make, in this book the philosophy that westerners associate with eastern martial arts is combined with the practice of acting. This is certainly not a bad thing, but it does have a very different emphasis than we are used to in the west. They are techniques, in my opinion, which are expected to blend with and augment- not replace- that western training; very valuable ones, at that.

Overall a fascinating and helpful little book full of wisdom. Highly recommended.