A Method to Their Madness: The History of the Actors Studio (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

by Foster Hirsch (Author) "It was a simple directional touch, yet its implication were profound..." (more)
Key Phrases: inner technique, acting sessions, sensory work, Actors Studio, New York, Lee Strasberg (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Hirsch endows this history with new life." -- -New York Times --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Visit the training grounds of Brando, Pacino, and Dean in this essential, "richly detailed history"-Backstage.

For decades, in one small room on West Forty-fourth Street in Manhattan, Lee Strasberg ran the Actors Studio, where dozens of acclaimed actors absorbed a technique that became known as the "Method." Based on firsthand observations and numerous interviews, Hirsch's examination of the Studio's origins reveals how its graduates forever shaped the American stage and screen. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 367 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306802686
• ISBN-13: 978-0306802683
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,305,138 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the method, April 9, 2000

By	damian jungermann (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

This book is a must for anyone interested in the history of Acting in America. Hirsch gets behind the doors of the elusive Actors Studio and shows, with respect, a glimpse of what goes on there. Hirsch does a magnificent job of tracing the path of the evolution of Stanislavski's system in this country, from the arrival of the Moscow Art Theatre to the Group Theatre and finally the Actors Studio. I couldn't put this book down.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, June 26, 2004

By A Customer

Very informative concerning the Method, with much detail & background information. But definately not a book for those just browsing; you really must be heart & soul into acting to finish this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars method to their madness, April 9, 2000

By	damian jungermann (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

This book is a definite plus for anyone interested in the development of the method in America. Foster Hirsch gets behind the doors of the Actors Studio and does an amazing job of conveying the work of the actor from an observer's point of view. Hirsch also does a magnificent job of tracking the path of the evolution of Strasberg's method. He covers the arrival of the Moscow Art Theatre to the formation of the Group Theatre to the influence and work of the Actors Studio. I couldn't put this book down.