On Playing Shakespeare: Advice and Commentary from Actors and Actresses of the Past (Contributions in Drama and Theatre Studies) (Hardcover)

by Leigh Woods (Author) "Opinions have varied widely concerning the sorts of qualifications necessary to form a good actor in classic plays..." (more)
Key Phrases: Lady Macbeth, Helen Faucit, Henry Irving (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
“In this antihistorical age it is refreshing to come across a work that makes a serious attempt to appreciate the past. Woods seeks to demonstrate that great actors from the last century can offer advice on performing Shakespeare that is relevant and valuable to today's theater practitioner and spectator. The 19th century was rich in great interpreters of Shakespeare's works, and some of that vast resource is here made readily available to the modern reader. Selecting from a variety of sources, many of them out-of-print books and rare periodicals, Woods has compiled a stimulating compendium of actors' remarks and observations. Organized around such topics as qualifications for the stage, actor training, and the ways actors prepared, rehearsed, interpreted, and performed their parts, these selections provide not only excellent insights into how individuals worked, but also invaluable suggestions about how to approach particular plays and roles. Standout contributions include those by Helen Faucit and Ellen Terry on playing Desdemona, Henry Irving and Louis Calvert on Shylock, Edwin Booth on Iago, and Tommaso Salvini on Othello. Using short commentaries, which furnish context and background for the various selections, Woods seeks to serve readers ranging from those with little or no experience of acting to those well versed in performing Shakespeare's plays. All levels.”–Choice

Product Description
Anyone wanting to learn or learn more about acting or staging Shakespeare will find in Wood's collection a much-needed treasury of useful instruction from past Shakespearean players. It will enrich future interpretation and performance. Here are John Barrymore, Ellen Terry, Edwin Booth, and others writing about casting, reading the play, memorizing, research, interpretation, rehearsal, and performance. An early section deals with essentials such as qualifications for the stage, voice and diction, ease and polish, and more. Most important, the actors' differing reactions to the same role are placed side-by-side for clear contrast and study.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (March 30, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313278237
• ISBN-13: 978-0313278235
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,217,768 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)