The Actor at Work

by Benedetti, Robert

• ISBN13: 9780205318889
• ISBN10: 0205318886
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-01-01
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon

Summary

For over twenty years, Robert Benedetti's highly acclaimed The Actor at Work has offered students a thorough focus on the underlying principles of the acting process.Now in its eighth edition, The Actor at Work continues to present an experiential sequence of exercises designed to help actors develop a complete understanding of the physical, vocal, analytical, and ethical aspects of the actor's art.For anyone interested in acting.

Table of Contents

List of Exercises	ix
Foreword	xi
Ted Danson
Preface	xiii
Part I Preparing Yourself	1	(74)
The Actor in You	3	(6)
The Skills of the Actor	5	(1)
Acting and Your Personal Growth	5	(1)
Discipline	6	(1)
Summary	7	(2)
The Creative State	9	(8)
Tension and Excessive Effort	9	(1)
Restful Alertness	10	(1)
Being Whole	11	(1)
Relaxation	12	(2)
The Here and Now	14	(1)
Summary	15	(2)
Centering and Moving	17	(12)
Your Relationship to Gravity	19	(1)
The Pure Center and the Voice	19	(2)
The Actor's Use of Center	21	(1)
The Cycle of Energy	22	(1)
Grounding	23	(1)
Phrasing Movement	24	(2)
Summary	26	(3)
Gesture	29	(8)
Communicating through Gesture	29	(4)
The Genesis of Gesture	33	(2)
Implied Gestures in the Text	35	(1)
Summary	36	(1)
Voice	37	(10)
The Voice and Emotion	37	(1)
The Source of the Voice	38	(2)
Tone Production	40	(1)
The Voice and Inner Dynamic	41	(1)
The Voice and Attitude	42	(1)
Using Your Own Voice	43	(1)
Summary	44	(3)
Speech	47	(10)
The Process of Speech	48	(1)
Nasal Sounds	49	(1)
Oral Sounds: Vowels and Diphthongs	50	(1)
Oral Sounds: Consonants	51	(3)
Speech and Character	54	(1)
Further Training of Body and Voice	54	(1)
Summary	55	(2)
The Performance Space	57	(8)
The Stage	58	(2)
Directions on Stage	60	(2)
The Scale of Performance	62	(1)
Summary	63	(2)
Working with Others	65	(10)
The Bodily Center and Relationship	66	(1)
Commitment, Support, and Communication	67	(3)
Transaction and Teamwork	70	(3)
Summary	73	(2)
Part II Action	75	(54)
Action	77	(8)
Action According to Stanislavski	77	(1)
Action in Life	78	(2)
Internal and External Action	80	(1)
Believability	81	(1)
Indicating	82	(1)
Summary	82	(3)
Action and the Acting Process	85	(8)
Public Solitude	85	(1)
Dual Consciousness	86	(1)
Action and Emotion	87	(1)
Action and Character	88	(1)
Personalization and the Magic If	89	(1)
The Acting Process	90	(1)
Summary	91	(2)
Needs, Actions, and Objectives	93	(6)
Wants and Needs	93	(1)
Actions and Objectives	94	(1)
Defining Productive Objectives	95	(1)
Connecting Action with Others	96	(1)
Spontaneity	97	(1)
Summary	98	(1)
Playable Actions	99	(8)
Defining Playable Actions	100	(1)
Units of Action	101	(1)
The Given Circumstances	102	(4)
Summary	106	(1)
The Flow and Shape of Drama	107	(8)
Action and Reaction: The Life of the Scene	108	(1)
The Shape of Drama	109	(2)
Drama and Conflict	111	(1)
Summary	112	(3)
Beats and Scenes	115	(8)
Analyzing Beats: The Score	117	(2)
Scene Structure	119	(3)
Summary	122	(1)
Through-Line and Superobjective	123	(6)
The Superobjective	125	(3)
Summary	128	(1)
Part III Characterization	129	(54)
The Function and Elements of Character	131	(10)
Dramatic Function	131	(1)
Functional and Likeness Traits	132	(1)
Categories of Character Traits	133	(1)
Physical Traits	134	(1)
Social Traits	134	(2)
Psychological Traits	136	(1)
Moral Traits	137	(1)
Economy of Characterization	138	(1)
A Character Checklist	139	(1)
Summary	139	(2)
The Character's Mind	141	(12)
The Instroke of Reaction	144	(1)
Choice	145	(3)
Automatic Actions	148	(1)
Direct and Indirect Action	149	(1)
Not Doing: Suppression	150	(1)
Summary	151	(2)
The Character's Language	153	(10)
Word Choice: Text and Subtext	154	(2)
Rhythm	156	(2)
Melody	158	(2)
Imagery	160	(1)
Summary	161	(2)
The Character's Body	163	(10)
Personality in the Body	163	(1)
The Character's Center	164	(2)
The Flow of Bodily Energy	166	(1)
Physique and Personality	167	(1)
Body Alignment and Character	168	(4)
Summary	172	(1)
The Character's Emotion	173	(10)
From Action to Emotion: Working from the Outside In	173	(2)
From Thought to Emotion: Working from the Inside Out	175	(2)
Emotional Recall and Substitution	177	(3)
The Role of Emotion in Performance	180	(1)
Summary	181	(2)
Part IV The Working Process	183	(36)
The Rehearsal Process I: Finding the Content	185	(10)
Auditions	185	(3)
Preparation and Homework	188	(2)
Early Read-Throughs	190	(1)
Getting Up and Off Book	191	(1)
Exploring the Action	192	(1)
Summary	193	(2)
The Rehearsal Process II: Developing the Form	195	(8)
Establishing the Score	195	(1)
Blocking	196	(2)
Justifying the Blocking	198	(2)
The Ground Plan and Setting	200	(1)
Summary	201	(2)
The Rehearsal Process III: Preparing to Open	203	(6)
Shaping and Pacing the Performance	203	(2)
Making Final Adjustments	205	(1)
Technical and Dress Rehearsals	206	(1)
Growth after Opening	207	(1)
Summary	208	(1)
The Actor at Work	209	(10)
Supporting Each Other	209	(1)
Free and Open Communication	210	(2)
You and Your Director	212	(1)
The Fear of Failure	213	(1)
The Desire for Success	214	(2)
Your Sense of Purpose	216	(3)
Afterword: Transformation	219	(2)
Appendix A: Sample Scenes	221	(16)
From Death of a Salesman
Arthur Miller
From The Glass Menagerie
Tennessee Williams
From Cheers
Tom Reeder
Appendix B: Useful Plays	237	(4)
Appendix C: An Acting Checklist	241	(2)
Bibliography	243	(4)
Notes	247	(6)
Index	253