Stanislavski And The Actor: The Final Acting Lessons, 1935-38 (Performance Books) - Softcover

"A hands-on approach. "Stanislavski and the Actor incorporates exercises, improvisations and other notes handed down by Irina Novitskaya, one of the maestro's assistants's from the short-lived Opera-Dramatic Studio in the 1930's. Benedetti, author of "Stanislavski: A "Biography, modernizes the vocabulary and references, and fleshes the material out with his own summary of the great man's system.." -"American Theatre "Overall the book is fascinating...." -"Theatre Journal "Students beginning the study of acting often need a primer about Konstantin Stanislavski--who he was and an overview of theories he crafted for the training of actors....For novice actors, and the teachers who are about to introduce them to Stanslavski, this title is perfect....Every undergraduate library supporting theatre studies should own this first-level introduction to Stanislavski. It is also a terrific book to give to freshman-level acting students as they walkin the door." -"Choice, 5/99 "Every undergraduate library supporting theater studies should own this first-level introduction to Stanislavski. It is also a terrific book to give to freshmen-level acting students as they walk in the door." -"Choice

Stanislavski and the Actor offers a clear, modern presentation of Konstantin Stanislavski's methods of actor training and rehearsal. It is based on the course Stanislavski designed and taught with a team of hand-picked assistants in the last three years of his life (1935-38) at the Opera-Dramatic Studio in Moscow. Jean Benedetti now reconstructs that course. Stanislavski and the Actor is the manual which Stanislavski never had time to write. Using notes made by Stanislavski's assistants, exercises and improvisations used in class, transcripts of Stanislavski's own master classes (translated into English for the first time) and his knowledge of Stanislavski's earlier writings, Benedetti builds up a comprehensive description of the 'system' in contemporary language that is easy to understand by today's actors and teachers. He also shows that Stanislavski's revolutionary teachings about acting still have a wide application now.