David Carter - The Art of Acting: . . . And How to Master It

You cannot learn how to become an actor by reading a book. Many actors would also argue that you cannot, in any case, teach someone how to act. Yet countless books on the topic exist and hundreds of institutions offer training courses for would-be actors. This should be no surprise, for the situation is the same in the practice of all the arts, to a greater or lesser degree. One cannot become an actor without certain psychological preconditions, though these do not predetermine one to become an actor. The basic propensity has to be nurtured, and it is in this secondary process that reading and training can play a role.

It is also often said that the difference between amateur and professional actors is one of technique, though what this technique consists of is usually left vague. It will be perceived in the course of the present book that the techniques in question are, amongst other things, the nurture and use of the voice, the control of breathing, and the precise physical control of the body. Also, every professional actor has to learn how to maintain stamina through long performances and through long runs. All of these accomplishments are not, of course, out of the reach of the amateur, if they have the time to devote to acquiring them.

For amateur and would-be professional alike, the present book aims to provide a basic introduction to the kinds of attitudes, mental processes and other abilities which are necessary if one wishes to develop and mature as an actor.

The author is modest concerning his own experience and abilities: countless years as both actor and director in an amateur drama group and a lifelong enthusiasm for all-things-theatrical have lent him the courage to express his convictions. Many people, especially directors, have spoken disparagingly of the average thespians inability to be articulate about what they do, but the author is convinced that, if anyone can reveal the secrets of the actors art, it is surely those who practise it successfully and well. This book is therefore based on the opinions and feelings of many well-known actors and actresses about all the major aspects of their work. The conclusions and advice provided are therefore very much based on their reflections.

The two main sections of this book are noticeably different in character, but there is a logical connection and development between them. The first section traces the history of acting styles and techniques through the ages, with an emphasis on descriptions of what performances in past ages were like and what principles governed them. It will be demonstrated that all acting styles fall somewhere on a continuum between naturalism and artificiality, with preferences for one tendency over the other varying from age to age and culture to culture. The usefulness of this section to the modern actor is in providing some awareness of the traditions behind present vogues in acting styles. Many recognised great actors, such as Laurence Olivier, have acknowledged how they developed their own styles of acting from familiarity with the acting styles of the past. Each new generation of actors takes what it admires from great acting of yesteryear and reacts against those elements which now seem hackneyed or inappropriate. Acting, as with many processes in history, is a dialectic between extremes, with the styles of older generations always both inspiring new generations and provoking them to change. A history of this dialectic process also serves to remind every aspiring actor that in the theatre, too, there is nothing new under the sun.

Furthermore, an awareness of what styles of acting prevailed in particular periods and for certain kinds of plays is crucial when preparing to act a role in a period piece: a play written in highly stylised language will not lend itself easily to naturalistic playing.

The focus then shifts in the second section to the tasks facing every actor and the skills it is necessary to master. The general goals and ideals, realism and truth, are considered first, and the methods of preparing a role, including considerations of methods developed by the most influential theorist of acting technique, Konstantin Stanislavsky. Some consideration is then given to the technical control of the voice and the need to respect the structure of the language. Important issues relating to the process of rehearsing a play are explored, as is the actors relationship to the audience. Certain special concerns are then considered, such as acting for films and television, differences between national styles, and handling the language of Shakespeares plays.

In the third section, advice is provided for those readers who are seriously considering becoming professional actors, and the importance of good training is stressed.

The Resources section contains information on books dealing with the main aspects of acting covered in the present book, together with advice on publications which are especially useful for would-be professionals.

Those wishing to seek further advice about setting up a drama group and organising productions are recommended to read a companion volume in the Creative Essentials series by the same author and entitled Plays And How toProduce Them.

Finally, if this book has served to help a few people discover the actor in their soul, it will have served its purpose well.