An Actor Prepares

This book is an absolute MUST READ for all actors. I am convinced that no-one should be allowed on stage until they have read this book. Stanislavski's ideas form the basis of most modern acting techniques, as well they should. Before I studied Stanislavski, I had always felt there was something lacking in my acting and could never quite figure out what; I discovered it when I studied Stanislavski. My one complaint is that the translation is bad. The translator was NOT an actor, and many cuts were made to the original text. This has resulted in many confusions about what Stanislavski actually said.

The first in a series of three, an Actor Prepares deals with the inner process/preparation an actor must explore in order to prepare for a role, how to control and stimulate your mind in order to convey the truth of your character. The story is told through the eyes of Kostya, the ex-stenographer who know shorthand, thus enabling him to take notes of the class. The instructor, Tortsov, is Stanislavski in disguise. The book takes you on a journey of the art - acting. From learning about the magic "IF" to learning how to find your super-objective there is something for all in this book. Everything interrelates forming a web of knowledge and tools that you can take with you forever. When you read it, however, keep in mind what the author said about his books: "It is not a hand-me-down suit that you can put on and walk off in; or a cook book where all you need to find is the page and there is your recipe. No, it is a whole way of life."

I found "An Actor Prepares" to be a deeply rewarding read, and I found its message applicable to all of the arts. Opening a window to a time and place where great strides were made in the modern theater, we join a fictionalized group of students awaiting their first lesson with the great master "Tortsov" (really Stanislavski.) I simply drank in Constantin Stanislavski's wisdom, enjoyed his consummate readability, and shivered in amazement that he was able to advance the philosophy and praxis of acting to such heights at the time that he wrote - he lived from 1863 to 1938. I'm currently inhaling the second volume in this series: "Building A Character." I fully intend round out my reading with some Strasberg, Meisner etc. after I finish Stanislavski's trilogy, but at this moment I am quite content to be able to gaze back in time to the Moscow Art Company, and imagine that I'm there amid the heady acting sessions of these books. Although trailblazers and pioneers in any art or science rarely leave a perfectly polished jewel as their legacy, it is a great mistake to pass over their immense contributions. Read Stanislavski as the great building block he was in the technique of acting.

This book covers everything you could ever want to know about acting. If you want to be an actor or actress then all you have to do is read this book, and you're there. This book covers every possible technique you will ever need on the stage! Stanislavski takes on the role as a teacher for his students in this book, but the fact is that he is both the actors and the teacher. He uses the students to ask the questions you are wondering about, and answers them as the teacher. His discriptions are so good that you sometimes wonder if you are really there. The only thing that makes you sure is that he can't give you feedback on your efforts at home. But apart from that it is just like having a very knowledgable teacher of your own, that can answer all the questions you have about acting, and then some. It is an awesome book. A must have for everyone!

An Actor's Prepares is a teaching book that is written as a story. The theory is within the story. The "story" touches on things like relaxation, movement and concentration. You are one of the students, you learn the same method as the other students in the story. You will progress with them and in the end, you will have the sense on being "private in public". If you are an actor, or thinking of pursuing a career as an actor, this is a MUST READ! I still use this bokk as a guide to get me back on track when I feel that I am slipping in my craft. I love this book because of the way Stanislavski is preserved here. His teaching style shines through. This is the first book in a trilogy of the Stanislavski "Method" My advise for reading this book. Read it slow and digest every individual thought as if it were your last meal. You will learn not only about improving your ability to act, but also come away with a better feeling of who you are as a person, not just as an actor!