The Art of Coarse Acting

In one memorably ruined production this was the director's obsession, so he gave the actor playing Lear tiny, birdlike movements. Alas! The set designer strongly disagreed and burst forth with a magnificently bare stage relieved only by a giant phallic monument at the center.His vision being that King Lear was: "A Man Lost in a Wilderness. " They never did reach an agreement. But, as Green points out, it really wouldn't have mattered, because if one is brilliant enough to be obsessed about Lear being 'A Man Trapped In a Tube', neither Shakespeare, the cast, nor the audience has much of a fighting chance. . .-----------------------------------------------------------------This book is a deliciously hilarious spoof of the British stage, with heavy emphasis on 'cultural' amateur societies. It is a satire on producing as well as acting, directing,--and the gurus who teach it.But in a wonderful twist of irony, it is now required reading with many Theater Arts depatrments in universities around the world.( "Do NOT go to acting school!"--- Eleonora Duse )As well it should be. Filled with outrageously improbable anecdotes , it nevertheless hits home too well for anyone in the profession. It is a true masterpiece of ham, which offers marvelous advice for directors on how to succeed through obscurantist doublespeak. No director, for example, should EVER say anything that remotely sounds 'practical' such as : "Well, frankly, I have to get 'em to speak up. " Far, far better, according to Green, is to say things that sound profound but mean nothing, such as : "I'm not interested at all whether the audience hears my actors, but---it is vital they should hear them thinking. "Heavy . . .( "If a director writes in his notes: 'The Oedipal complex is obvious in this scene, must discuss with the queen'; the sooner he is packed and thrown out of the theater, the better it'll be for everyone! "-- George Bernard Shaw ) Shaw has an ally in Green who, based on personal experience, is convinced that the director's primary job is to weed out the obvious psychotics in the cast during the first week of rehersals.As to actors left on board Green believes he is far more practical than Stanislavsky, whom he does not admire on the grounds that 'these method people are so vague.' He advises actors should carry a chart (1. Speak Slower. 2. Speak Faster, etc.) for whenever the director goes off into interpretive raptures, Oedipal or not. Simply ask him to point to which number he wants. Ah! And who could possibly forget the classic: "How To Steal a Scene Though Unconscious" which puts anything ever written by Constantin to shame. . .An very, very funny book, which suprisingly does contain unexpected gems of commonsense.Five stars are not enough.

This tome is full of useful information for the coarse actor, including "How to Steal the Scene, Even though Unconscious," "How to be a mere Spear-Carrier, and still ruin a scene," "Basic Makeup Tips for the Coarse Actor," and the useful diagram on set building "The Human Cleat." Anyone who's ever been in a performance of "Arsenic and Old Lace" will appreciate this book -- as will anyone who's ever sat through the show. (Not that I'm slamming "Arsenic and Old Lace," I think it holds up remarkably well.)Should be required reading in all theatre coarses. Oops, I mean courses...

I first read this book as a teenager, while spending much of my spare time in amateur theatre, and have become Green's slave for life.Whole segments of the book are quotable, and painfully - hilariously - familiar to anyone who has ever been involved with the stage, paid or unpaid. I remember reading excerpts to my brother over the phone, while both of us cried because we were laughing so hard ... because although these are not your own experiences, they might as well be.Every actor - amateur or professional - will have come across a coarse actor in their lives: somebody who "knows his lines, but not the order in which they come", leaving everyone floundering; the blatant scene stealer who takes everyone's eyes away from the real action; the sets that collapse when they shouldn't, or don't collapse when they should. I could go on. But you'd be far better served by reading the book instead, and keeping a box of tissues handy to wipe away the tears of hilarity.

Hi all. This book is hilarious! I bought it to learn what NOT to teach my acting students, and it really helped. And it was a great read - the author is British, so there is plenty of dry wit, and the anecdotes had me in hysterics. I learned a lot, and laughed out loud every chapter. How can you miss? Sincerely, ElizaBeth

I first became acquainted with Michael Green's marvelous book when I picked up a used paperback in a book store in Long Beach, Calif. in 1979. In the years since, I have read the book at least two dozen times -- always thinking that THIS TIME I'll be able to peruse it with a straight face, yet always, inevitably, dissolving into gales of helpless, tearful laughter before ten pages have turned. This is not only the funniest book ever written about acting, but one of the funniest books on ANY subject in the English language. Many books dicuss the "high end" of acting -- character, subtext, internal monologue, etc. But none of them offer pointers on what to do if a fellow actor muffs his lines, or if you need to get off (or on) stage and the door won't open. Green fills that void in the most diverting manner imaginable. If you've always thought the phrase "I laughed till I cried" was only a figure of speech, then this is the book for you. By the way, I have it on good (though unconfirmed) authority that Michael Green is the son of the late Hermione Gingold, the legendary British character actress