Theatre: The Rediscovery of Style and Other Writings

Description

Michel Saint-Denis was one of twentieth century theatre’s most influential directors and theorists. This book combines his seminal Theatre: The Rediscovery of Style with material from Training for the Theatre, newly edited to create a work which moves seamlessly from theory to practice.

• Theatre: The Rediscovery of Style collects five of Saint Denis’ key lectures, given during his time in America, and perfectly encompasses his synergy of classical theatre and modern realism
• Training for the Theatre is a key practical resource for actors, directors and teachers alike. It covers crucial areas such as understanding a play’s context, training schedules, improvisation and dealing with stage space, as well as a section on Saint-Denis’ use of masks in actor training

Theatre: The Rediscovery of Style and Other Writings benefits from Jane Baldwin’s new biographical introduction and annotations, that put Saint-Denis into context for a contemporary audience. It brings a wealth of inspirational material both to the rehearsal space and the classroom.

Reviews

'Saint-Denis had a clairvoyant divination into the soul of acting.' – Lord Olivier

'His influence on all of us has been tremendous.' – Sir Alec Guinness

'A great director, a great artist, a great man.' – Sir Michael Redgrave

'Another excellent 'Classic' - keep 'em coming Routledge!' - Total Theatre

'Jane Baldwin, who selected the texts from the second work, has enriched and contemporized the new version with a biographical introduction, explanatory commentaries on individual chapters, and extensive notes.' - http://michelsaintdenis.net

Contents

Prologue: Who Was Michel Saint-Denis? Part 1: The Classical Theatre 1. The Classical French Tradition: Contradictions and Contributions Part 2: Classical Theatre and Modern Realism 2. Style and Reality 3. Style and Stylization 4. Style in Acting, Directing, and Designing 5. Training for the Theatre Part 3: Acting Guidelines. Exerpts from Training for the Theatre 6. Guiding Principles: The Progression of the Training 7. The Actor’s Techniques: Physical and Vocal Expression 8. The Imaginative Background 9. Silent Acting – Improvisation

Author Bio

Michel Saint-Denis was one of the preeminent theatrical theorists of the 20th Century. Aside from his contributions to acting, directing, teaching and writing, he also founded the London Theatre Studio, the Old Vic Theatre School and New York's Juillard Drama School.

Jane Baldwin is a theatre historian at the Boston Conservatory, and author of Michel Saint-Denis and the Shaping of the Modern Actor.

Related Subjects

1. Theatre History
2. Practice & Practitioners