Acting Power: The 21st Century Edition

By Robert Cohen

Book Overview

'Robert Cohen's book, Acting Power, follows the tradition of his other book, Acting One, and has been the veritable bible for acting teachers for the last quarter century.' - David Krasner, Emerson College

'This book, above all else, is an attempt to explore the qualities of acting power.... to suggest to you, the actor, an approach toward not merely good acting but powerful acting. Great actors display the power to frighten - and the power to seduce - and can shift between the one and the other like a violinist can her notes.' - From the Preface

The first edition of Acting Power was a groundbreaking work of acting theory which applied sociological and psychological principles to actor training. The book went on to influence a generation of theatre and performance studies students and academics, and was translated into five languages.

This carefully revised 21st Century Edition (re)considers, in the context of today's field:

questions such as 'should actors act from the inside or the outside?' and 'should the actor live the role or present the role?';

contemporary research into communication theory, cybernetics, and cognitive science;

brilliantly illuminating and witty exercises for solo study and classroom use, and a through-line of useful references to classic plays;

penetrating observations about the actor's art by more than 75 distinguished professional actors and directors.

Cohen's elegant and rigorous updates emphasise the continuing relevance of his uniquely integrated and life-affirming approach to this field. The new edition draws on his extraordinarily rich career as teacher, scholar, director, translator and dramaturg. It is a recipe for thrilling theatre in any genre.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415658470
• ISBN13: 9780415658478
• Release Date: March 2013
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Simply the Best

The above reviewer was probably an acting student at The Boston Conservatory. There, the standard text for senior year is Acting Power. That aside, the reviewer is correct. The book is the best you'll ever read on the techniques of acting. Forget Uta, forget Stanislavski, this book puts you in the mindset that what your scene objectives are are playable. You don't worry about what's behind you, you focus on what's ahead. Read the book and you'll see what I mean. Having written that, realize that you cannot really learn to act from a book. You have to work at it. This book just helps you come from a realistic standpoint.

Just the Best

"The best book on how to act yet written" is how this book is described on more than one "recommended books for actors" list. Aimed at the College Senior/Conservatory level. Some find it easier to follow if read backwards -- starting with the Appendix, then Chapter Six, then Chapter Five, etc.