Foreign Dialects: A Manual for Actors, Directors, and Writers

by Lewis Herman and Marquerite Shalett Herman

Book Overview

Most actors and directors have struggled with the problem of needing to imitate foreign dialects. Marguerite and Lewis Herman have created an essential tool for actors, directors and writers aiming toward the most authentic performances possible.
Foreign Dialects contains an extensive repertoire of dialects that will assist the actor in the preparation for the most difficult foreign roles. Now in paperback, this classic text...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0878300201
• ISBN13: 9780878300204
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Great Stage Reference

I was given a copy of this book 30+ years ago. Over the course of many moves I lost it. I was told it was out of print. Finding it has "made my day". This is a challenging book, and successful use will require lots of study to understand and use all of its resources, but if you do the work, the results will be outstanding. The author uses a musical scale to demonstrate the flow of a language. However you don't have to read music to follow the ups and downs of tone, and the spaces for pauses. A little common sense will carry you through. I would recommend this to anyone who is serious about accurate dialects on stage (or those who just like to try dialects if they are willing to work).

VER Y good book

I bought this book to help me build and polish a cockney accent for my first acting role as an adult. I was cast as Alfred Doolittle in a local dinner theatre's production of My Fair Lady. My accent got the most favorable comments from the audience and fellow actors alike, many of whom asked me for pointers on pronunciation. This book is great, and speaking cockney has become so easy and natural to me that I find myself slipping into it without realizing it immediately. The pronunciation tips and examples were excellent. I cannot praise this book enough.

GREAT, Easy to follow

This book helped me learn some of the hard accents, the easy way. It's really well organised and helped me out alot. It's easy to follow, and it'll make you happy.

The Best!

I used to check this book out from the library when I was young... I been looking everywhere to buy this, but this is the first time I've been successful. I am SO pleased!

FUN! AMAZING!

After getting this book, my parents were totally driven crazy for a week while I rambled in Cockney...it's amazing help, complete with little practice excercises, and each dialect has its own monolougue at the end of the chapter. The range of accents this book teaches is amazing...everything from Pidgen English to Scotish to Caribbean. super!