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Craft of Comedy: The 21st Century Edition [Kõva köide]

, , Edited by (University of Oregon, USA)
  • Formaat: Hardback, 170 pages, kõrgus x laius: 198x129 mm, kaal: 490 g, 10 Halftones, black and white
  • Ilmumisaeg: 20-Dec-2012
  • Kirjastus: Routledge
  • ISBN-10: 0415527236
  • ISBN-13: 9780415527231
  • Formaat: Hardback, 170 pages, kõrgus x laius: 198x129 mm, kaal: 490 g, 10 Halftones, black and white
  • Ilmumisaeg: 20-Dec-2012
  • Kirjastus: Routledge
  • ISBN-10: 0415527236
  • ISBN-13: 9780415527231
"a work on the art and craft of comedy as important in its own way as works by Stanislavski and Chekhov" Oxford Theatre Companion

In 1939, a young, inexperienced actor wrote to a famous actress of his acquaintance, asking for advice on playing comedy. She responded enthusiastically, and they corresponded variously over the next year. The Craft of Comedy, a record of these exchanges, soon emerged as one of the few classic texts in the field of comedy acting.

This major new edition takes a brilliant book and makes it better. Editor Robert Barton has devised extensive supplementary material, including:











An introduction to the correspondents, the culture of the time, and the evolution of their book;





Summaries, definitions, and exercises and practice scenes for readers wishing to explore Athene Seylers invaluable advice;





Photographs, additional essays by Seyler, and a guide to easily accessed video clips of her performing.

Seylers lucid guidance, and Bartons scrupulous editorship, ensure this legendary works rightful status is restored: as one of the great practical guides to the craft of comedy, and an essential resource for actors and students of acting.
List of plates
viii
Acknowledgments x
Introduction 1(22)
Cultural contexts
3(4)
Athene Seyler
7(9)
Stephen Haggard
16(4)
How the book evolved
20(3)
1 Distorted truth
23(8)
Stephen to Athene, June 8, 1939
23(1)
Reply, June 10
24(3)
Summary
27(1)
Concepts: revue comedy, non-comic acting, comic foundation, comic spirit, distorted truth, comic state of mind
27(1)
Exercises: Comic perspective, Adding delight
28(3)
2 Tight-rope walking
31(12)
Stephen to Athene, June 17, 1939
31(3)
Reply, June 30
34(5)
Summary
39(1)
Concepts: comedy through situation, comedy through character, comedy of being out of character, lack of balance, distortion, tight-rope walking, over-statement, over-emphasis, under-statement, shared secret, spiritual comprehension, personality, technique
39(1)
Exercises: Personal tendencies, All out of proportion, Both sides now
40(3)
3 Just do it
43(14)
Stephen to Athene, July 20, 1939
43(3)
Reply, July 21
46(7)
Summary
53(1)
Concepts: comedy essentials, national humor, farce, high comedy, comedy vein
53(1)
Exercises: Delicate to broad, Sitting in fear, Bubbling with pleasure
54(3)
4 Trust and confidence
57(12)
Stephen to Athene, November 19, 1939
57(4)
Reply, December 9
61(4)
Summary
65(1)
Concepts: confidence, taking the audience in, topping
66(1)
Exercises: Assurance and creativity, Tricks of the trade
66(3)
5 Rhythm
69(18)
Stephen to Athene, January 15, 1940
69(5)
Reply, January 22
74(10)
Summary
84(1)
Concepts: double take, breaking, rhythm, emphasis, business, breaking up the scene
84(1)
Exercises: Scarfing, Opposition, Max and Anatol
85(2)
6 Comedy of manners
87(10)
Stephen to Athene, February 10, 1940
87(3)
Reply, March 29
90(4)
Summary
94(1)
Concepts: leading up to a laugh, trodding on a laugh, antimodal comedy, three kinds of dramatic expression (poetic drama, straight drama or comedy, artificial or high comedy), leveling of emotion
94(1)
Exercises: Period physical lives, Walk the walks
95(2)
7 Delicate decadence
97(16)
Stephen to Athene, April 18, 1940
97(1)
Reply, April 20
98(12)
Summary
110(1)
Concepts: interest, manners without morals, line delivery, types
110(1)
Exercises: Character distinctions, Relish and detail
111(2)
8 The acting profession
113(8)
Stephen to Athene, May 6, 1940
113(2)
Reply, May 16
115(2)
Stephen to Athene, May 31, 1940
117(2)
Summary
119(1)
Concepts: professional prerequisites, pursuing stardom, career pitfalls, career compensations
120(1)
Exercise: Self-analysis
120(1)
Appendices
A Seyler's second thoughts
121(6)
Summary
123(1)
Concepts: spiritual antiseptic, two kinds of comedy, power of an audience, final enunciation, feed line
123(1)
Exercises: Line or character?, Endings, Post mortem
124(3)
B Fans, trains and stays
127(8)
Applications: training, rehearsal, homework
133(2)
C Plays referenced and scenes for practice
135(2)
D Video clips
137(2)
Athene Seyler
137(1)
Stephen Haggard
138(1)
E Tribute by Prunella Scales
139(4)
F Additional sources - comedy books
143
Robert Barton is the author of the books Acting: Onstage and Off (now in its 6th edition), Voice: Onstage and Off, with Rocco Dal Vera, Theatre in Your Life and Life Themes, with Annie McGregor, and Style for Actors (all in recent revised editions). His most recent text is Acting Reframes: Using NLP to Make Better Decisions in and out of the Theatre. His regular column Many Right Ways is published in The Voice and Speech Review.