Debuting it its first edition, Acting: The Gister Method moves from the beginning process of establishing character and given circumstances, through... Gister’s unique principle of action, and into step-by-step examples of applying the ideas to plays, scenes and monologues. Along with a reader-friendly breakdown of the theoretical aspect of his method, the book contains many down-to-earth examples of experimenting and playing via the imagination and of putting the methods to work in real-life rehearsal and theatre situations. 

Acting the Right Part is a cultural history of huaju (modern Chinese drama) from 1966 to 1996. Xiaomei Chen situates her study both in the context of... Chinese literary and cultural history and in the context of comparative drama and theater, cultural studies, and critical issues relevant to national theater worldwide. Following a discussion of the marginality of modern Chinese drama in relation to other genres, periods, and cultures, early chapters focus on the dynamic relationship between theater and revolution. Chosen during the Cultural Revolution as the exclusive artistic vehicle to promote proletariat art, "model theater" raises important questions about the complex relationships between women, memory, nation/state, revolution, and visual culture. Throughout this study, Chen argues that dramatic norms inform both theatrical performance and everyday political behavior in contemporary China. "This is the first comprehensive English-language study of Chinese drama from the sixties to the early nineties. Chen Xiaomei has mapped out a complex of trajectories in which Chinese drama re-modernized itself during historical turmoils, political struggles, and intellectual debates. Her inquiry into issues ranging from gender representation to the 'theatrics' of politics is illuminating. Historically engaged and theoretically provocative, Chen's book will become a required reader for those interested in Chinese performing arts, cultural politics, and gender studies." --- David Der-wei Wang, Columbia University "Chen Xiaomei brings a unique mixture of professional skills and personal history to this impressive new study. She is not just an important voice in Chinese cultural studies but someone who grew up surrounded by the leading lights of Beijing's theatrical community. The result is a remarkable book, which is both theoretically sophisticated and deeply felt." --- Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Indiana University

A contemporary, integrated approach to singing in musicals that results in better-trained, smarter performers who can use song to add drama and... dimension to their roles. Directors, teachers of musical theater, and students—including actors, singers, or dancers—will find time-tested advice, exercises and worksheets for all skill levels. This book guides readers through musical theater elements, classroom workshops, and the world of professional auditions and performances.Chapters cover vocal and physical warm-ups, body movement, finding subtext, creating a character, song structure, interpreting text of music and lyrics, risks and spontaneity, memorization, collaboration, keeping a performance fresh, and much more. Both teachers and students will appreciate the sections for beginning, intermediate, and advanced performers. Everyone involved in musical theater, from new students to working professionals, will benefit from this rich resource.

In the first edition of Acting, Kurt Daw paired cognitive research on the dynamic of the actor's mind with a keen appreciation of the craft and history... of acting, expanding the creative thought processes of actors everywhere. Now with new sections on using emotion in performance, auditioning successfully, and selecting and performing monologues and scenes, this revised edition has been brought up to the minute to help actors at all levels create powerful characters. Acting offers clear, precise instruction to the veteran actor and debunks the mysticism surrounding performance for the novice. Its series of seven lessons will tap your gray matter as well as your emotional core, utilizing your innate creative abilities to tackle the craft's toughest issues. With Acting's help, you will increase your confidence and conquer stage fright free your creativity with proven techniques for seeing and sensing anew cultivate powerful stage relationships with acting partners spark spontaneity inside a scripted performance illuminate the mental processes underlying Method Acting, Meisner Technique and other popular American approaches to acting.

Recognized as a classic in its field, Acting with Style continues to be an invaluable guide to the process of approaching plays. The Third Edition... retains all of the significant facts, data, information, and exercises, and offers a clear and warm writing style that expresses a sensitivity to the needs of actors. In addition to presenting the physical approach to actor training, the authors encourage readers to use the text materials and concepts with creativity and imagination, asserting that the process of discovering language is not limited to one specific time, place, or culture. For actors.

Activity theory holds that the human mind is the product of our interaction with people and artifacts in the context of everyday activity. Acting with... Technology makes the case for activity theory as a basis for understanding our relationship with technology. Victor Kaptelinin and Bonnie Nardi describe activity theory's principles, history, relationship to other theoretical approaches, and application to the analysis and design of technologies. The book provides the first systematic entry-level introduction to the major principles of activity theory. It describes the accumulating body of work in interaction design informed by activity theory, drawing on work from an international community of scholars and designers. Kaptelinin and Nardi examine the notion of the object of activity, describe its use in an empirical study, and discuss key debates in the development of activity theory. Finally, they outline current and future issues in activity theory, providing a comparative analysis of the theory and its leading theoretical competitors within interaction design: distributed cognition, actor-network theory, and phenomenologically inspired approaches.

Action Analysis is one of the fundamental princples of animation that underpins all types of animation: 2d, 3d, computer animation, stop motion, etc.... This is a fundamental skill that all animators need to create polished, believable animation. An example of Action Analysis would be Shrek's swagger in the film, Shrek. The animators clearly understood (through action analysis) the type of walk achieved by a large and heavy individual (the real) and then applied their observations to the animated character of an ogre (the fantastic). It is action analysis that enabled the animation team to visually translate a real life situation into an ogre's walk, achieving such fantastic results.Key animation skills are demonstrated with in-depth illustrations, photographs and live action footage filmed with high speed cameras. Detailed Case Studies, practical assignments and industry interviews ground action analysis methodology with real life examples. Action Analysis for Animators is a essential guide for students, amateurs and professionals. * A title that unites classic principles of Action Analysis with contemporary workflows. Apply the practices of action analysis to any animaton process.* Extensive illustrations of people and animals in motion that break down the action of animals and humans in a step-by-step manner.* Tips included throughout the book on how to capture motion and analyse action.* Detailed case studies illustrated with line drawings, diagrams, photographs and live action footage, integrate real world examples with practical knowledge.* DVD included as a resource for amateur and experience animators, featuring Short Animations and Live Action examples juxtaposed with stills of animals and humans in motion.

Contemporary native american artist working in many disciplines, James Luna is a visionary and groundbreaking artist. He was the representative for... America at the prestigious, Venice Biennial.

Since the pioneering work of Donald Davidson on action, many philosophers have taken critical stances on his causal account. This book criticizes... Davidson's event-causal view of action, and offers instead an agent causal view both to describe what an action is and to set a framework for how actions are explained.

This accessible and innovative essay on Aristotle, based on fresh translations of a wide selection of his writings, challenges received interpretations... of his accounts of practical wisdom, action, and contemplation and of their places in the happiest human life.

Action Dharma charts the emergence of a new chapter in an ancient faith - the rise of social service and political activism in Buddhist Asia and the... West. Fourteen new essays treat the historical origins, global range, teachings and practices, and leaders and organizations that make up the latest turning of the Dharma. Environmentalism and peace walks through the minefields of Southeast Asia, the future of the 'untouchables' of Japan, and outreach to minorities and inmates of the criminal justice system in the West are some of the challenging topics considered.