How to Rehearse When There Is No Rehearsal: Acting and the Media Book

Foreword: Thoughts about Stanislavsky and Acting Today   Robert Blumenfeld     xi
Preface: The Need for This Book     xvii
Acknowledgments     xxi
Acting and Current Working Conditions     1
The Stanislavsky System Explored     3
Why Rehearse?     19
Commitment and Practicing Alone     19
Rehearsing Scenes for Class     28
Film and Television: The End of Rehearsal     31
Television Commercials     35
Soap Opera and Nighttime Television Drama     36
The Situation Comedy (Sitcom)     41
Rehearsing on Your Own     49
Introduction Developing the Process     51
Impulses and Instincts     59
Concentration and Relaxation     62
Substitution and Endowment     65
Step 1: How to Read the Script     69
Finding the Themes     76
Finding the Playwright's Music     77
Step 2: Developing the Relationships     81
First Readings     85
Revealing the Subtext     92
Step 3: Paying Attention to the Inner Objects     95
Step 4: Finding the Objective     103
Step 5: Following Up on Place and Circumstances:The Here and Now     127
Place     127
Circumstances     134
Step 6: Planning the Activity     137
Step 7: Delving into the Prior Relationship     147
Step 8: The Character Chart, Part 1: Writing a Preliminary Character Background     153
Introduction     153
Background Questions     156
Step 9: The Character Chart, Part 2: Deciding on the Character Traits     169
More about Negative Character Traits     174
Two Exercises     178
Step 10: The Character Chart, Part 3: Life Drives     181
Step 11: Becoming the Character     187
Essences     189
Complete Character Charts     201
The Steps Condensed When You Have No Time: My Experience in the Media     207
The Ideal and the Practical: Working in Film and Television     209
The Director and the Camera     229
Camera Takes and How to Deal With Them     229
Working with Directors: Translating the Director's Language     238
Chapter 17 Auditions     247
Plays     250
Film     252
Television     255
Prepared Monologues     257
A Parting Word      263
Glossary of Acting Terms     265
Bibliography     269
Index of People     271
Index of Films and Television Programs     275
Index of Plays     277
About the Author and Collaborator     279