The Actor In You: Sixteen Simple Steps to Understanding the Art of Acting Book

PART ONE The Actor’s Art
1. Understanding the Actor’s Job and Tradition
The Tradition of the Actor
Getting into the Tradition
Summary of Step 1
2. Discovering Action
Stanislavski’s View of Action
Making Action Stageworthy
Using Action In a Scene
Summary of Step 2
3. Experiencing Internal and External Action
Interactions
Summary of Step 3
4. Understanding Emotion and Character
Character and the Magic If
The Actor in You
Summary of Step 4
Summary of Part One
PART TWO Preparing Yourself to Act
5. Relaxing and Centering
Relaxation
Finding Center
Summary of Step 5
6. Breathing, Sounding, and Moving from Center
The Cycle of Energy
Your Relationship to Gravity
Phrasing Movement
Summary of Step 6
7. Collaboration
Seeing and Hearing
Pursuing an Objective
Summary of Step 7
8. Entering the Actor’s State of Mind
Public Solitude
Dual Consciousness
Indicating
Discipline
Summary of Step 8
Summary of Part Two

PART THREE Preparing to Rehearse: Analyzing the Script
Selecting Your Scene
Example Scenes
9. Understanding Your Lines
Word Choice
Rhythm
Melody
Summary of Step 9
10. Understanding Play and Scene Structure
Finding the Crisis
Units of Action
Finding the Function and Crisis of the Scene
Summary of Step 10
11. Experiencing theCharacter’s Function and Given Circumstances
Function and Recognition Traits
The Given Circumstances
Who
Where
When
Summary of Step 11
Summary of Part Three

PART FOUR Rehearsal
Getting and Giving Notes
12. Personalizing
Emotional Recall and Substitution
Summary of Step 12
13. Exploring Inner Action
The Stimulus
Automatic and Spontaneous Actions
Strategic Choice
The Inner Monologue
Summary of Step 13
14. Defining Objectives and Action
Defining Useful Objectives
Playable Strategic Actions
Direct and Indirect Action: Subtext
Not Doing
Obstacles and Counter-Actions
Summary of Step 14
15 Finding the Scenario, Score, Through-Line, and Superobjective
The Score
Through-Line and Superobjective
Personalizing the Superobjective
Summary of Step 15

16 Preparing for Performance
The Stage
Moving on Stage
Blocking
Shaping and Pacing
Spontaneity
Emotion in Performance
Evaluating Your Work
Summary of Step 16
Summary of Part Four
Afterword
Your Sense of Purpose
Appendix A
A Sample Television Scene
Appendix B
Suggested Plays and Anthologies
Plays
Play and Scene Anthologies
Anthologies for Students of Color
Glossary of Theater and Film Terminology
Index