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Why Acting Matters

Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Why Acting Matters by David Thomson is a provocative and highly engaging essay on the art of pretending across stage, screen, and everyday life. Thomson explores the allure and paradoxes of acting, reflecting on casting, stage versus film performance, and celebrity culture. The book offers thoughtful appraisals of iconic actors such as Meryl Streep and Laurence Olivier, examining notions of good and bad acting.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book will appeal to readers interested in arts and culture, theatre and film enthusiasts, as well as anyone curious about the craft and significance of acting in both professional and daily contexts.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Why Acting Matters by David Thomson is a provocative, highly engaging essay on the art of pretending on the stage, on screen, and in daily life.

Does acting matter? David Thomson, one of our most respected and insightful writers on movies and theatre, answers this question with intelligence and wit. In this fresh and thought-provoking essay, Thomson tackles this most elusive of subjects, examining the allure of the performing arts for both the artist and the audience member while addressing the paradoxes inherent in acting itself.

He reflects on the casting process, on stage versus film acting, and on the cult of celebrity. The art and considerable craft of such gifted artists as Meryl Streep, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Daniel Day-Lewis, and others are scrupulously appraised here, as are notions of 'good' and 'bad' acting.

Thomson’s exploration is at once a meditation on and a celebration of a unique and much beloved, often misunderstood, and occasionally derided art form. He argues that acting not only matters but is essential and inescapable, as well as dangerous, chronic, transformative, and exhilarating, be it on the theatrical stage, on the movie screen, or as part of our everyday lives.

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  • Why Acting Matters
    Why Acting Matters by David Thomson is a provocative, highly engaging essay on the art of pretending on the stage, on screen, and in daily life. Does acting matter? David Thomson, one of our most respected and insightful writers on movies and theatre, answers this question with intelligence and wit. In this fresh and thought-provoking essay, Thomson tackles this most...
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    $4999
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300195743

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 March 2016

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 133.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 186g

Pages: 192

About the Author

David Thomson is the author of more than twenty books, including biographies of David O. Selznick and Orson Welles, and The New Biographical Dictionary of Film. He lives in San Francisco, CA.

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