{"title":"James Harriman-Smith","description":"\u003cp\u003eJames Harriman-Smith’s work offers a captivating exploration of the arts, blending historical insight with contemporary relevance. Readers can expect thoughtful reflections that illuminate the enduring impact of eighteenth-century theatre and culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a keen eye for detail and a lively prose style, his books invite an appreciation of performance and creativity that resonates beyond the stage. Ideal for those drawn to the rich tapestry of \u003cem\u003eArts \u0026amp; Culture\u003c\/em\u003e, his writing enriches the understanding of artistic traditions and their modern echoes.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"what-would-garrick-do-or-acting-lessons-from-the-eighteenth-century-by-james-harriman-smith-9781350171961","title":"What Would Garrick Do? Or, Acting Lessons from the Eighteenth Century","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlisted for the STR Theatre Book Prize 2025\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe stage of the 1700s established a star culture, with the emergence of such acting celebrities as David Garrick, Susannah Cibber, and Sarah Siddons. It placed Shakespeare at the heart of the classical repertoire and offered unprecedented opportunities to female actors. This book demonstrates how an understanding of the practice and theories circulating three hundred years ago can generate new ways of studying and performing plays of all kinds in the present.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEight short essays – on emotions, cultivation, character, voice, action, company, audience, and reflection – provide two things: a vivid introduction to the practice and ideas of the eighteenth-century stage, and the story of how these past practices and ideas were used in collaborative workshops around the UK to create new rehearsal exercises. Designed to work alone or in combination, these exercises are also open to further adaptation and analysis as part of a work that treats theatre writers of the past as potential collaborators for those interested in theatre today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMarrying academic and professional theatre expertise, this book ranges through a vast archive of writing about acting, from private letters and battered promptbooks, through to philosophical treatises and celebrity biographies. The exercises, stories, and ideas shared here capture the strangeness of this material – and sometimes its surprising familiarity, as questions asked of actors then seem to anticipate those questions we ask now.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA truly unique offering, \u003cem\u003eWhat Would Garrick Do? Or, Acting Lessons from the Eighteenth Century\u003c\/em\u003e offers a fascinating deep-dive into an important time in theatre history to illuminate practices and processes today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47601322492140,"sku":"9781350171961","price":60.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/fc2fed9c8f4ed45aa0f7e0cee67a02e3.jpg?v=1778018128"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/james-harriman-smith.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}