{"product_id":"the-actor-and-the-character-by-vladimir-mirodan-9781138852518","title":"The Actor and the Character","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTransformative acting remains the aspiration of many an emerging actor and constitutes the achievement of some of the most acclaimed performances of our age: Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln, Meryl Streep as Mrs Thatcher, Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter – the list is extensive, and we all have our favourites. But what are the physical and psychological processes which enable actors to create characters so different from themselves?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTo understand this unique phenomenon, Vladimir Mirodan provides both a historical overview of the evolution of notions of 'character' in Western theatre and a stunning contemporary analysis of the theoretical implications of transformative acting. \u003cem\u003eThe Actor and the Character\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSurveys the main debates surrounding the concept of dramatic character and – contrary to recent trends – explains why transformative actors conceive their characters \u003cem\u003eas ‘independent’ of their own personalities\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDescribes some important techniques used by actors to construct their characters by \u003cem\u003ephysical means\u003c\/em\u003e: work on objects, neutral and character masks, Laban movement analysis, Viewpoints, etc.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eExamines the psychology behind transformative acting from the perspectives of \u003cem\u003eboth psychoanalysis and scientific psychology\u003c\/em\u003e and, based on recent developments in psychology, asks whether transformation is not just acting folklore but may actually entail temporary changes to the brain structures of the actors.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Actor and the Character\u003c\/em\u003e speaks not only to academics and students studying actor training and acting theory, but contributes to current lively academic debates around character. This is a compelling and original exploration of the limits of acting theory and practice, psychology, and creative work, in which Mirodan boldly re-examines some of the fundamental assumptions of actor training and some basic tenets of theatre practice to ask: What happens when one of us ‘becomes somebody else’?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Taylor \u0026 Francis","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47607887036652,"sku":"9781138852518","price":341.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781138852518-the-actor-and-the-character.jpg?v=1778177708","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/products\/the-actor-and-the-character-by-vladimir-mirodan-9781138852518","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}