Aileen Gonsalves - Böcker

This practical handbook is invaluable for anyone performing, teaching, studying or simply wanting a new way to enjoy Shakespeare. It provides an outline of Meisner’s work and legacy, a discussion of that legacy in the light of the enduring global popularity of Shakespeare, and a wealth of practical exercises drawn from Meisner’s techniques.Shakespeare writes about the truth in human relationships and human hearts. Sanford Meisner's work unlocks truthful acting. They would seem a perfect match. Yet, following Meisner’s note to his actors that 'text is your greatest enemy’, Shakespeare and Meisner are often considered ‘strange bedfellows’. The rhetorical complexity of Shakespeare’s text can often be perceived as rules an actor must learn in order to perform Shakespeare ‘properly’. Meisner’s main rule is that 'you can’t say ouch until you’ve been pinched’: in other words, an actor must genuinely feel something in order to react in a performance which is alive to the moment. This book explores how actors can use Meisner’s tools of ‘acting is reacting’ to discover the infinite freedom within the apparent constraints of Shakespeare’s text.

This practical handbook is invaluable for anyone performing, teaching, studying or simply wanting a new way to enjoy Shakespeare. It provides an outline of Meisner’s work and legacy, a discussion of that legacy in the light of the enduring global popularity of Shakespeare, and a wealth of practical exercises drawn from Meisner’s techniques.Shakespeare writes about the truth in human relationships and human hearts. Sanford Meisner's work unlocks truthful acting. They would seem a perfect match. Yet, following Meisner’s note to his actors that 'text is your greatest enemy’, Shakespeare and Meisner are often considered ‘strange bedfellows’. The rhetorical complexity of Shakespeare’s text can often be perceived as rules an actor must learn in order to perform Shakespeare ‘properly’. Meisner’s main rule is that 'you can’t say ouch until you’ve been pinched’: in other words, an actor must genuinely feel something in order to react in a performance which is alive to the moment. This book explores how actors can use Meisner’s tools of ‘acting is reacting’ to discover the infinite freedom within the apparent constraints of Shakespeare’s text.

This is the first book to be written on the Gonsalves Method, an emerging actor-training method receiving growing attention in drama training and rehearsal settings.Building on the work of Sanford Meisner and his instruction to "live truthfully under a given set of circumstances", the Gonsalves Method and this book are based on "five conditions" that demystify acting in an ensemble context with the ultimate goal of achieving truthful performances. Each condition builds through simple steps to train the actor to be fully responsive in every moment to their fellow actors, audience and environment.These "five conditions" are brought about through the "five rehearsal stages", unpacked in this book, and which offer a step-by-step path to performance, with practical tips about casting, line-learning and creating a joyful, trusting, productive ensemble.Throughout, the method set out in this book is underpinned with case studies, examples and interviews with practitioners that have used it in productions – in particular, the immersive ensemble founded by Aileen Gonsalves, The Butterfly Collective, whose work is used frequently as examples during the book. The book also features practical exercises for the reader, drawing on work from a wide range of playwrights, including William Shakespeare, Tanika Gupta, Duncan Macmillan, Caryl Churchill, Penelope Skinner, Oscar Wilde, Harold Pinter and David Mamet.Throughout, readers can expect to gain a methodical, but intuitive, approach to acting and a foundational understanding of a dynamic new method that helps in truthful character creation.