Analysis through Action for Actors and Directors is a comprehensive view of an innovative and exciting process for making new theatre.
As well as an understanding of how Analysis through Action has developed over time, this book also demonstrates how it can be put into practice in today’s theatre. The first part of this book traces the exciting genealogy from Stanislavsky’s unfinished experiments, through the insights of geniuses Maria Knebel and Georgii Tovstonogov, down to today’s avant-garde auteurs. The second part is a practical manual based on extensive field testing by the author and colleagues. Here, two key components of the process are elucidated: Text Actions – ten interwoven text analysis steps – to be twinned with the thrilling rehearsal process using focused and joyful improvisations called Études.
Written for new or experienced theatre students and practitioners, this book will enrich the technique of any theatre artist and anyone else interested in the theatre and its future.
Table of Contents:
Part 1: A Genealogy of Analysis through Action 1. An Anatomy of Stanislavsky’s System 2. The Opera-Dramatic Studio 3. Maria Knebel: Toward Analysis Through Action 4. Georgii Tovstonogov: A Voluntary Dictatorship 5. The Legacy Of Analysis Through Action: Part I 6. Anatoly Efros: No Better Man 7. The Glasnost Generation 8. Lev Dodin: The Rabbinical Lion 9. The 2000’s: A Torrent Of New Wealth 10. Yuri Butusov: Hooligan On The Playground 11. Dmitry Krymov: The Accidental Auteur Part 2: The Practice Of Analysis Through Action; Section A: Text Actions 12. Text Action 1: The First Reading 13. Text Action 2: Novel Of Life I 14. Text Action 3: Three Rings of Given Circumstances 15. Text Action 4: Character Given Circumstances 16. Text Action 5: Novel Of Life II 17. Text Action 6: The Initial Given Circumstance 18. Text Action 7: The Five Event Structure 19. Text Action 8: The Sequence Of Events 20. Text Action Nine: The Supertask and the Scream 21. Text Action 10: Novel Of Life III Section B: Études 22. Études - An Overview 23. Études - Implementation
About the Author :
David Chambers is a director, writer, and producer of theatre and opera. His work has been seen in New York from basements to Broadway, in theatres throughout the US, as well as Europe, Russia, and Asia. He taught acting and directing at the Yale School of Drama for three decades. Since then he has been on the faculties of The New School for Drama, The Stella Adler Studio, and Harvard University. He currently teaches in the department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at Yale University, USA.
Review :
"In his compelling, informative, and eminently readable new book, David Chambers wishes to play his part in explaining and popularizing this revelatory form of practice, unlocking its principles for new generations of students and practitioners. [...] Overall, Chambers’ book is an important addition to the growing literature on Active Analysis. It is an outstanding resource for lecturers, conservatoire-level teachers, and professional practitioners, and could support the learning of advanced undergraduates who were exploring these techniques through practical instruction. For Stanislavskians who find themselves Analysis-through-Action-curious, it is a rousing, challenging, and thought-provoking read, and, whether or not one finishes the book a convert, it may well inspire a profound examination of what one’s practice has been in the past and what it could be in the future."
Benjamin Askew, Leeds Conservatoire, UK in Stanislavski Studies (Vol. 13, 1)
"This is a wonderful book by an amazing researcher and knight of the theater and a fantastic teacher. Of course, I would like David Chambers to write his book only about me, so with great jealousy, but also with great interest, I read about everyone."
Dmitry Krymov, Director Krymov Lab NYC, USA
"In Analysis Through Action for Actors and Directors, David Chambers provides a masterfully researched explication of the revolutionary rehearsal method first developed by Stanislavsky during the last decade of his life and elaborated upon by generations of his descendants in the century since. Chambers offers us a rich evolutionary history of the modern art of directing as practiced by some of the giants of the field, sharing his deep understanding of the work of director and actor in generating action, and his love for the theatrical poetry that arises when the actor’s imagination is ignited. This book will be an invaluable resource for directors and actors, and, for the layperson, a fascinating window onto the practical work that makes theatre magic possible."
Liz Diamond, Chair, Directing, David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University, USA
"To explore acting via the ideas of Stanislavsky, his disciples and detractors, is to enter a dense jungle, rife with impenetrable verbal overgrowth and perilous conceptual undergrowth. David Chambers is the ideal safari leader, not only knowledgeable of the snares and pitfalls but capable of carving a clear path through them. Chambers is a thoroughly informed guide to the history of Russian acting theory and practice. He is also an experienced director and teacher, able to assist the actor in nurturing his creative impulses. This book should be on the shelves of anyone interested in how acting works and ought to work, whether a participant or a spectator."
Laurence Senelick, Fletcher Professor Emeritus of Drama and Oratory, Tufts University, USA; Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
"Analysis Through Action for Actors and Directors immediately became an invaluable resource for me. David Chambers has brought into one comprehensive volume new historical background, incisive insights, and instantly applicable practice. I'm particularly struck by the understanding he shares with Stanislavsky and Knebel of an actor's "well-being", and how directors can support creatively healthy practices. How relevant and timely are both Analysis through Action and this book!"
Bella Merlin, Actor, Author, Distinguished Professor University of California Riverside, USA
"David Chambers has forgotten more about the history of acting and directing than most of us could ever hope to know and now, finally, he has put his deep knowledge, impeccable research, and pedagogical acumen into writing the book every theater maker, teacher, and researcher needs. This book is both a vital history of Stanislavski’s ideas and how his Russian descendants built on his legacy and a practical guide for directors and actors in how to apply those ideas in rehearsal. If you’re looking to revamp your process or simply learn more about the giant’s shoulders that we all stand on, this book is essential.”
Isaac Butler, author of “The Method: How the 20th Century Learned to Act”
"This break-through book helps us understand the true legacy of Stanislavsky’s revolutionary discoveries and teachings about acting and directing. It rewrites much of what we think we know about a method that has dominated performance training for well over a century. Invaluable."
Professor Michael Earley, University of Cambridge, UK
