Style for Actors

Style for Actors is an award-winning handbook and the definitive guide to roles in historical drama. Anyone who has ever struggled with capes, fans, swords, doublets and crinolines should make this third edition their constant companion.

The past is a foreign country, and this outstanding book is concerned with exploring it from the actor's point of view. Specific guides to each major period give readers a clear map to discover a range from Greek, Elizabethan, Restoration and Georgian theatre to more contemporary stylings, including Futurism, Surrealism and Postmodernism. New material in this edition covers Commedia dell'arte and non-Western forms of theatre, theatrical fusion and developments in musicals and Shakespeare. The book’s references, images, resource lists and examples have all been updated to support today's diverse performers.

Robert Barton takes great care to present the actor with the roles and genres that will most commonly confront them. Containing a huge resource of nearly 150 exercises, suggestions for scene study and applications not only for theatrical performance but also for stylistic challenges in the reader’s own offstage life, this book is an invaluable resource for students and practitioners of acting and drama.

Book Information Complimentary Exam Copy

Book Cover

From the Author - Exploring This Site

Ways to enhance your experience of the book are offered here. The heading RESOURCES is your gateway to a more enlightening and enjoyable experience. Each of the resource choices offered, (from Ch.4 Greek through Ch. 10 Personal Style,) contains the following options:

Warm-Up

Ways to prepare to perform each style including the language and imagery unique to that style. While identifying the key beliefs shared by those in this particular world.

Quiz

A simple set of multiple-choice questions to help test your knowledge of each particular style.

In addition, five of them provide the change to listen to the interviews which are at the enter of each chapter:

Audio

This unique feature is offered for Chapters 4,5,6 and 7. After selecting RESOURCES, click on Greek, Elizabethan, Restoration, Moliere or Georgian. and then select audio in order to hear “expert” interviews. This will be invaluable if you are an auditory learner or simply prefer to learn by listening to these spoken versions. The text is brought to life in a way that, for many, surpasses the experience of reading

Andrew Barton assumes the role of interviewer and Robert performs the following five characters: from Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7:

4- THE GREEK INTERVIEW A seer from ancient Greece, related by birth to one of the gods and claiming to have survived a visit to the underworld. (pp. 70-81 in text).

5- THE ELIZABETHAN INTERVIEW – An Elizabethan lord who has functioned both within the actual society in which Shakespeare lived and also magically lived in the worlds of the plays themselves Using alchemy and witchcraft our expert has lived in from Shakespeare’s imagination, (pp.101-114 in text).

6- THE RESTORATIN INTERVIEW - A sly and wicked member of Restoration high society, and part of an audience limited to the aristocracy and favoring court insiders (pp. 165-179 in text)

7- THE MOLIERE INTERVIEW - An actor who is a member of Moliere’s Illustre Theatre company, and has performed throughout the French provinces, the playhouses of Paris as well as the palaces of the king. (pp. 208 – 217 in text)

7- THE GEORGIAN INTERVIEW - A member of the newly emerging merchant class which now has access to privileges formerly open only to the aristocracy. (pp. 233-242 in text)

These audio recordings, also model ways to speak the language of each period style, handling accents, pronunciations, vocal patterns, verse scansion, rhythms and emphasis for each style, a significant addition to the printed material.

Here’s hoping you have a rich and enlightening experience. Enjoy!
Robert