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Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. inspirational and practical acting bookBy C. GutekunstThis book is a brilliant and understandable guide to Stanislavskis approach; written by an actor for actors. It takes the rather randomly organised ideas from Stanislavskis books and condenses and orders them into an accessible and comprehensive structure. Also; unusually in my experience; it clarifies and enhances this through the techniques of his pupil; Michael Chekhov. It demystifies Stanislavski and makes it creatively usable but not at the cost of oversimplifying it. To the contrary; you can tell Gillett has years of experience as an actor and director because this is an enormously rich book of many layers and depth. You get the feeling that you are constantly looking into the essence of the entire process of acting; from the development of the basics an actor needs to the tools to fully embody the character and communicate the play. It inspires you to do the exercises (thankfully placed within each chapter!); which create a taste for what it means to use human experience to create truthful acting. It also tackles misconceptions about Stanislavski; and this is really helpful: it looks at other well-known modern practitioners; revealing and comparing their approaches and providing biographies. This is actually a thrilling read - it is lucid; intelligent; passionate and scholarly; and has flashes of humour that can only come from true understanding and experience. It also challenges; providing a critique of the British entertainment industry and actor training - and; refreshingly; this book has a social conscience and places the actor firmly within the real world. Every actor should read this who wants to be more than a puppet-on-a-string. This book truly empowers you to unleash your creativity. An amazing read!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A truly astonishing book.By Ms. E. K. SharpeThis is a truly astonishing book. The author manages to combine real depth of knowledge and intellectual understanding with clear application of theory to practice. And somehow does this all in a book which is gripping! All the superficial;incomplete and somewhat mystical info on Stanislavskis work that tends to abound in the world of acting are given substance and roots and then expanded and enriched. Fab.