DOC Listening to Reason: Culture; Subjectivity; and Nineteenth-Century Music by Michael P. Steinberg in Arts-Photography

Review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Hypnotic; entertaining and inspiringBy TaiI came to this book not knowing anything about Stella Adler and very little about the theater; yet I soon became engrossed in Stellarsquo;s character; her life story; and her mesmerizing path through history. This lush biography reads like a well-paced novel; with Stella its blazing heart. There are very few people in the world like Stella Adlermdash;people who can transform others by the force of their personalities. Itrsquo;s clear from reading this book that author Sheana Ochoa was transformed by her connection to Adler. In this deftly written and meticulously researched biography; she conveys that transformative experience. Stellarsquo;s boundless charisma; her idealism; her complicated greatness; her passion for her work; her prickly humor; is all depicted clearly and vividlymdash;almost cinematically. ldquo;Create the room!rdquo; Stella would say; when instructing young actors how to play a scene. Ochoa has brilliantly created the stage that was Stella Adlerrsquo;s life. You donrsquo;t have to be a theater buff to enjoy "Stella!" or even a regular reader of biographies: if you appreciate great storytelling and unforgettable characters; this spellbinding book will not disappoint.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. DID STELLA WRITE THIS?By mary gulivindalaI just read a Master Class on Stella Adler! The book ldquo;STELLA! Mother of Modern Actingrdquo; took me on a journey into the history; life; art; and ideology of an icon of the theater world; Stella Adler. The history of the Yiddish theater on the lower East Side of Manhattan was written so clearly that I could feel the energy of the people; the community; the struggle and the importance of the contribution of theater that unified these immigrant people. I could; hear; smell and feel the lower East Side. The importance of what the Adler family achieved is historically monumental to an otherwise dreary; depressed neighborhood and time in American history which I was unaware of. Thats just the beginning! Getting to know Ms. Adler through this extraordinary read was educational not only in how she taught but also in her belief that it is the responsibility of the actor through craft to make an impact on society. To use theater as a tool for activism. I found this to be an exciting; easy yet intellectual read. It is obvious that the author did her homework! The incredible amount of research that had to have taken place to write this important book translates to the reader. The authors comprehensive expertise on her subject; as well as her commitment to writing; what I believe should be part of the all actors education whether it be part of an academic curriculum in Universities or in community theaters around the globe is monumental and relevant to teaching the craft of acting. Bravo to Ms. Ochoa for not only recognizing the prominence of Stella Adler and her contribution to history of theater but also for writing a book that should not be overlooked and live on as a teaching tool as Stella is for me now!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Stella Adler... A force of nature!By BSTIMELESSWhen discussing Stella Adler; there are not enough words to convey her greatness. In these times; words of praise are offered all too recklessly. But; not in her case.Stella Adlers steely techniques in the craft of acting; coupled with her imperious persona and and exalted; deep understanding of the theatre has made her the greatest acting teacher that ever lived. Her influence on modern theatre and film is unequivocal. Stella was loved; sometimes hated; sometimes feared; and very often revered. With good reason. She was a true force of nature. The big problem with such greatness; is that we often feel that these giants are beyond our reach. Stella Adler is no exception because she was so emphatically; splendidly herself. A hundred times life size!The author; Sheana Ochoas first great achievement with this wonderful and thoroughly researched biography; is in creating a more human view of Stella. Ochoa illuminates all aspects of Stellas life and reveals a complicated; intense; generous but sometimes flawed personality. We also get to see how vulnerable; loving; passionate and sentimental Stella could be. How important family was to her. And how Stella had many complicated relationships. Surprisingly; we also learn of her bouts with depression. Ochoa holds nothing back. She writes in an objective manner; yet stays caring toward the subject. In doing this; you simply fall more madly in love with Stella Adler.In a sense the book is more than just a biography. Ochoa brings back the Yiddish Theatre where it all started. She retraces the life and times of the Queen and King of the Yiddish stage; Stellas parents; Sara and Jacob Adler. We get a real sense of the social; political and economic climate of the time and how crucial the Yiddish theatre was in rejuvenating America. Whats more is that we get to see the nature of the relationships of the Adler clan and how it colored Stellas individual and theatrical vision.One of the most interesting things about this biography is how it documents Stellas deep involvement with saving European Jews; refugees; and her secretive work with the Irgun Zvai Leumi. Miss Ochoa reconstructs the tumultuous and uncertain sociopolitical atmosphere of the time. Stella was more than just an actress and teacher. She was a whole lot of human being; a great mind... and she had a deep sense of responsibility. The extent of her involvement in securing the safety of European Jews into America and Palestine is quite admirable. Despite the many dangers; Stella organized meetings; gave fundraisers; concerts; impassioned speeches; partook in undercover missions carrying illegal passports; found a train to transport people and documents and was a gunrunner for the Irgun group!Ochoa effectively and clearly maps out Adlers early days: from acting in the Yiddish theatre; to burluesque and vaudeville; to the Laboratory theatre and the Group Theatre days. We get a sense of the circumstances of the time in America with the Depression and later the McCarthy period. The author gives you an intimate look into Stellas ambitions as a young actress and an insight into her well-known; longtime stormy relationship with Harold Clurman. Over the years one hears about the difficulties of their relationship; but rarely do we get such an up-close view of it; when reading some of the excerpts from their letters.It is evident that this book has a lot of research and work put into it. It is not easy to write biography of a woman who has so many aspects to her life. Yet; Ochoa knows how to keep a balance between being deeply informative and still fascinating. At certain points we even feel like a kind of traveling companion on Stellas many trips around the world including Moscow; Spain; Italy; London and Paris where she met and studied with the father of "the system"; Stanislavsky. With all of Stellas hats and extensive luggage following her around the world! There are a few surprises included as well. For instance; I never knew she was romantically involved with the now legendary composer Prokofiev!Finally; we get a glimpse into her famous classes and the effect she had (and still has) on her students. The biography is peppered with wonderful anecdotes and quotes by some of her famous students and colleagues - Everyone from Marlon Brando to Arthur Laurents to Mark Ruffalo. Most touching is Stellas drive to keep teaching until she was 90 years old and her forever loving relationship with Irene Gilbert who took over responsibility of Stellas Los Angeles school.In brief; this first real biography on Stella Adler is intimate; deeply informative and inspirational. It is a completely satisfying read for any student; teacher; historian or general reader. One feels the colossal importance of Stellas approach to life; the craft of acting; and its power to transform. Stella devoted a great deal of her life to synthesizing and spreading the true teachings left by Stanislavski and sought to repay him for all he taught her. And by God; she did! She also added her own genius of script interpretation and characterization that has positively transformed modern acting.Yet; not enough has been written about Adler over the years.Perhaps; in a way; just as Stella paid tribute to Stanislavski... This book is a stunning acknowledgement of the genius and legacy of Stella Adler.Great appreciation and acknowledgement to Sheana Ochoa for all the research that has gone into writing this truly beautiful book.