Repetition in vocal characterizations and deviant listening perceptions are two major weaknesses of American acting. That is, voices and diction usually sound the same in everything the actors do, but no one perceives it. One reason listening is so deficient is because of the uninformed or incorrect concepts of those who practice or teach acting.…

Drama in the classroom is the theme of the 14 articles in this issue, which can be used as resource material for teachers concerned with incorporating drama into the English curriculum. Titles and authors are as follows: "All the World is a Stage--Except the American Classroom" (Charles R. Duke); "A Drama Program for All Seasons" (Paul Cervoni and…

This book with a three-part format contains information which the would-be thespian needs to know for maximum enjoyment and success in stage activities. The first part, "Heritage," traces the history and development of the theater from primitive ritual through the drama of classical Greece and Rome, the Renaissance, and modern Europe and America,…

Focuses on the traditional comic acting style that prevailed in England from 1820 to 1840 by examining the acting of the commedienne whose sixty-year career spanned the first half of the century. (MH)

Traces the Stanislavski system for realism in acting from its origin within Moscow Art Theater, through its modification by Lee Strasberg and Elia Kazan in the Actor's Studio, to its use in modern American films. (JMF)

An organic approach to style in acting can lend credibility and power to performances and can enhance the clarity and extent of what is communicated to audiences about other social worlds. The organic approach is based on the following principles: mental experience and expressive behavior are inseparable and reciprocal; experience in either mode…

Describes a project to help student actors "get into character" thoroughly and empathetically. Notes that 10th, 11th, and 12th graders interviewed many people in a conflict-ridden school community, recorded and transcribed the interviews, took notes on interviewees' gestures and characteristics, and represented those people as faithfully…

Paper presented at 1969 convention of American Educational Theatre Association (Detroit). (RD)

Relates experiences as a recruiter for college theater programs in Florida. Provides tips for students in finding an appropriate monologue, developing the audition, and performing the audition. (PA)

An American press history teacher develops student interest in his topic by masquerading as major personalities in the history of journalism. (RL)

Presents an outline of six basic preparation activities for student actors, including reading the play, doing historical research, elemental exercises, learning the part, creating the character, and exercises in movement and voice. (JMF)

Describes the drama program at Wykeham Rise School, Washington, Connecticut, which provides three hours of class time each day. The instructor describes her use of improvisation in preparing the students and developing the characters in the productions. Comments by two students are included. (JMF)

The theatre curriculum at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland teaches acting techniques used in film and television in order to take students into the world of performance via the media they appreciate first. While a large number of students do not attend the theatre and have learned little about the cultural heritage of the theatre in their…