Acting Power

by Robert Cohen

‘Robert Cohen’s book, Acting Power, follows the tradition of his other book, Acting One, and has been the veritable bible for acting teachers for the last quarter century.’ – David Krasner, Emerson College

‘This book, above all else, is an attempt to explore the qualities of acting power.... to suggest to you, the actor, an approach toward not merely good acting but powerful acting. Great actors display the power to frighten – and the power to seduce – and can shift between the one and the other like a violinist can her notes.’ – From the Preface

The first edition of Acting Power was a groundbreaking work of acting theory which applied sociological and psychological principles to actor training. The book went on to influence a generation of theatre and performance studies students and academics, and was translated into five languages.

This carefully revised 21st Century Edition (re)considers, in the context of today’s



questions such as ‘should actors act from the inside or the outside?’ and ‘should the actor live the role or present the role?’;



contemporary research into communication theory, cybernetics, and cognitive science;



brilliantly illuminating and witty exercises for solo study and classroom use, and a through-line of useful references to classic plays;



penetrating observations about the actor’s art by more than 75 distinguished professional actors and directors.

Cohen’s elegant and rigorous updates emphasise the continuing relevance of his uniquely integrated and life-affirming approach to this field. The new edition draws on his extraordinarily rich career as teacher, scholar, director, translator and dramaturg. It is a recipe for thrilling theatre in any genre.

Genres: Theatre

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Robert Cohen was an American university professor, theatre director, playwright, and drama critic.

Reviews

[Troy Justin Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is difficult to understand for those who do not know Shakespeare and a bit too lengthy; that being said, very informative and enlightening!

[Dísa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok well this is an interesting one in terms of theory. First let me say that it is incredibly dense, like it is not an easy read, definitely falls in with the academic books on that perspective. The book covers the main modern drama practitioners such as Stanislavski and Brect as well as some of Cohens own theories that are built based on them. It is well worth a read for a theory base. For a book that is written for actors in order to better their craft it is surprisingly difficult to read. I mainly picked this one up because I really enjoyed his other books and rate them highly in terms of theatre creation. My main downside for this book is that it is very opinionated, and no doubt informed by Cohen's decades of experience. But there are sections that say that such and such Shakespeare scene should be played in such and such way and I wholly disagree with that because it stifles the vital process of discovery. The book has a bunch of interesting exercises intended for acting classes clearly as most of them require more than one actor to play. It would really suit a teacher.

However it is an excellent book and has a good place in any collection on acting books. Just be prepared to have to take your time with it or gather your friends together to try the exercises out.

[Andres "Ande" Jakovlev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esimest korda lugesin seda raamatut kümnendas klassis - see oli meie peamine teatriõpik. Hiljem olen seda korduvalt uuesti lehitsenud ja lugenud; palju huvitavaid mõtteid ja harjutusi, mida tasub aeg-ajalt meelde tuletada.

[Byron Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite acting book because it is intelligently considered without gimmicks. Its the kind of book that made me proud to be an actor. It makes acting a philosophical endeavor and focuses on the psychological underpinnings of finding characters in a story. It is also a wonderful book to understand characters in general and styles in general. He gives respect to the musical as well as the kitchen sink drama, seeing everything from a nonjudgemental angle. I lost my book a few years ago and bought a new one last year. The price went up but the book is so worth it.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

It takes a while to get rolling - the style is overly flowery, solemn, occasionally pretentious even. That being said, while it's dense, it is frequently dense with goodness. Cohen's ability to tap into the actor's own being, his understanding of how the actor becomes both actor and character simultaneously, is very rewarding. Some of the exercises have potential to bring about great growth. Some appear unsatisfying.

[Kendal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book plus Steve McConnell taught me how to act. Read it backwards (last chapter to first).

[Mills College Library]

792.028 C6786 2013