Tackling Text [and subtext]: A Step-by-Step Guide for Actors

by Barbara Houseman

This is an intensely practical handbook for students, actors, and teachers on how to cope with text, character, and situation. Barbara Houseman’s method is to state a precept and devise an exercise to explore it. The result is a book with a practical exercise on almost every page.

Genres: Theatre

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 12, 2008

Reviews

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent approach for students and lovers of theatre.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is aimed at actors, it is also useful for writers. There's a really cool section on pp. 209-213, urging actors to think about what one character is doing in subtext to the other character at each step in scene. The actor is then urged to figure out how to convey this through actions and gestures. A writer could do the same and really strengthen character dynamics and interactions. Recommended for intermediate to advanced writers.