An Actor Prepares

An Actor Prepares is the most famous acting training book ever to have been written and the work of Stanislavski has inspired generations of actors and trainers

Told in diary form as an actor describing a series of exercises and the rehearsals in which he participates, this seminal work details strategies to avoid superficial tricks and mannerisms in favour of harnessing the power and authenticity of the creative subconscious

This translation was the first to introduce Stanislavski's 'system' to the English speaking world and has stood the test of time in acting classes to this day

Stanislavski here deals with the inward preparation an actor must undergo in order to explore a role to the full

He introduces the concepts of the 'magic if' units and objectives, of emotion memory, of the super-objective and many more now famous rehearsal aids

This is an essential read for actors, directors and anyone interested in the art of drama