Dimensions of Acting - An Australian Approach

A sophisticated, frank and passionate book, Dimensions of Acting explores the process of creating a performance

At the centre of his thinking, Crawford rejects the notion of acting gurus, observing that good actors do whatever works

They don't follow one particular method to the exclusion of everything else, he says, to do so would be anti-art

And if cobbling together bits and pieces that suit the job at hand is a challenging and messy process, no one said that art should be simple

The trick is knowing what to use and when

Crawford identifies eight Dimensions as the building blocks for a performance: the Environment and Dramaturgy of the play, the History and Activity of the character, the Characterisation and Personalisation of the actor, the Aesthetic of the production and finally, the bedrock for all actors, Communication in performance

These Dimensions can be used to help actors discover which bits of acting theory might turn them on, whether from Stanislavski, Lecoq or Aunty Gladys

They also provide a focus for when things aren't working, offering approaches that can be fruitfully explored

Along the way Crawford references great plays and writers, notably Shakespeare, as well as the major acting theories, providing an invaluable guide to teachers and students at all levels

The book also focuses on a number of widely-studied Australian plays including Away,Stolen and Gary's House

With thirty years of working in Australian theatre behind him, Crawford delivers practical tools for performers and new insights into acting and the Australian theatre