Lang Thompson requests: > Can anybody recommend a book on the history of acting? After reading a > bunch of material on Welles lately I wanted to follow up his references to > older styles and approaches but can't find anything. All the books in our > library are either how-to, specific topics or acting theory (and not even a > history of acting theories). Even if this is part of a general history of > theatrical performance that would work but even the closest to that I found > were textbooks that looked pretty tedious. The second chapter in James Naremore's ACTING IN THE CINEMA gives at least a brief overview of the contrasts and shifts of theatrical and cinematic acting styles. Sir John Hamilton's THE ACTOR'S ART contains a number of essays by actors from 1871 to 1949 that might be useful. Also see Toby Cole's ACTORS ON ACTING. Garff Wilson's A HISTORY OF AMERICAN ACTING might also be helpful. Don Larsson ----------------------------------------------------------- Donald F. Larsson, English Department, AH 230 Minnesota State University Mankato, MN 56001 ---- For past messages, visit the Screen-L Archives: http://bama.ua.edu/archives/screen-l.html