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