Why should you know about acting history?In order to know why acting is done as it is in our days, it is good to learn more about acting history. How did it start? Why were only men allowed to play? Who influenced acting and what do we still use from the old days.Our theatres, why do the look as they do, and who came up with sollutions to make theatre available for all? These questions might not influence your performance as an actor, but when you are asked to play in a Shakespeare play, wouldn't it be great to understand all the circomstances of the play? And an ancient greek play really requires understanding of theatre in those days. It is a must to know more about acting history because it enriches your performance. If you can play and you know the deeper meaning of old plays, your performance improves, you will be noticed. Casting directors see that you are serious about your business. And isn't that what we want? Getting their attention? And we give you information about this history. The Meiningen players and their influence; Shakespeare who really influenced the English language by creating so many new words; How about Konstantin Stanislavski 's system that gave us realistic acting. The development of film-acting during the last century. The ongoing film development with new techniques. And of course the history of the Academy Awards. History is a rich field of information you can use to understand and improve your acting. We advice you to take a deeper interest in your profession. And it can be fun! Imagine the great discoveries that lie in simple acting excercizes founded on the historical need to expand the possibilities of acting. |
Ancient theatre still lives.
An actor works by the Phoenix learning group. A modern actress at work on a scene from Euripedes' 2400-year-old Greek drama, "The Trojan Women." We think this is an excelent way to learn from experienced actors how to work on the classic plays.