About the Book:

Ask any great actor how it happened and you will hear about a great acting teacher.

Finding the right acting technique is about as personal a decision an actor can make. It can also be a tricky business for actors to figure out which technique will be the one to bring them to a place of readiness when they step on stage or in front of a camera. Training of the American Actor is a unique survey of the twentieth century's most enduring acting techniques, offering invaluable practical insights for actors and drama teachers.

Each of the ten famous techniques included in this engaging handbook is described in detail by one of today's foremost teachers who can impart it as its originator intended. Each chapter outlines the development of the respective technique and offers practical guidance for the young actor embarking on a career and for theatre professionals polishing their craft.

Presented in Training of the American Actor are:

Lee Strasberg's Method by Anna Strasberg, Lee's former student and widow, who took over the running of the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute after his death in 1982.

Stella Adler Technique by Tom Oppenheim, who is the artistic director of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City. He is the grandson of Adler and step-grandson of Harold Clurman (Any actor who doesn't know who Harold Clurman was should look him up).

Sanford Meisner Technique by Victoria Hart, who is the founding Director of the Meisner Studio at NYU, where she has served as Head of Acting for over two decades teaching the Meisner Technique.

Michael Chekhov Technique and The Mask by Per Brahe, a Danish teacher inspired by Balinese dance and introduced to the Chekhov technique in Russia.

Uta Hagen Technique by Carol Rosenfeld, who is the Director of the Hagen Institute at HB Studio in New York City. She began teaching there in 1968, working along side two of the greatest acting teachers of the 20th Century, Uta Hagen and Herbert Berghof.

Physical Acting Inspired by Grotowski by Stephen Wangh, who studied with Jerzy Grotowski himself.

The Viewpoints by Mary Overlie, the originator of Viewpoints theory.

Practical Aesthetics by Robert Bella, who is a founding member of the Atlantic Theatre Company and executive director of its David Mamet-inspired acting school.

Interdisciplinary Training by Fritz Ertl, who is head of acting at Playwrights Horizon Theater School.

Neoclassical Training by Louis Scheeder, began his teaching career at NYU in 1989, founding and directing The Classical Studio in the Tisch School of the Arts Department.

What people say:

"For someone new to acting and unfamiliar with the most celebrated acting theories put into practice every day by professional actors, it provides a clear side-by-side comparison of the theories of Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Michael Chekhov, Uta Hagen, David Mamet, and Jerzy Grotowski, among others ... Training of the American Actor is thorough and fulfilling." — Backstage

"A remarkable and significant book... The thing that makes it so special is that editor Arthur Bartow brings together chapters on all the major practitioners written by other highly respected teachers and practitioners." — ReviewsGate

"Successful acting must reflect a society's current beliefs. The men and women who developed each new technique were convinced that previous methods were not equal to the full challenges of their time and place, and the techniques in this book have been adapted to current needs in order to continue to be successful methods for training actors. The actor's journey is an individual one, and the actor seeks a form, or a variety of forms, of training that will assist in unlocking his own creative gifts of expression." — Arthur Bartow, from the introduction

About the Author:

Arthur Bartow has worked as a professional actor, producer and director, and was the Chair and Artistic Director of the Drama Department at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. His producing credits include premieres of Miguel Piñero's Short Eyes, Elizabeth Swados' The Beautiful Lady, and Pheof Sutton's Burial Customs. As actor, he portrayed over 70 roles on Broadway, off-Broadway, Las Vegas, touring, and stock. He authored The Director's Voice and edited Training of the American Actor (issued as Handbook of Acting Techniques in England and translated into the Russian).