Why do people act? Why are other people drawn to watch them? How is acting as a performing art related to role-playing outside the theater? As the first philosophical study devoted to acting; Acts: Theater; Philosophy; and the Performing Self sheds light on some of the more evasive aspects of the acting experiencemdash; such as the import of the actors voice; the ethical unease sometimes felt while embodying particular sequences; and the meaning of inspiration. Tzachi Zamir explores actingrsquo;s relationship to everyday role-playing through a surprising range of examples of ldquo;lived acting;rdquo; including pornography; masochism; and eating disorders. By unearthing the deeper mobilizing structures that underlie dissimilar forms of staged and non-staged role-playing; Acts offers a multi-layered meditation on the percolation from acting to life.The book engages questions of theatrical inspiration; the actorrsquo;s ldquo;energy;rdquo; the difference between acting and pretending; the special role of repetition as part of live acting; the audience and its attraction to acting; and the unique significance of the actorrsquo;s voice. It examines the embodied nature of the actorrsquo;s animation of a fiction; the breakdown of the distinction between what one acts and who one is; and the transition from what one performs into who one is; creating an interdisciplinary meditation on the relationship between life and acting.
#554213 in eBooks 2015-10-14 2015-10-14File Name: B00ZVYE9MU
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. engaging and informativeBy EmilyI purchased this book for a study on luxury; and its by far the most entertaining source Ive read. Recommended.11 of 14 people found the following review helpful. very smart; very thoughtfulBy A CustomerMany writers have taken on the subject of luxury spending. The issue seems to have growing weight these days given the spread of luxury products through a very broad income range. Many approach the question as if it were one of morals; or one of emptiness. The refreshing thing about Twitchell is that he understands that people simply like things and always have.30 of 32 people found the following review helpful. Another Contribution to "Lux Lit"By Robert MorrisThe subtitle attracted me to this book: "Our Love Affair with Luxury." I assumed that the first-person plural pronoun refers to Americans in general and to affluent Americans in particular; that Twitchell views the relationship between a consumer (or consumer wannabe) and material objects resembles a love affair; finally; that luxury denotes both material objects and the lifestyle (if not quality of life) they collectively create. After having read the book; I concluded that my assumptions were essentially sound. Twitchell conducted extensive research for this book. He traveled throughout the country; roaming around various upscale retail establishments; observing salespeople and engaging in conversation with many of them. For Twitchell; what is luxury? He suggests "a mallet with which one pounds the taste of others" (does this preclude the appreciation of luxury for its own sake?) and "those things that you have that I think you shouldnt have" (does this include a terminal illness?). If I understand Twitchell (and I may well not); his research leads him to several conclusions. For example; that contemporary values are influenced significantly by advertising; that the the shoppes along Rodeo Drive and Fifth Avenue are "cathedrals" of consumption in which their customers are guided to "epiphanies" which determine purchase decisions; and that experiences with faux luxury (e.g. those found in the opulent casinos of Las Vegas) are better than none at all. When determining social status; Twitchell views what he calls "opuluxe spending" as a more relevant criterion than is ones ancestry: You are what you can afford to own. Not all would agree with him. I dont.However; few (if any) of Twitchells readers have conducted the research he has on all this. My own experience suggests that distinctions between Old Money and New Money are less informative than the matter of taste. (Twitchell suggests few such distinctions.) Vulgarity cuts across all economic levels but; in general; the consumption of those in the Old Money category is less conspicuous than consumption by those in the New Money category. (If Twitchell has read The Millionaire Next Door; I wonder what he thinks of Tom Stanleys conclusions.) Almost all of the affluent people I know collect and redeem coupons; are constantly alert for bargains; try to get the maximum number of shaves from a razor blade; etc. Early in life; I learned that those referred to as "tightwads" are relentlessly frugal but not opposed to "opuluxe spending" per se. Unlike most others; they maintain tight control of a "wad" which permits them to purchase just about anything they may desire.What to make of this book? First of all; its highly entertaining. Also; its general subject is one which has not as yet received as much attention as I think it deserves; although a number of other books ("Lux Lit") have also been published in recent years. Moreover; I think that Twitchell is really on to something important when suggesting (or at least implying) that expanding consumerism on a global basis will create greater access to "the finer things in life." Who knows? That may well raise taste levels; require higher quality and greater value from those who design and manufacture consumer products; and perhaps (just perhaps) increase both the standard of living and quality of life. Given the current War on Terrorism as well as the hostilities in the Middle East and throughout much of Africa; the sooner the participants stop shooting and start shopping; the better.
