[audiobook] Shakespeare on Theatre: A Critical Look at His Theories and Practices by Robert Cohen in Arts-Photography

Review

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. and demonstrating in precise detail the great playwrights theatrical theories and practicesBy CustomerIf you are interested in really understanding Shakespeares approach to acting. directing. and producing theatre. this book is filled to the brim with wisdom. Cohen systematically analyzes Shakespeares theories on acting. going far beyond Polonius advice to the players. and demonstrating in precise detail the great playwrights theatrical theories and practices. We discover that Shakespeare was way ahead of what we now call Method Acting. that he understood first-hand how actors must approach their roles. and that there is much more to staging a play than resorting to theatrical tricks. What I admire most about this book is the way Cohen analyzes Shakespeares plays in order to demonstrate the validity of Shakespeares beliefs. I never knew that Shakespeare was an actor long before he wrote a play. Cohen tracks his theatrical life. experiences. and beliefs. with razor-sharp clarity. Its kind of like reading a first-rate Sherlock Holmes mystery. I gained clarity about many of Shakespeares plays. including Hamlet. King Lear. and A Midsummer Nights Dream. Great reading for actors. directors. and playwrights.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Meet Shakespeare. the ActorBy CustomerIntimate. highly accessible. and fast-paced. this book reads Shakespearersquo;s plays for signs of the Bardrsquo;s own perspective as an actor. Although there is some biography and theater history here. the emphasis (and the excitement) lies in the authors intuitive. experience-based. wisdom-rich readings of the plays.Cohenrsquo;s Shakespeare began as an actor. developed from acting into playwriting. and went on to direct and produce his plays. but retained the actorrsquo;s perspective throughout. Cohen argues that Shakespeare wrote plays about plays. and plays about playing in plays. Cohen analyzes the acting methods implied by the dramas and makes them available to contemporary readers. theater-makers. and theater lovers.