lsquo;A focus on the body; its actions; and its cognitive mechanisms identifies ... foundational principles of activity that link the three elements of theatre; Story; Space; and Time. The three meet in; are defined by; and expressed through the actorrsquo;s body.rsquo; ndash; from the Introduction?Embodied Acting is an essential; pragmatic intervention in the study of how recent discoveries within cognitive science can ndash; and should ndash; be applied to performance. For too long; a conceptual separation of mind and body has dominated actor training in the West. Cognitive science has shown this binary to be illusory; shattering the traditional boundaries between mind and body; reason and emotion; knowledge and imagination. This revolutionary new volume explores the impact that a more holistic approach to the "bodymind" can have on the acting process.Drawing on his experience as an actor; director and scholar; Rick Kemp interrogates the key cognitive activities involved in performance; including:non-verbal communicationthe relationship between thought; speech; and gesturethe relationship between self and characterempathy; imagination; and emotion.New perspectives on the work of Stanislavski; Michael Chekhov; and Jacques Lecoq ndash; as well as contemporary practitioners including Daniel Day-Lewis and Katie Mitchell ndash; are explored through practical exercises and accessible explanations. Blending theory; practice; and cutting-edge neuroscience; Kemp presents a radical re-examination of the unconscious activities engaged in creating; and presenting; a role.
#2465416 in eBooks 2011-10-10 2011-10-10File Name: B009B0ZLJ0
Review
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Great read for anyone interested in horror and the gothic!By Dr. Laurence RawI really enjoyed this book. Not only can it be read from cover to cover. but it is a great dipping book. It should appeal both to academics and aficionados of the horror and gothic genres. I congratulate Tibbetts on his efforts!7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Authoritative and InterestingBy J. GephardtTibbetts doesnt just "know" his material; he is a foremost expert. He brings to this book the expertise of someone who has studied the genre in depth. for a long time. He has interviewed some of the great masters of this field. and through his book we get to share in these conversations. Its an outstanding way to gain insights wed never have gotten any other way.For anyone interested in truly knowing this genre. "The Gothic Imagination" is a must-read.By the way. I recently attended a presentation and reading by this author. and I enjoyed it thoroughly. He has a great speaking/reading voice. and presented quite an interesting excerpt from this book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Needs More than just InterviewsBy TammyJo EckhartFrom the title you know that this will be a series of "conversations" about "fantasy. horror. and science fiction" from all types of media. What you may not figure out is that these conversations are primarily interviews conducted by the author John C. Tibbetts and various media personalities. author. and scholars. A handful of these are conversations between three people but most are these interviews. In all of the interviews it is clear that Tibbetts knows the figures he is talking with but also that he has a love of the genres.The range of those interviewed is wide. We have scholars who have studied the 19th century or 20th century literature or art. both visual and music. We have authors of the three genres listed as well as screenwriters. directors. and actors. In total I counted 47 interviews. There are also three essays (chapters 7-9) included that felt a bit off since they broke the established pattern.The biggest disappointment for me was a weak definition of "gothic" since the entire book is supposed to be arguing that the genres of science fiction. horror. and fantasy all have gothic elements or are drawn from gothic traditions. The offered definition is so vague that is might encompass almost anything. Are we to believe that almost all of the current media arts are derived from gothic traditions?Without a strong definition or a consistent argument throughout the book we cannot be convinced.The book is worth having for the interviews themselves but as an academic work it is lacking.
