C H A P T E R 1 9
ACTING IMPROVISATION
EXERCISES
Every director needs some firsthand experience of acting, and you can learn the basics most enjoyably by playing âimprovâ theater gamesâthe subject of this chap-ter. For books, try John Hodgson and Ernest Richardsâ Improvisation (Grove Press,1974) and Viola Spolinâs Improvisation for the Theater: A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques, 3rd ed. (Northwestern University Press, 1999). The lat-ter text was integral to the founding of Second City, the Chicago improvisational school that spawned many actors, comedians, and directors.
Some film directorsânotably Ingmar Bergman, John Cassavetes, Ken Loach, and Mike Leighâuse improvisation as a source for drama. ...
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