I’m hearing the term ‘artist’ bandied around a lot lately. Maybe it’s a bit of strutting, maybe not. Maybe it’s just time actors claimed the title, and admitted egolessly to being exactly that. The word ‘actor’ works for me, but so also does ‘artist’ when it’s used by someone who’s talented, experienced, and who’s paid
Continue reading ...I’ve been re-reading Robert Hornby’s book ‘The End of Acting: a radical view’ I first met this nicely provocative work in 1993 during grad school at UH. Hornby’s spray on the US actor-training establishment, especially of the Method variety, resonated for me. I liked his writing style and opinion, born out of long experience as
Continue reading ...But not any old night. Another class of actors enters the industry at their showcase performance and end of three years of intensive training. Their lovely talent shone through despite the grunginess of the venue. As always, I felt as though a bunch of fledglings was leaving the nest and needed protection. No, let them
Continue reading ...One of the audience members summed it up precisely. You should feel as though you have done a couple of rounds in an emotional ring after a good night in the theatre. This new production of War Horse at London’s National looks just the job: a boy and his horse, WWI, great puppets, and a
Continue reading ...Those wonderful one-penny ticket audience members who stood in the yard of Shakespeare’s theatre. They were a rowdy and indiscriminating lot by all accounts. Hamlet had a few words to say about them. They were, “for the most part, capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise.” But hey, they bought the ticket, and
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