Lists the top ten acting ailments often encountered in student actors, and offers advice to cure these ailments: the split personality, the beauty queen and the leading man, the comedian, the director in training, the moody one, the character-clueless, the loner, the mimic, the stage-frightened, and the opening night artist. (SR)

Argues that teachers need to reinforce the idea that the successful actor's first step in the process of finding and developing a character is to understand the script. Includes the script for a 10-minute play, Christopher Graybill's "Go Look." Presents a close study of the script. (RS)

Explains the Viewpoints, a technique used to focus actors' awareness on different elements of performance such as tempo, duration, gesture, and spatial relationships. Notes that this former avant-garde technique is now taught by mainstream directors. Proposes that Viewpoints is a valuable tool for the rediscovery of a production. (PM)

Presents a series of warm-up stretching exercises for student actors to do in a seated position. (SG)

Explains L. Kuleshov's body-oriented theory of acting. Describes how actors begin their Kuleshov training with short etudes that are confined to a linear matrix. Proposes that these etudes help students understand how their bodies fit into a planimetric composition, to remain in control of their bodies when confronted with complex floor patterns,…

Note that the exercise, Roll Call, is designed to demonstrate that character is most effectively and reliably created through a careful selection and execution of actions, not by magically inhabiting a character. Concludes that by the end of this sequence of exercises, students should have a better understanding of how character can be created…

Presents 13 improvisation exercises offered by 5 teachers. (SR)

Discusses the unpacking of the term "creativity," hindrances to the execution of creativity, and eight specific teaching techniques that enable the advanced actor to focus all of his/herself into integrated action toward and into an integrated response. (RS)

Describes an exercise for a beginning acting class at the outset of a semester that demonstrates, reiterates, and clarifies some of the fundamental points of acting craft. (SR)

Discusses the "mirror game," a classic acting exercise that gets young actors to understand that connecting to their scene partners is a crucial part of acting. Describes the learning opportunities offered by the mirror game, describes how to initiate it in class, and how to add challenges to the exercise. (SR)

Describes the "As If" technique, a mnemonic device that reminds actors what the action they are doing means and feels to them personally. Discusses introducing As If to students, the As If "game," and applying it to scripted scenes. (RS)

Provides the rules for two theater games--Almost Silent Story, and Add an Action. Describes the first as a game in which the instructor reads a story and the students act it out. Describes Add an Action as a game in which a series of actions are performed in sequence. Emphasizes the importance of movement. (PA)

Examines the nature of imagination and creativity in the acting process. Argues that successful acting is the ability to extend the imagination into the creative act of developing a role and building a character. Discusses specific ways a theater educator inspires creativity in actors. (RS)

Argues that teachers and directors should teach their students how to audition. Offers tips, explanations, and observations regarding selection of material, preparation, appearance, making contact, and other advice. (SR)

Describes a project to help student actors "get into character" thoroughly and empathetically. Notes that 10th, 11th, and 12th graders interviewed many people in a conflict-ridden school community, recorded and transcribed the interviews, took notes on interviewees' gestures and characteristics, and represented those people as faithfully…