Acting: The First Six Lessons

Acting: The First Six Lessons was first published in 1933 and remains a key text for anyone studying acting today. These dramatic dialogues between teacher and idealistic student explore the field of acting according to one of the original teachers of Stanislavsky's System in America. The witty and energetic debate between the two characters brings to life the internal mind of the actor and director, exposing some vital lessons for practitioners of both disciplines. Boleslavsky draws on his vast experience as an actor and director to create a book that is at turns humorous, enlightening and challenging for the reader. This new edition of this essential text is edited by Rhonda Blair and supplemented for the very first time with Documents from the American Laboratory Theatre. These documents collect together a broad range of exciting unpublished material, drawn from the Boleslavsky's pivotal and unprecedented teachings on acting at the American Laboratory Theatre. Included are: 'The Creative Theatre' lectures by Richard Boleslavsky Boleslavsky's 'Lectures from the American Laboratory Theatre' 'Acting with Maria Ouspenskaya', four short essays on the work of Ouspenskaya, Boleslavsky's colleague and fellow actor trainer A new critical introduction and bibliography by the Editor