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Bella Merlin
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The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit: Revised Edition Paperback – 19 June 2014

by Bella Merlin (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 273 ratings
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A revised and updated edition of Bella Merlin's essential guide to Stanislavsky.

The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit collects together for the first time the terms and ideas developed by Stanislavsky throughout his career.

It is organised into three sections: Actor-Training, Rehearsal Processes and Performance Practices. Key terms are explained and defined as they naturally occur in this process. They are illustrated with examples from both his own work and that of other practitioners.

Each stage of the process is explored with sequences of practical exercises designed to help today's actors and students become thoroughly familiar with the tools in Stanislavsky's toolkit.

'Bella Merlin magically converts her extensive knowledge into real-world practice and on-the-floor technique. This new edition is a necessary and lively resource for any theatre practitioner' David Chambers, Professor of Directing, Yale School of Drama

'One of the essential books about acting for both professionals and students… brings new clarity to unlocking what Stanislavsky means for actors today' Michael Earley, Principal, Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance

'The ultimate 'all in one' panacea for drama teachers struggling to make Stanislavsky's teachings understandable for students' ― Teaching Drama

'Erudite but very accessible... a brilliantly researched study' ― Amateur Stage

'A great achievement... a serious, no-nonsense interpretation of Stanislavsky's thinking written by an actor-teacher with considerable experience... I shall be going back to this Toolkit again and again' ― ReviewsGate.com

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    360 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Nick Hern Books
  4. Publication date
    19 June 2014
  5. Dimensions
    13.34 x 3.18 x 20.96 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    184842406X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1848424067
  8. See all details
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Product description

Review

"Bella Merlin magically converts her extensive knowledge into real-world practice and on-the-floor technique. This new edition is a necessary and lively resource for any theatre practitioner." --David Chambers, Professor of Directing, Yale School of Drama"One of the essential books about acting for both professionals and students... brings new clarity to unlocking what Stanislavsky means for actors today." --Michael Earley, Principal, Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance

"The ultimate 'all in one' panacea for drama teachers struggling to make Stanislavsky's teachings understandable for students." --Teaching Drama

"Erudite but very accessible... a brilliantly researched study." --Amateur Stage

"A great achievement... a serious, no-nonsense interpretation of Stanislavsky's thinking written by an actor-teacher with considerable experience... I shall be going back to this Toolkit again and again." --ReviewsGate.com

About the Author

Bella Merlin has successfully combined a professional career in acting (notably in Max Stafford-Clark's Out of Joint Theatre Company) with teaching at university drama departments in the UK and in the US. She has written several books about Stanislavsky and the application of his ideas to work in the theatre.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Nick Hern Books; Revised edition (19 June 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 184842406X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1848424067
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.34 x 3.18 x 20.96 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 273 ratings

About the author

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Bella Merlin

Bella Merlin

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Bella Merlin is an actor, writer and professor at the University of California, Riverside. She trained at Moscow's State Institute of Cinematography and Guildford School of Acting. Acting includes seasons at the National Theatre (London); Shakespeare & Company (Massachusetts), Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the award-winning film Mente Revolver, numerous television, radio and theatre pieces, including her one-person play Tilly No-Body based on Frank and Tilly Wedekind's biographies. From Australia to Zimbabwe, as well as online, she leads workshops on Stanislavsky, Active Analysis Shakespeare and fact-based drama. With a PhD from Birmingham University, UK, and an acclaimed practice-as-researcher, publications include Acting The Basics 3rd Edition (2023), Shakespeare & Company: When Action is Eloquence (2020), Facing the Fear: An Actor's Guide to Overcoming Stage Fright (2016), The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit Revised Edition (2014), numerous articles, chapters and online resources.

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This product exceeded my expectations. Well done.
5.0 out of 5 stars A level drama
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 October 2023
Verified Purchase
My son thought this book helped with his A level assessment.
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Christopher
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is worth reading like it.
Reviewed in the United States on 1 May 2018
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Very accurate and kind book for those who are interested in Stanislavski!
My researchers use the quotation from her and this book, so I started to read it.
It reminds me of the time when I first read Stanislavski's An Actor Prepares.
This book is worth reading like it.
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Jonathan Guilbert
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 4 December 2017
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Thanks.
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Micah
5.0 out of 5 stars A massively useful book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 April 2012
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This is a great book to read on acting. I have read several similar books before but this has got to be the best one. Its an easy read, very informative and everything is explained with practical examples.

I have learned alot from this book, even though I have read Stanislavsky's An Actor Prepares and browsed his other books, I've never completely understood alot of it. But this Stanislavsky toolkit really does explain the most important parts of Stanislavsky's teaching in a much more accessible way, breaking them down into practical 'tools' to use when aproaching the play, getting into the mind of the charcater and then embodying the character in performance.

I'm finding it very useful in preparing monologues for my drama school auditions. This book takes you systematically from relaxation, breathing and concentration of attention to the chapter on rehearsal processes which is very useful in studying a play and for monologues as it involves valuable information on the first reading of the play and then tools to aid in characterisation and finding the given circumstances of the character. It then goes on to embodying a role by using tools such as the imagination, the magic if and observation. It then goes on to other great tools but I havn't yet finished the book!

I will definately be re-reading this again once i've finished and will be constantly referring to it again and again.
13 people found this helpful
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Trevor Michael West
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 May 2022
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I loved this book. It is full of important information and theories of acting technique. Very well put together.
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