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Acting without agony: An alternative to the Method
This practical, step-by-step guide is organized into 18 lessons for achieving outstanding performance in acting and directing. This text offers an alternative to the Stanislavsky "method" and teaches another way of arriving at emotions, which is described in detail throughout the text. Undergraduate and graduate courses in acting and directing.
- GenresArt
194 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 1988
About the author
Don Richardson
35 books89 followersDON RICHARDSON, author of Secrets of the Koran, Lords of the Earth and Eternity in Their Hearts, has been studying the Muslim world for more than 30 years.
He and his wife, Carol, spent 15 years among the Sawi, a Stone Age tribe of Irian Jaya. Don designed an alphabet suited to the Sawi language, authored 19 primers, taught the tribesmen to read in their native tongue and translated the entire New Testament. More than half of the Sawi accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Peace Child is the story of this mission.
All of Richardson's books focus on what he calls his "redemptive analogy" thesis: the idea that each culture has some story, ritual, or tradition that can be used to illustrate and apply the Christian gospel message.
Since 1977, Don has served as ambassador-at-large for World Team, a mission organization.
Don holds an honorary doctorate of literature from Biola University in La Mirada, California, is an ordained pastor and speaks at more than 40 church conferences each year.
He and his wife, Carol, spent 15 years among the Sawi, a Stone Age tribe of Irian Jaya. Don designed an alphabet suited to the Sawi language, authored 19 primers, taught the tribesmen to read in their native tongue and translated the entire New Testament. More than half of the Sawi accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Peace Child is the story of this mission.
All of Richardson's books focus on what he calls his "redemptive analogy" thesis: the idea that each culture has some story, ritual, or tradition that can be used to illustrate and apply the Christian gospel message.
Since 1977, Don has served as ambassador-at-large for World Team, a mission organization.
Don holds an honorary doctorate of literature from Biola University in La Mirada, California, is an ordained pastor and speaks at more than 40 church conferences each year.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 22, 2009
One of the greatest teachers and mentors for acting and directing. I experienced his presence, wisdom, and guidance through riveting classes that had me up most of the night. His private classes are cherished on my journey. A must read for anyone with interest in the topic.
July 4, 2020
Extremely grateful to have gotten the opportunity to read this! What turned me on to Don Richardson was discovering that he was John Cassavetes’ acting mentor and I have always found John Cassavetes’ work as an actor to be incredible, almost as much as his work as a filmmaker; so, I absolutely had to find out for myself.
And I was not disappointed. It was interesting to read this book after finishing Stanislavski’s An Actor’s Work, as Richardson describes several different aspects of Stanislavski’s work that he draws on here. He also criticizes the work of Uta Hagen, Stella Adler (to a certain extent), and absolutely rails against Lee Strasberg and all the damage he has done to the American actor, the American theatre—and you could even argue film!
Don Richardson was a member of the famous Group Theatre and since he knew Strasberg, the Adlers, and Elia Kazan personally, I think his criticisms of their work, as beginners and professionals, are valid. He attributes most of his work to his own mentor Charles Jehlinger, who taught acting in a very simple approach.
This book’s subtitle is “An Alternative to the Method”—which only further points out Richardson’s obvious disgust with what people think the “Method” is and all things Strasberg related—and here, Richardson outlines how the modern actor can arrive at a good performance without having to burden one’s own mental state to get the performance.
In most cases anyways, when an audience is engaging with an actor who is losing his mind for the role, it looks self-serving, pretentious, and lacking in emotional connection between the audience member and performer. But here, Richardson explains how simple acting can be and how the actor can arrive at better performances in easier and simpler ways, bringing acting back to the feeling of playing pretend when people were children.
He explains mostly that emotions are the basis of a good actor and that it is directly tied to the physical! Something which is oftentimes forgotten when dealing with lovers of Strasberg and actors who exhibit naughty behavior for a mumbling performance. (Strasberg based his method on HALF of Stanislavski’s teachings, pushing it as the real thing, which is a conversation for another time). He also waxes poetic that the the best work you can get is through lots and lots of rehearsal and work at home. You can’t use techniques in the middle of the performance—you need a fully realized character!
Richardson sounds like a great guy to have known and I found myself laughing quite a lot at certain actors whose performances were lackluster, although their names are associated with great praise, or in approaches that have been told to work but really only end up alienating audience members. I really enjoyed this book and I found the advice to be straightforward, helpful, and honest.
And I was not disappointed. It was interesting to read this book after finishing Stanislavski’s An Actor’s Work, as Richardson describes several different aspects of Stanislavski’s work that he draws on here. He also criticizes the work of Uta Hagen, Stella Adler (to a certain extent), and absolutely rails against Lee Strasberg and all the damage he has done to the American actor, the American theatre—and you could even argue film!
Don Richardson was a member of the famous Group Theatre and since he knew Strasberg, the Adlers, and Elia Kazan personally, I think his criticisms of their work, as beginners and professionals, are valid. He attributes most of his work to his own mentor Charles Jehlinger, who taught acting in a very simple approach.
This book’s subtitle is “An Alternative to the Method”—which only further points out Richardson’s obvious disgust with what people think the “Method” is and all things Strasberg related—and here, Richardson outlines how the modern actor can arrive at a good performance without having to burden one’s own mental state to get the performance.
In most cases anyways, when an audience is engaging with an actor who is losing his mind for the role, it looks self-serving, pretentious, and lacking in emotional connection between the audience member and performer. But here, Richardson explains how simple acting can be and how the actor can arrive at better performances in easier and simpler ways, bringing acting back to the feeling of playing pretend when people were children.
He explains mostly that emotions are the basis of a good actor and that it is directly tied to the physical! Something which is oftentimes forgotten when dealing with lovers of Strasberg and actors who exhibit naughty behavior for a mumbling performance. (Strasberg based his method on HALF of Stanislavski’s teachings, pushing it as the real thing, which is a conversation for another time). He also waxes poetic that the the best work you can get is through lots and lots of rehearsal and work at home. You can’t use techniques in the middle of the performance—you need a fully realized character!
Richardson sounds like a great guy to have known and I found myself laughing quite a lot at certain actors whose performances were lackluster, although their names are associated with great praise, or in approaches that have been told to work but really only end up alienating audience members. I really enjoyed this book and I found the advice to be straightforward, helpful, and honest.
March 30, 2011
The title says it all. Nice read. Practicing with Brad Heller right now (Don's protege). If you're interested in classes, give me a buzz. Their technique booked me my first theatrical agent.
May 20, 2020
At last, a book about acting that makes sense. It's long out of print but I was lucky enough to find a copy. Practical, no bullshit and very doable advice here.
December 25, 2018
As I am an actor and follow various methods, i learnt about Don Richardson's book from a friend..Now i am interested in reading it as it might help sharpen my acting skills further.
January 20, 2011
This book by Don Richardson is dedicated to the teachings of Charles Jehlinger, an acting teacher who taught Don Richardson. This is an alternative to "The Method," as the title reads, and provides acting principles for the modern day. The methods described here are extremely useful and effective. I am not an actor by any means, but these acting practices really work. This book is insightful in not only discovering a character you want to play, but more about yourself too.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews