On Acting: Interviews with Actors

Twenty performers -- including Willem Dafoe, William H. Macy, and Eve Ensler -- consider the question of how an actor creates a character on stage.

A seemingly simple question -- "How do actors prepare for their roles?" -- reveals a surprising diversity of opinions about dramatic training. Should it be more institutionalized or more individualized? Has the film industry helped or hindered actors in their quest to portray characters convincingly? Can a person learn to act well, or is acting a talent one can only be born with? From Luba Kadison, who was on stage during World War I, to Aysan Celik, who was born in the mid-1970s, the actors interviewed by Mary Luckhurst and Chloe Veltman discuss the origins and uses of a wide range of physical and psychological approaches to acting. Some actors pour their energies into researching the era and circumstances of a character's life, some expand their versatility through work with ensemble groups or experimental companies, still others prefer to depend on traditional rigorous academic instruction. And sometimes inspiration comes from beyond the proscenium -- The Who, Martha Graham, opera singer Jessye Norman, and Pablo Picasso are just a few of the artists who have had a profound influence on the actors interviewed here.

With its dynamic approach and engaging style, On Acting is an invaluable collection of insights into the theory and practice of acting for the stage or the screen.

Mary Luckhurst is a playwright, translator, and lecturer in modern drama at York University (UK).

Chloe Veltman is a theater critic and a researcher and reporter in The Daily Telegraph's New York bureau.