Exploring Character Through Structural Metaphor: A Guide for Actors and Directors

Exploring Character Through Structural Metaphor will help performers discover new and valuable insights into the characters they play.

Grounded in a contemporary approach to understanding and applying the power of metaphor, it offers a practical guide for both actors and directors. This book introduces the idea of metaphor as a way of thinking rather than simply as clever comparison or figurative language. It demonstrates limitations of ways metaphor has traditionally been used in character development and presents a method for applying structural metaphor to discover rich, in-depth character insights. For directors, the model can serve as an option for guiding character analysis that is less individualistic and actor-specific and more wholistic and cast-inclusive, promoting stronger overall performance unity and production cohesion. In addition to offering a clear, followable guide for character analysis, the authors draw on personal experience to vividly demonstrate how applying this method for character analysis could impact performance and production.

This book will be a useful addition to an actor’s or director’s set of character development resources.

John Gribas is Professor and Associate Dean for Fine Arts and Humanities at Idaho State University, USA.

Angeline Underwood has decades of experience as an actor and director. She earned both an MA in Theatre and an MA in Communication from Idaho State University, USA.