Building a performance : an actor's guide to rehearsal / John Basil and Dennis Schebetta.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part I: Laying the foundation: steps before first rehearsal -- Reading the blueprint -- Building the scaffolding -- Constructing a shell -- Brick by brick: three types of languages -- Part II: Building the role: steps for early rehearsal -- Building with others -- Building habits -- Building your character -- Part III: Making it your own: steps for final rehearsal -- Building dynamics with textual clues -- Interior fittings: building emotional and verbal dynamics -- Building with care and consent: fights, extreme physicality & intimacy -- Exterior fittings and final touches: the technical rehearsal -- Part IV: Other models of construction -- When there's no blueprint : devising, physical theater & ensemble plays -- New construction : rehearsing the new play -- The fast build: rehearsing film, tv and other media -- Moving in: common notes from directors -- Conclusion: moving on.

"Performance provides a clear step-by-step system for actors through all stages of the rehearsal process. It enables actors to make more dynamic choices, craft complex characters with rich behavior, and find engaging and powerful levels of performance"-- Provided by publisher.

"Building a Performance: An Actor's Guide to Rehearsal provides tools and techniques through different stages of the rehearsal process to enable actors to make more dynamic choices, craft complex characters, and find an engaging and powerful level of performance. John Basil and Dennis Schebetta bring decades of acting and teaching experience to help actors apply the skills they learned in the classroom directly to the professional rehearsal room or film/television set. They show how to glean distinct choices from early readings of the script, how to add dynamics to their physical and vocal decisions, how to explore interactions with other actors in rehearsal, and how to address specific challenges unique to each role.

While students will benefit from the practical applications and advice, intermediate and advanced actors will find exciting and new ways to engage with the material and with other actors at rehearsal. Actors of all levels will gain tips and techniques so that they can continue to discover more about their character. With these tools, actors will be inspired to dig into the text and build a dynamic performance"-- Back cover.