The Politics of American Actor Training (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)

This book addresses the historical, social, colonial, and administrative contexts that determine today's U.S. actor training, as well as matters of identity politics, access, and marginalization as they emerge in classrooms and rehearsal halls. It considers persistent, questioning voices about our nation’s acting training as it stands, thereby contributing to the national dialogue the diverse perspectives and proposals needed to keep American actor training dynamic and germane, both within the U.S. and abroad. Prominent academics and artists view actor training through a political, cultural or ethical lens, tackling fraught topics about power as it plays out in acting curricula and classrooms. The essays in this volume offer a survey of trends in thinking on actor training and investigate the way American theatre expresses our national identity through the globalization of arts education policy and in the politics of our curriculum decisions. Introduction / Ellen Margolis And Lissa Tyler Renaud -- Stanislavsky And Politics : Active Analysis And The American Legacy Of Soviet Oppression / Sharon Marie Carnicke -- Actor Training Meets Historical Thinking / Jonathan Chambers -- The Politics Of Western Pedagogy In The Theatre Of India / Chandradasan -- Degrees Of Choice / Leigh Woods -- Training Artists Or Consumers? Commentary On American Actor Training / Lissa Tyler Renaud -- Changing Demographics : Where Is Diversity In Theatre Programs In Higher Education And National Associations? / Donna B. Aronson -- The Wild, Wild East : Report On The Politics Of American Actor Training Overseas / Lissa Tyler Renaud -- Beyond Race And Gender : Reframing Diversity In Actor-training Programs / David Eulus Wiles -- Typed For What? / Mary Cutler -- They Accused Me Of Bein' A Homosexual : Playing Kerry Cook In The Exonerated / Derek S. Mudd -- Identity Politics And The Training Of Latino Actors / Micha Espinosa And Antonio Ocampo-guzman -- Keeping It Real Without Selling Out : Toward Confronting And Triumphing Over Racially-specific Barriers In American Acting Training / Venus Opal Reese -- Disability And Access: A Manifesto For Actor Training / Victoria Ann Lewis -- Arrested Or Paralyzed? Reflections On The Erotic Life Of An Acting Teacher / Ellen Margolis. Edited By Ellen Margolis And Lissa Tyler Renaud. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Introduction / Ellen Margolis and Lissa Tyler Renaud Stanislavsky and politics : active analysis and the American legacy of Soviet oppression / Sharon Marie Carnicke Actor training meets historical thinking / Jonathan Chambers The politics of Western pedagogy in the theatre of India / Chandradasan Degrees of choice / Leigh Woods Training artists or consumers? commentary on American actor training / Lissa Tyler Renaud Changing demographics : where is diversity in theatre programs in higher education and national associations? / Donna B. Aronson The wild, wild East : report on the politics of American actor training overseas / Lissa Tyler Renaud Beyond race and gender: reframing diversity in actor training programs / David Eulus Wiles "Typed" for what? / Mary Cutler "They accused me of bein" a homosexual? : playing Kerry Cook in The exonerated / Derek S. Mudd Identity politics and the training of Latino actors / Micha Espinosa and Antonio Ocampo-Guzman Keeping it real without selling out : toward confronting and triumphing over racially specific barriers in American acting training / Venus Opal Reese Disability and access: a manifesto for actor training / Victoria Ann Lewis Arrested or paralyzed? reflections on the erotic life of an acting teacher / Ellen Margolis. This resource strives to give a fair hearing to persistent, questioning voices about our nation's acting training as it stands, thereby contributing to the national dialogue, the diverse perspectives and proposals needed to keep American actor training dynamic and germane, both within the U.S. and abroad