Chapter 5 examines the skills necessary for being a successful actor. Actors must have control of their body and their voice, as well as be convincing in their portrayal of the emotions of the character. In addition, the styles of acting are different at different times in history and in different countries. In western theatre, for instance, from the time of the Renaissance through the nineteenth century, performers would often speak not to the character they were addressing but directly to the audience. In addition, the use of verse made strenuous demands on the vocal technique of the actors.
In this clip from Laurence Olivier's film version of Shakespeare's Henry V, Olivier plays an Elizabethan actor who is playing Henry V in the Globe Theatre. As the scene begins, Henry has just received a box of tennis balls and an insulting message from a foreign ruler, and he reacts with anger.
In the next clip, we observe the rehearsal of a production of William Inge's Bus Stop, about a group of people stranded at a midwestern bus stop during a snowstorm.
CREDITS: Video clip #931 from "Shakespeare and the Globe"; Video clip #29948 from "Stagestruck: Actors in Earnest"; Video footage used with the permission of Films for the Humanities & Sciences ®, Princeton, NJ. All Rights Reserved.
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