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Mrs. Fiske: Her Views on Actors, Acting, and the Problems of Production

This book delves into the insights and critiques of Mrs. Fiske, offering a detailed analysis of the acting craft and the complexities involved in staging plays. It provides a glimpse into the world of theater from the viewpoint of a seasoned critic, examining the art of acting and the logistical hurdles encountered in bringing a production to life. more

Author

Minnie Maddern Fiske
Minnie Maddern Fiske

Minnie Maddern Fiske was an English-American actress who made a significant impact in the transition from stage to screen. Born in London in December 1865, she began her career on the stage and later moved to the United States to work in film. Fiske was one of the first actresses to appear in talking pictures and is recognized for her contributions to the early days of American cinema. more

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“As soon as I suspect a fine effect is being achieved by accident I lose interest. I am not interested...in unskilled labor. ...The scientific actor is an even worker. Any one may achieve on some rare occasion an outburst of genuine feeling, a gesture of imperishable beauty, a ringing accent of truth; but your scientific actor knows how he did it. He can repeat it again and again and again. He can be depended on.”

KnowsMayFeelingsActorsInterestLosesKnow HowAchieveEffectsFineLaborWorkersAccidentsGenuineOccasionsRepeatsSuspectsGesturesNot InterestedAgain And AgainAccentsOutburstRare Occasion
Author:Minnie Maddern Fiske
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“... most of all the actor will love the boys and girls, the men and women, who sit in the cheapest seats, in the very last row of the top gallery. They have given more than they can afford to come. In the most self-effacing spirit of fellowship they are listening to catch every word, watching to miss no slightest gesture or expression. To save his life the actor cannot help feeling these nearest and dearest. He cannot help wishing to do his best for them. He cannot help loving them best of all.”

MenSelfHelpingFeelingsLastsSpiritGirlActorsGivenWishBoysMissingHe ManExpressionListeningMen And WomenSeatsGesturesFellowshipGalleryBoy And Girl
Author:Minnie Maddern Fiske
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“...I have never known a movement in the theater that did not work direct and serious harm. Indeed, I have sometimes felt that the very people associated with various uplifting activities in the theater are people who are astoundingly lacking in idealism.”

PeopleSometimesFeltKnownMovementSeriousActivityDirectTheaterVariousHarmUpliftingLackingIdealism
Book:Mrs. Fiske: Her Views on Actors, Acting, and the Problems of Production
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“It is in the irony of things that the theatre should be the most dangerous place for the actor. But, then, after all, the world is the worst possible place, the most corrupting place, for the human soul. And just as there is no escape from the world, which follows us into the very heart of the desert, so the actor cannot escape the theatre. And the actor who is a dreamer need not. All of us can only strive to remain uncontaminated. In the world we must be unworldly, in the theatre the actor must be untheatrical.”

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Author:Minnie Maddern Fiske
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