Sonia Moore and American Acting Training: With a Sliver of Wood in Hand

As a young woman, Sonia Moore studied at the Third Studio of the Moscow Art Theatre under the direction of Evgeni Vakhtangov, a protégé of Konstantin Stanislavski. When she emerged in the American theatre, her first book, The Stanislavski Method (later revised as The Stanislavski System), was written to counteract Lee Strasberg's Method. Its publication initiated her quest to reveal Stanislavski's work faithfully and to train American actors in the Method of Physical Actions. Through subsequent books, the Sonia Moore Studio, and her non-profit organization, the American Center for Stanislavski Theatre Art, Sonia Moore sought ways to promote Stanislavski's legacy through her own evolving theory and practice. Yet she is often omitted from the list of notable acting teachers in America, such as Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, and Sanford Meisner. This book places her appropriately in the company of these teaching legends. Sonia Moore was a fascinating personality as well as theatre artist. Though charming and charismatic, she was also headstrong and independent. These traits served her well in surviving the Russian Revolution and the Stalinist purges of World War II from which she escaped. Upon her arrival in the United States, she carried a "sliver of wood" in hand to knock on whenever she confronted the turmoil of life. Some of this turmoil arose as she struggled to find acceptance for her interpretation of Stanislavski's Method of Physical Actions, a technique she believed necessary for the artistic vigor of the American theatre. As former students and teachers of the Sonia Moore Studio, Suzanne Trauth and Elizabeth Stroppel are uniquely positioned to undertake a study of Moore's work. Their book illuminates Moore's life and analyzes her texts, her research, and her teaching in a comprehensive manner, thus providing practitioners and educators with detailed knowledge of Sonia Moore, her professional persona, and the woman behind it.

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Sonia Moore and American Acting Training: With a Sliver of Wood in Hand

As a young woman, Sonia Moore studied at the Third Studio of the Moscow Art Theatre under the direction of Evgeni Vakhtangov, a protégé of Konstantin Stanislavski. When she emerged in the American theatre, her first book, The Stanislavski Method (later revised as The Stanislavski System), was written to counteract Lee Strasberg's Method. Its publication initiated her quest to reveal Stanislavski's work faithfully and to train American actors in the Method of Physical Actions. Through subsequent books, the Sonia Moore Studio, and her non-profit organization, the American Center for Stanislavski Theatre Art, Sonia Moore sought ways to promote Stanislavski's legacy through her own evolving theory and practice. Yet she is often omitted from the list of notable acting teachers in America, such as Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, and Sanford Meisner. This book places her appropriately in the company of these teaching legends. Sonia Moore was a fascinating personality as well as theatre artist. Though charming and charismatic, she was also headstrong and independent. These traits served her well in surviving the Russian Revolution and the Stalinist purges of World War II from which she escaped. Upon her arrival in the United States, she carried a "sliver of wood" in hand to knock on whenever she confronted the turmoil of life. Some of this turmoil arose as she struggled to find acceptance for her interpretation of Stanislavski's Method of Physical Actions, a technique she believed necessary for the artistic vigor of the American theatre. As former students and teachers of the Sonia Moore Studio, Suzanne Trauth and Elizabeth Stroppel are uniquely positioned to undertake a study of Moore's work. Their book illuminates Moore's life and analyzes her texts, her research, and her teaching in a comprehensive manner, thus providing practitioners and educators with detailed knowledge of Sonia Moore, her professional persona, and the woman behind it.

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Sonia Moore and American Acting Training: With a Sliver of Wood in Hand

Sonia Moore and American Acting Training: With a Sliver of Wood in Hand

Sonia Moore and American Acting Training: With a Sliver of Wood in Hand

Sonia Moore and American Acting Training: With a Sliver of Wood in Hand

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Overview

As a young woman, Sonia Moore studied at the Third Studio of the Moscow Art Theatre under the direction of Evgeni Vakhtangov, a protégé of Konstantin Stanislavski. When she emerged in the American theatre, her first book, The Stanislavski Method (later revised as The Stanislavski System), was written to counteract Lee Strasberg's Method. Its publication initiated her quest to reveal Stanislavski's work faithfully and to train American actors in the Method of Physical Actions. Through subsequent books, the Sonia Moore Studio, and her non-profit organization, the American Center for Stanislavski Theatre Art, Sonia Moore sought ways to promote Stanislavski's legacy through her own evolving theory and practice. Yet she is often omitted from the list of notable acting teachers in America, such as Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, and Sanford Meisner. This book places her appropriately in the company of these teaching legends. Sonia Moore was a fascinating personality as well as theatre artist. Though charming and charismatic, she was also headstrong and independent. These traits served her well in surviving the Russian Revolution and the Stalinist purges of World War II from which she escaped. Upon her arrival in the United States, she carried a "sliver of wood" in hand to knock on whenever she confronted the turmoil of life. Some of this turmoil arose as she struggled to find acceptance for her interpretation of Stanislavski's Method of Physical Actions, a technique she believed necessary for the artistic vigor of the American theatre. As former students and teachers of the Sonia Moore Studio, Suzanne Trauth and Elizabeth Stroppel are uniquely positioned to undertake a study of Moore's work. Their book illuminates Moore's life and analyzes her texts, her research, and her teaching in a comprehensive manner, thus providing practitioners and educators with detailed knowledge of Sonia Moore, her professional persona, and the woman behind it.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780810856783
Publisher: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Publication date: 09/21/2005
Pages: 168
Product dimensions: 6.26(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.42(d)

About the Author

Suzanne M. Trauth is professor of theatre in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Montclair State University and serves as coordinator of the B.F.A. Acting Program. Elizabeth C. Stroppel is an associate professor in the Communication Department and the director of Theatre Studies at William Paterson University.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Acknowledgments Part 2 Foreword Part 3 Introduction Chapter 4 1. Sonia Moore's Life: A Tale of Russian Intrigue and Determination Chapter 5 2. Sonia Moore's Context: Professional Acting Training in New York City Chapter 6 3. The Method of Physical Actions: A Russian Revolution Chapter 7 4. Sonia Moore's Books: Interpreting the Stanislavski System for American Actors Chapter 8 5. The History of the Sonia Moore Studio of the Theatre and the American Center for Stanislavski Theatre Art Chapter 9 6. The Evolution of Sonia Moore's Theory at the Studio Chapter 10 7. Sonia Moore's Practice at the Studio Part 11 Conclusion Part 12 Selected Bibliography Part 13 Index Part 14 About the Authors

What People are Saying About This

Vincent D'Onofrio

I certainly wouldn't be able to work as hard as I do on parts, or know what I was doing at all. I can't imagine acting any other way if I hadn't studied with Sonia.

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